The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-08-21
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF lNTEMPERANcE,

Drink and american Womanhood - In
ebrtety is Upon the Increase Among
the Fair Sex, Especially in High So
ciety.A Traffic That Debases.
We fancy that we hear the chorus of in
dignation that would have sounded from
end to end of the country had the New
Voice-"the prohibition sheet" t"-ventured
to make the assertion that drunkenness ID
upon the increase among American wom-
en-, and especially American society Wom'
en-. The New Voice has not made such
charge. At this moment we do not recall
That the matter has been referred to in
these columns, at least not recently. The
charge has been made by people who are
not prohibitionists, has been emphasized
in publications that are not prohibition
numbers of reputable physicians who, in
their practice, have met with the results
of the growing inebriety among American
women.
Lamentable as the state of affairs is, it
is nothing other than might have been
expected and confidently prophesied, and
perhaps is no more menaclng to the well
fare Of the nation than has been the SINH
lar appalling inebriety of the American
men for half century past.
We look upon it as inevitable that II
the American people will continue to sus-
tain the saloon, and the saloon system,
and the saloons standard of morals, they
must pay the full price therefor. No ,peo-
pie have ever succeeded for any consider
able length Of time in keeping any marked
difference between the moral character OF
their men and of their women. Debauch-
cry begins with the men of any nation,
but it reaches the womanhood Of the ma
tion sooner or later with infalible GER
tainty. The Rome of Nero and the France
of Louis XIV. and the full fruit of the An
glo-Saxon surrender to vice in the court
of Charles II. are illustrations IN point:
The American people for almost half
century have been fostering an organized
institution which we call the liquor traffic
with full knowledge that it debauches and
debases everything that it touches, We
know, and have known for years, that it
takes of the brightest and best and clean
est and purest OF our boys, and transforms
them into loathsome beasts without the
beasts excuse for bestiality. We have
let that vile traffic extend itself till 1t
touches practically every avenue. OF our
national life, domestic, social, business
new demand that it made for further sur
renders of the national virtue. We have
expected our women to submit to the de-
bauchery and butchery of their sons. We
have bidden our maidens take uncom.
plainingly diseased and besotted youths
for husbands. As people we have de-
nounced as fanatics and cranks all who
have opposed or protested against the
domination Of the traffic. And now, for.
sooth, shall we wake up with a start and
hold up our hands in horror because the
same fend that has devoured our men is
reaching out after our women?
The New Voice would welcome a cru
SADIE to save the womanhood of America
from the drink curse, but such a crusade
must mean a real determined effort to
save the whole American people from the
drink curse, for in this age of the world
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