The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-09
A TEMPERANCE TALK.
From n Business Standpoint the Use
of St~imuIants Is Unwise


Senator Beveridge. in Saturday Evening
Call.
A young man could hardly do a more
fatal thing than to fall into the habit of
taking stimulants. This is no temperance
lecture, of course. 1t is merely a sum-
mary of suggestions by observing which
the young man may avoid a few of the
rocks in his necessarily rugged pathway to
success. The belief sometimes entertained,
that it is necessary to drink in order to
impress your sociability upon companions
who also drink, is utterly erroneous. One
day a dinner was given by one of the
great lawyers of this country in honor of
another lawyer of distinction, and among
those present was a young man OF great
promise who at that time was considerably
in the public eye. The dinner began with
a cocktail, and the young man was the
only one of the brilliant mpan who did
not drink it. He was not ostentatious In
his refusal, but merely lifted the glass to
his lips and then set ii down with the
others. Nor did he take any wine through
out the dinner. The incident was noticed
by only a few, n those few CHANGED TO
meet at a club the next day. The young
man was the sole topic of their converse
ton.
well" said the great lawyer, "a young
man who has enough self-restraint to deny
himself as that young man did, and Who
at the same time, is so scintillating in
speech, so genuine and original in thought.
and so charming in manner has in him
simply tremendous possibilities. nave
not been so impressed in a long time as
was by his refraining from drinking
This incident is related simply to show
tina a young man loses nothing in the es-
TEEN OF those who themselves drink by
declining TO join them.
Il ranoaf thic fc M +amnor1 nnn lQHfIra-
l know perfectly we'll that some of the
strongest men in business and politics and
literary life in this country take wine &C.
casionally at the dinner table and else
where. Nor are they to be condemned for
it. But this paper is meant to contain vital
suggestions TO young men with lfe'S pos
sibilities and difficulties before them. 1t
is so entirely uncertain whether you nave
the will in you to keep your hands very
firmly on the reins Of the wild horses of
habit. 1t is utterly TO you
whether you may not have inherited from
an ancestor, even very remote, an infiam-
mable blood which once touched by stimu-
liant. is ever after on fire. You risk too
much and you risk ii needlessly. My earn
est advice is not TO try Ii. | Will leave
to the doctors the description of its ef-
feet on nerve and brain. and TO common
observation the universal testimony TO the
peculiar blurring OF judgment which stimu-
liant of any kind usually produces. Be-
sides, il is a very bad thing for a young
man to get a reputation for.
And / have concluded. after very careful
observations, that there is a mighty
change being wrought in this habit, and
that a great majority of the young men
who are now the masters of affairs are
abstainers. In short, drinking will soon be
out of style, and very bad form. Consider
these Illustrations 1 know a young man
who is ~thirty-eight years of age and who
is practically the head OF one of the great
est business institutions In the world. He
L.
ability, character and untiring industry
from the very humblest position in his
company's service. He is a total abstainer.
/ know another, just forty, who is vice
president of one of the greatest banks In
America. When ] first knew him, very
many years ago, he occupies the position
of cashier in a comparatively obscure
bank. Merit alone has placed him where
he now is. He. too, does not touch stimu-
lants of any kind.
Or, TO get out Of that class of occupa-
tions, one of the most powerful and sue
cessful political bosses in this country,
a man who makes politics his profession.
and who, not yet forty, is in control Of
one Of the political machines of one of
our great cities, arose to that position by
ability alone from the occupation of a
street car driver. He also is a total alb
stainer. Nor do these three young men
smoke or swear.
The entire space Of this paper could be
taken up with these instances. And the
increasing number of them, and the re-
marks 1 have quoted of that master of
worldly wisdom at the White House re-
ception, and the observation of the great
politician about the strong man of his
party in another State, fairly justify, /
think. a suggestion to young men that as
a practical, worldly and business matter
they had better use no stimulants, either
alcoholic or others, for others are just as
bad or worse than the former. Indeed,
alcohol and the various forms of wines n
othor 1fto crfpou1o ntG hat-a hod a dfonro-
portionate amount of abuse heaped upon
them. Let the young man look out for all
kinds OF stimulants.
WEAKNESS exhaustion even, is no excuse.
If you are tired, take a rest. If your
natural energy is not equal TO your task,
take a lesser task. There Is nothing more
melancholy than the spectacle of men.
young or old, attempting things out of
proportion TO thepselves. 1t is hard TO
gauge what is beyond ones natural powers.
il is true. But IL you feel the need OF
stimulant TO keep you up TO the level Of
your work. that is at least one unfailing
test OF your limitations. i must repeat for
the third time, hat all Of this adyice-no,
let US say suggestion-is made only as a
matter of practical help to young men try
ing TO get on in the world.
1t is the mere business side OF the ques-
ton at which we are looking now, for IL
is business itself that is working this
change. People do not want a lawyer whose
brain is not clear, a doctor, dealing with
life and death. whose, perceptions are not
steady and natural. People refuse to ride
on trains hauled by engineers who may be
drinking, and so on. IL is all a matter OF
cold-blooded business. The conditions and
requirements of modern society are coming
to demand greater and greater sobriety
from those in responsible places, no matter
whether at the head Of q party or a rail-
way train The spiritual phase, the medical
view, the moral and social economic sides
OF the question i would not. under any
circumstances. assume to deal with. on
which would ] understake 70 weigh or
Judge.