The Newtown bee., 1905-01-13
TOWN TOPICS
SOCIAL TOPICS.

SOCIAL TOPICS.
 THE CURE OF DRUNKENNEss.-BY o. o. WRIGHT.
 The alcoholic abuse is one of the most gigantic and terrible evils in the world. No one can reasonably dispute the fact. It sits like some horrible, defiant monster upon the heart of struggling humanity, and para1yses all our best efforts to do good. No words can picture the Dwaste and woe which can be traced to the wild insanity of the demon of drink. And still, it is only a phase of the evil that is in the world, and it is so linter-related and woven together with all the rest that we cannot comprehend it's power as being alone; and we cannot, therefore, cure it except as we shall effect the cure of all sin, and all evil of every kind with it. For the roots of the upas tree of intoxication reach deep down into every form of sin and crime in the world.
 Men drink in their ignor- ance of the power of strong drink to enslave them. They are deceived by the mocking pleasures of stimulation. They are carried away by the insiduous growth of habit. They become bound by the social cus- toms of tippling. They are cast down by the degradation and despair which are sure to overtake them; and are lost in the whirlpool of drunkenness themselves, and for others. Men sin believing that there is more pleasure in sin than in righteousness. They sin because others entice them. They not only mistake evil for good, but deliber- ately plan to do iniquity, and prefer it. And necessity is often the plea to ex- cuSe the beginnings, if not the end, of 2 life of wickedness and shame. And still there is scientific and proper use of alcoholic stimulants, not withstanding their most terrible abuse, and man has legal and moral right to drink them, if in so doing he the law of God. Let us look the truth square in the face, and without any fear. Not that we need to make any plea for their use, at all: but rather that by seeing clearly or how little real use they are we may realize more fully how universally they are abused. We can gain nothing by going beyond 1 the truth in our zeal for reform; we may lose much by forcing false or doubtful issues. There is no need to | try to be wise above that which is written in the Word of God. No cause, perhaps, was ever more sOrely "wOund- ed in the house of it's friends" than that of temperance.
 We cannot do more nor better than to be co-workers together with the Lord of life. It is not the mark of a true abiding faith in us that we fret ourselves because of evil-doers so that we are led to use questionable means to attain an end which after all may not be entirely in accord with the di. vine purpose. The easiest way, no doubt, to prevent the sin and crime o1 drunkenness is to take away every means of intoxication. But would that make men temperate in the nor. al-spiritual sense? If there is nc temptation to drink how can we learr self-control, which is the spirit of te n perance?
 What is it that we want, after all but that all men shall learn, by one means or another, to use it and not abuse it., or indeed to let it alone alto gether? A man is not temperate sim ply because he can get nothing to drink but because he does not need drink ,anC does not care to have it, and would not abuse himself with it even if he die
 want it, by gratifying what he knows to be the artitical, sinful craving of ar
 inherited or acquired appetite. Alcohol has proper use in the art
 which contribute to mans cOmfOr1 and usefulness; whiskey and othel
 liquors which stimulate have medic
 inal use. both scientific and moral and wine has it's proper use both socia
 and sacramental. But the proper us'
 of these things does not warrant thel
 abuse; neither does their abuse fOrbit
 their use. That which is necessary il
 disease or emergency is not only no
 useful in state of health, but as al
 experience proves, is fruitful cause o disease in many forms. The habitua use of alcoholic, or any intoxicating drink, as a beverage in health is al
 abuse, and nothing but abuse. It Ii
 unnatural, wasteful, and hurtful il !, every way, and therefore the abuse
 sinful and criminal, because it tend , only to weakness and degradation physical, mental and moral. The proper uses of these dangerous , things, it will be seen, is very limited
 indeed; so limited that there is n need of any barrOOm to supply the de
 mand. But the cure of the evils 0 abuse must come, like the cure ot al sin and evil, by the grace of our Lor' l J cSuS ClTlSU III U1c ucdT US, ulluS du' wills of men, and not by any mere lega
 restraints, and the rawlings of morbi i. conscience.
 LESSONS FRO7 THE WINTER SEA SON.
 WRITTEN FOR THE BEE BY MRS HELEN A. FAY LOR.l
 'Tis the Winter in force, the snow storms ar | pear,
 The north wind it whistles rude notes on tn ! ear,
 l The birds have flown elsewhere, for safet | they hie
 I To more genial cline; will return by and by To people well housed small trouble it seem But to the needy much suffering it means, While out of the window in comfort we look
 A lesson may learn from the snow as frol book.
 As the snow flakes fall silently down throug | the air,
 And cover the earth with mantle so fair.
 So blessings unnumbered from the Father ( Light,
 To make mortal fOOtnaths helnful and hrirhl