The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-12-13
REPORT ON TEMPERANCE.
The Baptist Convention Adopts
Strong Paper Condenlning
Use Of IntOXicantS.

The time is now fully come for all
temperance forces to unite in a final
victorious campaign against the bever-
age use of alcoholic drinks as one Of
the greatest hindrances to human pro-
gress and welfare. Fortunately in this
great conflict the Christian churches
are supported by numerous, power
full allies. Facts supporting the cause
of temperance are being presented in
the scientific spirit and method that
amply justify total abstinence from
intoxicating beverages.
The saloon is recognized as mighty
ocial evil and is being more and more
reprobated in all best communities.
The 4Anti-Saloon League is at work in
forty states and territories seeking to
enforce existing laws restricting the
saloons, to introduce further legisla-
tive restrictions and to prevent the
saloons from fostering shameless evils
leading to vice and crime. Many
agencies are combining to inaugurate
and enforce a strict guarantee against
the saloon Legislation against the
saloon should be wisely increased and
enforced.
The industrial world is against the
beverage use of intoxicating liquors.
The railway employees in the United
States, numbering about 100000
men, are engaged under abstinence
regulations.
A prominent publicist has recently
declared that he believes the railway
the one chiefest factor in favor OF
temperance as to strong drink. Mer-
chants, bankers and employers among
almost all classes say that alcohol un-
fits a man for services Of responsi-
bility and skill Sobriety is necessary
to the supremacy of the worker,
whether he be one engaged in brain
work or hand work. The commercial!
leadership of America would be i'm
possible if the skilled laborers We're
not more temperate than those of
other nations. The economic world i,
rapidly increasing its demands for So
briefly.
The verdict of scholars and scieI-
lists is highly favorable 20 temper
ance. Alcohol is not food. eve:
though It may be fuel it is sciel-
tifcally accounted q poison. Even
Prof. Atwater. who claims that alco-
hol in small quantities is q food, also
says that the moderate use OF alcohol
is dangerous. .Aicohol wou!d not be
called a food in the proper sense Of
the word. The net result of its U.s.;
is an injury and not benefit. Science
has demonstrated that even the mod
crate use Of alcoholic drinks just be-
fore OF during pilys:cs! or mental
work usually dininishes the total
amount OF work done. Military eX-
peditions. athletic sports and tests
expeditions in Arctic and tropical
regions where the human body is Sc
vcrely tested by heat and cold. the
employment Of skilled labor in con-
nection With machinery everywhere
have overwhelmingly demonstrated
that alcohol in small amounts has :
most deleterious effect on voluntary
muscular work.
Scientific temperance education is
accomplishing great things in favor
of temperance. Within the last
twenty years every State in the United
States has enacted a law requiring
scientific temperance instruction il
public schools. Recently q petition
was circulated among medical men
in Great Britain asking tsa1 tie study ,
of hygiene and temperance b made
K was signed by fifteen
thousand physicians This temper /
ance instruction is Of vast imp ortance !!