River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-10-27

The Creator made all things, we be-
lieye.
If so, He must have made these.
We know what He made food and
water for, and air and sunshine, but why
Wniskey, Tobacco and Coffee?
They are here sure enough and each
performing it's work.
There must be some great plan behind
it all; the thoughtful man seeks to I'M
derstand something of that plan and
thereby to judge these articles for their
true worth.
Let us not say bad" or good with
out taking testimony.
There are times and conditions when
it certainly seems to the casual observer
that these stimuIant narcotics are real
blessings.
Right there is the ambush that con-
ceals a killing" enemy.
One can slip into the habit Of either
whiskey, tobacco or coffee easy enough,
but to "untangle" is often q fearful
struggle.
1t seems plain that there are circum-
stances when the narcotic effect of these
pOisOns IS for the moment beneficial, but
the fearful argument against them is
that seldom ever does one find steady
user OF either whiskey, coffee or tobacco
free from disease of some kind.
Certainly powerful elements in their
effect on the human race.
1t Is matter of daily history testified
to by literally millions Of people that
Whiskey, Tobacco and Coffee are smil-
ing, promising, beguiling friends on the
start, but always false as hell itself in
the end. Once they get firm hold enough
to show their strength, they insist upon
governing and drive the victim steadily
towards i'll health in some form; if per-
mitted to continue to rule, they will not
let up until physical and mental ruin
sets in.
A man under that spell (and under
the spell' is cOrrect) of any one of these
drugs frequently assures himself and
his friends: why, can leave off any
time l want to. did quit for a week
just to show could" 1t is q sure mark
of the slave when one gets to that stage.
He wiggled through a week fighting
every day to break the spell, was finally
whipped and began his slavery all over
again.
The slave Coffee slave as well as To-
bacco and Whiskey) daily reviews his
condition. sees perfectly plain the steady
encroachments of disease, how the
nerves get weaker day by day and de-
mand the drug that seems to smile and
offer relief for few minutes and then
leave the diseased condition palmer to
view than ever and growing worse.
Many times the Coffee slave realizes that
he is between two fires. He feels bad
if he leaves off and a little worse if he
drinks and allows the effect to wear off.
So it goes on from day to day Every
night the struggling victim promises
himself that he will break the habit and
next day when he feels little bad (as
he is quite sure to) breaks, not the habit,
but his own resolution. 1t is nearly al
ways tough fight, with disaster ahead
sure if the habit wins.
There have been hundreds of thou
sands of people driven to their graves
through disease brought on by coffee
drinking alone, and it is quite certain
that more human misery is caused by
coffee and tobacco than by whiskey, for
the two first are more widely used, and
more hidden and insidious in the effect
on nerves, heart and other vital organs,
and are thus unsupported until much of
the dangerous work is done.
Now, Reader, what is your opinion as
to the real use the Creator has for these
things? Take a look at the question
from this point of view.
There is a law of Nature and of Ma
lures God that things slowly evolve
from lower planes to higher, a sturdy,
steady and digniied advance toward
more perfect things in both the Phys
icaI and Spiritual world. The ponderous
tread of evolutionary development is
fixed by the Infinite and will not be
auickened out of natural law by any of
mans methods.
Therefore we see many illustrations
showing how nature checks too rapid ad-
vance. Illinois raises phenomenal crops
OF corn for two or three years. If she
continued to do so every year her farm
ers would advance in wealth far beyond
those of other sections or countries. So
Nature interposes a bar every three or
four years and brings on bad year.
Here we see the leveling influence at
work.
A man is prosperous in his business
for a number of years and grows rich.
Then Nature sets the "leveling intiu-
ence" at work on him. Some of his in
veStments lose, he becomes luxurious
and lazy. Perhaps 1t is whiskey, to-
bacco, coffee, women, gambling, or some
other form, The intent and purpose is
TO level him. Keep him from evolving
too far ahead of the masses.
nation becomes prosperous and
great like ancient Rome. If no leveling
influence set in she would dominate the
world perhaps for all time. But Dame
Nature sets her army of Jewellers" at
work Luxury, over-eating and drink
ing. RIGHTEOUSNESS, waste and extrav-
agance, indulgences of all kinds, then
comes the wreck. Sure. Sure. Sure:
The law of the unit is the law of the
mass. Man goes through the same proc
ess. Weakness Tin childhood), grad
ual growth of strength, energy, thrift,
probity, prosperity, wealth, comfort,
ease, relaxation, self-indulgence, lux
ury, idleness, waste, debauchery, dis
ease, and the wreck follows. The "lev-
elers" are in the bushes along the path
way of every successful man and woman
and they bag the majority.