The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-03-23
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF lNTEMPERANCE.
There is No Grenter Snare to the Young
Man Just Beginning Life Than the
Companionsl,ip of the M cd derate Drink
a. nl.a.- Are SncietUts Real Rane.

Man Just Beginning Life Than tho
Companionship of the M oderate Drink
cr-They Are society's Real Bane.
"Oh. ] only take g.ass now and then
with a friend or when don t feel quite
well. defy any man to say he ever saw
me drunk -,
And so we say to you, misguided man,
that for this very reason, because you
drink bat are never drunk, that you are
the bane of society. You, and not the
drunhard.
There is no greater snare to the young
man just beginning life than the compan-
ionship of the moderate drinker.
He had better thousand times nave
for his friend the man who lies half OF the
time dead drunk in the gutter.
For your moderate drinker is very OF,
ten man of good morals, as the world
goes, and he talks loftiiy of schemes 1or
raising mankind and purifying society. tie
always puts something in the missionary
box. and he goes to church, and helps, TO
pay the minister, and he makes speeches
at Fourth of July celebrations and Sab
bath-school picnics, and, altogether, IS con-
sidered a very good citizen; while MIS-
neichbor, who began with lust one glass,
but had not the will power to stop there,
and went on to the depths OF drunkenness
and DESPAIR, is despised by all and hoot"d
and scoffed as he staggers along the streets.
But Mr.. Smith, the moderate drlnker,
knows where to stop, and so retains the
respect of his acquaintance. And "nen
the young man at the beginning Of his ca
reer of ruin is demonstrated with by MS
friends, he looks surprised and refers them
to Mr. Smith.
WHY. look at Mr.. Smith. He has al
ways taken a glass when he felt like 1t,
and am sure there is no man stands any
higher than Mr.. Smith"
Young friends, such of you as are taking
a pattern by Mr.. Smith, pause moment
and consider How do you know that, like
him. you can stop before you leave the
ground of safety? How do you know that
YOUR will is strong enough to keep you
beck from the brink of the preciplce to-
ward which you are advancing?
Every one has not an appetite winch,
when once aroused. can be controlled by
the will. Nine-tenths of the men who be-
gin by taking "just one glass end by be-
that YOU are the lucky tenth man?
Again, we repeat, moderate drinkers are
the bane of society, because their example
is one full of insidious fascination, and the
danger is never seen or realized until 1t IS
too late. No man was ever influenced to
drink by the sight of one of his fellows
living beastly drunk by the roadside
Beastly, did we say? We beg to correct
ourselves. Reastiy is not the word, Tor
beasts never degrade themselves to the
level of men in this respect.
A brute beast is a creature to be hon
ored beside the poor wretch who prosti-
tutes his manhood, sinks his moral respon-
sibility and falls to the degradation OF sot.
Think you that any young, man who sees
the bloated, disgusting wreck of humanity,
which we call the drunkard, passing along
to the lookup in the hands of the police,
desires to become like him? Is it any
temptation to him to go and do likewise!
Does the sight make him anxious to be-
come drunkard? Never!
He shudders with disgust and hurrles by.
No, the drunkard never tempts any man
to become like him; he never entlces the
Young man of so-called good habits to
drink. 1t is your gentlemanly, perfumed,
refined, respectable moderate drinker, who
wears glossy linen and broadcloth and
passes for a worthy member of society. :,
Society forsooth! Gu. upon such society!
Men and women of to-day, ye who would
do good to your fellow-men, who would
strengthen the weak and lift up the fallen,
cast out from your friendship and your
homes this moderate drinker. Place hlm
under ban. Let the light of truth shine
upon him, and show him in his true colors,
which, beautiful though they may be, are
beautiful only with the baleful glitter OF a
serpent's skin. =,
And when you pass the miserable drunk.
ard as he lies helpless beneath the tiendl CT
rum-when you draw your virtuous robes
around you with shiver of disgust, and
pass by on the other side, remember that,
Ioathsome and repulsive though ne may be-,
his example is thousand times less bane, ban
fill than that of the respectable, moderate
drinker whom you receive into your houses
and feast at your tables and accept as
companion and friend Of your families
Kate Thorn, in the New York Weekly.