The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-11-05
Alcohol Cheats Ambition.

R4Gouoi AthOssAObs
Again we discuss With our readers the
harm that is done by alcohol.
We have no idea OF preaching teetotal-
ism. We have no desire to advocate laws
regulating mems lives against :heir will
Education and discussion and self-study
can convert men from whisky; laws can
not.
We publish these editorials on whisky,
not so much in the hope OF doing good di.
rectly. rs in the hope of making among
our readers tens of thousands Of advocates
Of temperate living. This newspaper goes
into the hands Of millions Of good, earnest,
successful men and women. We seek to
impress upon them the importance of dis
cussing, the whisky question with young
men. Upon the cooperation OF our read
ers we rely entirely for any good that We
nav accomplish.
To-day We deal with the work that
whisky does in deluding and swindlins the
ambitious young man.
You need not be old, in this world, to
know many . man who started cut hope
fully, full of ambition and promise and
who has now ended among the whisky
wrecks.
Whisky is especially dangerous, because
it makes o man lie to himself as well "a te
others. It makes his own mind deceive
him. Il makes hiS ambitions, the best elc.
mente that ore inshim, work fer his own
downfall.
Such young men exist by thousands. A
man is naturally able, he has a good head,
strong emotions, unlimited possibilities.
His hope OF progress is his ambition. While
he controls himself his ambition tells him
that it can be realized only through work.
But whisky tells him another story.
Whisky says to the young man:
"Of course, you will succeed; OF course,
you are great; you are not appreciated;
your thoughts are beautiful; your origin
Atty Is marvellous; your future Is certain"
To many young man this happens:
He sits down at the table an earnest.
whisky, and that one glass makes change.
1t begins the elimination of his earnest
ness. He takes another glass, and another,
and fourth.
Look at him now. and see what whisky
does for its human friends.
His earnestness is gone. Concentration
is gone from his eyes, firmncss from his
mouth, all strength of purpose has left his
expression.
And the modesty which inspires in men
. small estimat te of themselves. and an in.
rlination for hard work, has been wiped
out BY whisky also.
these whisky has substituted for the
qualities that promised success.
Whisky is n cunning enemy. No great
.encral ever Planned campaign or cleared
away obstacles as thoroughly as whisky
plans and removes things from its path.
When whisky plans to lead a man to
murder it first eliminates kindness and
the sense of right ard wrong. In their
place it puts insane rage and vicious ha.
tired. And in the prison cell next day you
see a wrctched creature, with white face
and trembling hands, protesting:
Il don't know why ! killed him; he was
my friend"
Or
Il don't know why killed my wife; 20
better woman ever lived"
But whisky knows why the murder was
done, for whisky robbed the brain OF its
balance, Of the qualities within US which
make such crimes impossible.
To the young man with an ambition
whisky works on the same lines. 1t tells
him that hard work Is not necessary. 1t
persuades him to accept alcoholic dreams
in place Of realities.
And the man wakes up among the
worlds failures. wondering why he be.
lieved the lies that whisky told him, why
the world has gone by and left him to fail.
ure.
When you see 4 young man with whisky
in his hand and loud words in his mouth,
tell him that nothing is accomplished il
this world without hard work and that
whisky is the enemy Of hard work.
And II any young man reads this who
has known through personal experience
what whisky docs, how it encourages false
hopes and makes hard work repulsive, let
him think the matter over seriously for
himself. Let him take to himself the ad.
vice which he would instantly give to turn
from his whisky to his books. and from
cheating dreams to hard and disagreeable
but useful rcalities.-New York American
md Jourpol