New-York tribune., 1902-01-02
THE ST. PAUL SAILS FIRST THIS YEAR
THE DAY OF PERJURIES.
NEW YEARS oATHs OF THE PRUDENT AND
THE IMPRUDENT.


The beautiful blue of the sky-so unaccustomed
yesterday was doubtless due to the amount OF
swearing that was going Two kinds of swear
ing chiefly prevailed-swearing in and swearing off.
There was also the usual amount Of swearing OF
the ordinary sorts. The most Of the swearing in
took place at the City Hall. The swearing off was
distributed pretty evenly over the city, though
there was DOUBTLESS Of it in the more thicily
populated districts, below Fourteenth-st. II it had
not been for the wind the weather would doubt
less have seemed warmer
1t was a great day for the Ten Commandments
and the Cardinal Virtues. 1t is true that temper
ance which was accounted by the ancients TO be
one of the cardinal viruties was no more conspic-
uous than usual yesterday, but that was because
of the prevalence of prudence, another of them.
This seeming paradox may well be explained
at once The fanatic swears that he will never
drink again. and within a week he has backslidden.
The prudent man does nothing hastily. His atti-
tude is expressed in the beautiful temperance song:
Drunk tonight. drunk last night.
Drunk the night before
Going TO get drunk tomorrow night
And never get drunk any more.
This shows thoughtfuness, deliberation. the de-
termination to give even drunkenness a fair trial.
and wisdom in resolving more than can be
carried out. mark that the minstrel does not
say that he Is going drink any more; merely
that he is not going TO get drunk any more. This
is true temperance. The man who resolves on tenn
perance is more prudent than the who re-
solves total abstinence because he IS more likely
10 keep his resolution ana 10 make resolutions and
break them is weaken the moral nature. For
this reason some persons refrain from swearing
of at all on New Years Day, and doubtless this is
for them a sensible course. Others do not swear
of because they think that they can control them
selves without making any special promises about
IT, TO themselves anybody else but these, if they
do not overestimate their powers. are the moral
giants a
Another reason for the attacks which many made
yesterday the demon we'll expressed
by a reformer who had put considerable amount
Of IL where il would never tempt anybody again.
In making my New Years resolution" he s;-,as
II am striving make it impossible TO break It,
even IL should wish do 1 have sworn that
I will not get any drunker at any time this year
than l am to-day. This may small thing.
but / wish 10 make only resolutions which can
keep, and / taking care that II shall be impos-
sible for get drunker than am to-day
OF there good deal OF swearing OH
done other subjects than drink, but II the dis
cussion OF such begun there would be no end
of but the process like most of the work against
the consumption OF alcohol. Is ineffective, because
il does go the root Of the matter, The re-
formers who clearbeaded and wise, instead OF
merely fanatical and visionary, beginning TO
realize this, and the first step toward u cure
IS the understanding Of the disease, there is hope
in this Many yesterday or drink and VIII
be drinking again within 2 week at the outside.
Did IL occur TO anybody yesterday 10 swear never
again 10 drive anybody else TO drink? Not TO one.
Like temperance work swearing of has not
Yet got 10 the root Of the matter.