Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-03-16
WOMEN AND LIQUOR.
strong PreEentstiea - 60 Peesaf
Situation by Mrs. Lake OF Catholic
Total Abstinence Society.


TAT the National Catholic Total Absti
nencs convention Nrs. Lake, the able and
eloquent vice president OF that organize.
ton, called attention to the increase Of the
drinking habit among women. Her state
ments have been severely criticised and
she felt called upon to issue the following
declaration. which Ii worthy of q careful
reading We give the substance OF hsi
papsr.-Union Signall
Judging from the criticism that
have seen concerning the matter, the
chief offense lies In that statement
OF DR.. Cyrus Edison, who claimed the
drink habit was prevalent among So
ciety women-''its treatment almost a.
common al that for coughs and colds
among the Four Hundred"
There Ii trite saying that "'Tis
only the wounded bird that fiutters,-
therefore take It that that portion
OF society which seems most indig.
nant In most culpable. There are so
ciety women who are leaders In
everything that f. pure, lofty. re-
fined. intellectual, against whom no
such charge could lie. But there are
others, aud what was said concern.
ing them and the drink habit
whisky teas, punch bowl receptions
afternoon poker games with strong
drink. refreshments, etc.-is true
Every word In true. And as we GO
down the scale of the social ladder we
find similar customs duplicated in
quantity II not In quality.
I am asked: "Are the above CON.
ditions prevalent among q majority
OF women7" should say emphat-
ically, Mol Thank Godi But they are
sufficiently prevalent to, be alarming
As we are now reaping the harvest
of past habits, so as the habit In.
creases will we In the days to come
see more of the evil results, unless the
cause is checked.
Another course Of Hfe-destroyinp
practice was laid bare when one OF
the greatest specialists on neurotics
Of the century said: eff you would
stop drunkenness, begin at the cradle
In your nurseries" would go ster
further and say, begin before the con.
ception of new life. Though a child
may not inherit the direct appetite
for alcohol, yet It is true that a weak,
characterless moral pervert will be
the child of any mother who poison.
her body and debases her character
by drinking egg-nog, cocktails, brandy
or beer while she Is forming the
character ard building up the struc-
ture of the child God has given her
the privilege of bearing.
Then In almost every walk of life
our young women are surrounded BY
such conditions that the wonder is
that more Of them have not the
curse of alcoholic appetite fastened
upon them.
In that part of the social world
where hand-painted china or cut-glass
punch bowl is ever present at social
functions, who is chosen to serve its
wine or branded contents? Why, the
prettiest, brightest, most winsome
girl the hostess can find. Then when
the young girl entertains her own
friends the practice taught by her
elders Is carried out, resulting oft
times in q maudlin condition of host.
ess and guests. After-theater sup
pers, with champagne as a beverage
have sent many young woman home
in an intoxicated condition. Beer gar.
dens are thronged with people of both
SSACS' w " SO4hC Oh IneSe, crit
les, and see our future mothers, now
in their teens, filing and drinkine
glass after glass of beer in company
with those of the opposite sex. Then
ask yourself, first, is it any wonder
that mems respect and reverence for
womankind is lessening daily; and
secondly, how or where will this end
And why wonder at woman's WELD
ing to the subtle, insidious influence
of alcohol? Has she not brain tbs.
sues, nerve centers and flesh fiber as
well as her brother? And if practices
becomes a habit, and habit vice with
him, why not with her? She is diff
ferent only in so far as her depth OF
piety and glorious womanhood keepa
her where God places her, on a high.
er pedestal than her brother man
Perhaps That IL Not Much.
Some mems only virtue IL that they
4 win do as they agree to.-Washington