The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-01-06
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING. FACTS ABOUT.
The VICE OF INTEMPERANcE 3.

r. 7...
A Sad Case Resulting From Selling Hq-
uors to Minors-It is the Duty OF the 4
Community to Shield Youth Against
IFS Own Ignorance.
"A thirteen-year-old boy was picked up
on the streetein New York the other day :
helpaessiy. drunk and taken to the alcohol
ic ward.pf the Bellevue Hospital -
;. No father and no mother can read OF
such an incident without horror, or with
out fear for their own boys, amid the
temptations of city life.
The small drunkard in Bellevue, when
his senses returned to hum, cursed the
barkeeper who sold him the liquor.
b, And the barkeeper ought to be cursed
not by the poisoned child only, but by all i
men who are conscious OF the moral duty
resting upon the mature to shield youth
against its own ignorance, curiosity and
undisciphned desires. {; !. X, - s d u Il
It should be the special duty Of the an
thorities to curse that barkeeper to prac-e
tical purposes by dragging him INTO court
and giving him long term In lail Tor h,si
own punishment and as D. warning TO
others in the same trade not to break the
law against selling liquor to, minors. The
city that does not guard children from
whisky, ! and: against all the indulgences
open to free living men. is put to shame.
And lads older than the little Bellevue
inebriate, boys nearing manhood, are en-.
titled to better guardianship from the conn Z
munity than they receive. ~ :. "
Freedom is good for men. Give men
liberty and hold them accountable for the
abuse of it--that is sound doctrine, The
kind Of goodness which is obtained by
making it impossible to sin is not tho
time of trial comes It is hot-house
plant Man should be master of himself
When he is, that he has the power, within I
to resist any environment. But the man
who is accustomed to props from without
goes to pieces when those props are re-
moved-when he moves TO some place
where he may do as he chooses: :;s. :. 4 q;
But the doctrine of liberty with responRi-
bility which applies to adults does not ap.
plysto the young Just as a child hasi to be
taught TO walk, 80 must the youth be
taught tetIeeognize danger when nit, con.-
fronts hiIr.S He needs the guiding hand
until his 'anoral muscles have hardened
and he is able to- walk alone.
lead us not into temptation. is .
prayer which above an other prayers
shows profound knowledge Of weak human
| nature ,j:r ~ ~ s a
Keep temptation out of the way Of the.
young, and keep the young out OF the way
of temptation. ~ 4.
1t is crime not to safeguard youth from
temptations that may ruin character while
| character is forming. q IS s5s 4.
The penalties cannot be. made too sess
| we're for such as place before growing lads
| the temptation to drink, the temptation
| of neutrality-suspicious. of any sort
| yielding to which impairs purity and Wigs
| or Of mind or body. AZ
And whether temptation is presented to
! the young or their ELDERS, this is a truth
that, is ,nt SO well apprehended AZ y
| should be: 81 -, 49,. +!
The, tempter is always worse than the
! tempted. y {. tFi,; 1s =. y
The man or woman that offers d bribe
to the poiieeman or the custom house of.
Gcer is more, guilty than the accepter ot
| the bribe-it is 30 insignificant to The SgIHs5
| er, so significant to the taker, Of good
things desired and not Otherwise obtain
| able. IL 8, ~: - n 4. ~
| The rich man without conscience IS tho;
| most dangerous enemy against whom 30.
ciety has to contends He is an ever How
| ing fountain of corruption. 1t costs him
| no sacrifice that he cares about to y buyS
| his way" through life, and his path Is
| strewn with dishonored fellow creatures.
| He carpets his. progress with the seif-re-;
spect Of others. He is Sel6shness lncar-
nate and destroying force, making at.!
together for evil. tlfl5s f2 y :. :, !,
We need q sCerner sex OF apnorreucc iSh
! the tempter. and more living conscious
ness of responsibility for the tempted.
To all fstus who have conscience, that
thirteen-year-old drunken boy in Belle
yue is a reproach. If as a community we
were alive as we ought to be to the obi.
CATION Of guarding the young, no child
Could buy liquor in New York. The PEN
alty for selling would be 80 heavy that
no barkeeper, even if so lost to manhood
as to be capable of committing the crime,
| would dare to risk the consequences. .-
From an editorial in the New York Even
| mo Journal ~. .-a. -. - ~