Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-14
Exacgeration and the Saloon.

Professor W. O. Atwater, OF Wesleyan
University, whose experiments are said I'd
have developed the fact that alcohol is 4
food and not poison, has been heard from
again. This time he says, "The great OBJ
stacle In the way of temperance reform is
the habit OF exaggeration." Now that Is
refreshing! 1t has not beenthought hither,
to that the evils Of the saloon could be exi
aggerated. The same authority adds,
"Aieohol supplies fuel to the body" And
is that all! We had supposed that 1t ap-
piled fuel to the soul, and that the fuel il
supplies to the body would ultimately con-,
sumo 1t with the soul in hell. That Is al
eohols reputation in this community.
But Dr.. Atwater, who, by the way, is as
sincere as he is probably capable, buf
whose honest opinions are being made exI
ceedingly profitable to the American SO.
loon, says the friends of temperance hinder
their cause by "the habit of exaggeration."
1t would be no m ore difficult to exaggerate
the fendishness OF the devil or the horrors
OF hell than to speak too vigorously against
the evils of intemperance. Amid the mel
ancholy ruins OF desolated homes and
hearts, and surrounded by the wreckage OF
lives which but for intoxicating liquors
would have been strong and pure there is
no danger that our too-feeble language
will make 1t possible for US to exaggerate!
Instead OF fexaggerating.the awful crimes
that lie within and without the saloons
green baize door which swings both ways
into despair, all the temperance reformers
In the world put together can not tell half
the terrible truth Before we can get be-
yond the ample borders of rhe facts about
the drink vice to where exaggeration
might begin it would be necessary to know
all the hidden secrets of sorrowing homes
and lives, all the records kept in heaven,
and all the life-stories OF the hopeless
dWeliers In hell; and, possessing this knowl-
edge, he would recite 1t must speak con-
tinuously for hundred generations before
he could tell enough of the black history
even to be tempted to exaggerate. We
have net been exaggerating the poison side
OF Satan's favorite beverages-we, perhaps,
did not know until DR.. Atwater told us
that alcohol was food or a fuel, but we
did Know that it very promptly makes q
mans body food for worms and his soul
fuel for the eternal burning. Have we not
seen 1t blight q million lives in their bloom,
and other millions before their birth2 Have
We not seen it prostitute womanhood to
brutishness and manhood to worse than
peastliness? Please do not accuse us them
of exaggerating what transforms Eden into
bedlam, angels into demons, heaven into
hell. We resent any accusation that we
could, il we would, exaggerate the want
and wretchedness which strew rags and
bleeding hearts and mangled lives along
the whole foul track OF this death dealing,s !
disease-breeding, filth producing, mortal
ity-destroying, renson-dethroning serpent
Of the saloon.
Haunted by no fear that we might ever
be able to tell more than the truth. we
stand aghast In the presence OF the legal
ized saloon and wish it were possible to
tell the American voter even. half of tho
truth about rum and the ruin 1t is licensed
to bring into our land Surely, surely even
half the truth would be enough to shut up
these food shops of the devil, these coal
yards of hell.
I. oh, yes, alcohol is food and fuell-
Cumberland Presbyterian.