The Goodland republic., 1905-06-16
SOCRATES on TENTPERANCE.

That the importance Of temperance
in every mans life has not failed to
attract the attention Of the wisest Of
men Of antiquity is seen in the sane
discussion Of Socrates two thousand
years ago. Since the dawn Of his
history even man has been struggling
with his passions ford rink Strong
drink has Knocked him, disgraced him,
killed him; still he becomes drunken.
The Grecian philosopher worked out
a system OF ethics that will be true 50
long as the world lasts, and this is
what he says on temperance, as re
ported by his intimate friend, Keno
phOn:
IF temperance, moreover, be an
honorable and valuable quality in
man, let US consider whether he at
all promoted its observance by refiec-
ton Of the following kind concerning
it If, my friends, when a war was
coming upon US, we should wish to
choose a man by whose exertiOns we
might OUrselevs be preserved, and
might gain the mastery over our en-
emies, should we selectOne whom we
know to be unable to resist gluttOny,
or wine, or sensuality, or fatigue, or
sleep? How could we think that such
a man would either serve US, or con-
Quer our adversaries2 Or, if, being
at the close Of life, we should wish TO
commit to any one the guardianship
Of our sons, or the care Of our un-
married daughters, or the preserva-
ton Of our property, should we think
an intemperate man worthy Of con-
fidence for such purpOses2 Should
we intTust to an Incorporate slave our
herds, our granaries, or the superin-
tendence Of our agriculture? Should
we be willing to accept such a slave
as an agent, or purveyor, even for
nothing? But If we would not even
accept an Incorporate slave, how can
it be otherwise than important for ev-
cry man to take care that he himself
does not become such a character2
For the Incorporate man is not in
furious to his neighbOr and profit
able to himself Qike the avaricious,
who by despOiling others Of their pro-
perty, seem to enrich themselves), but
while ne is mischievOus to others, is
still more mischievOus to himself, for
il is, indeed, mischievOus in the high
est degree, TO ruin not only his fam
ily, but his body and mind. In So
ciety, too, who could ind pleasure in
the company Of such a man, who, he
would be aware, felt more delight in
eating and drinking than in inter
course with his friends, and preferred
the company Of harlOts to that OF his
fellows? Is il not the duty Of every
man to consider that temperance is
the foundation OF every virtue, and to
establish the observance Of il in his
mind before all things2 For who.
without ii, can either learn any thing
good, or sufficiently practice it2 Who,
that is a slave to pleasure, is not in
an i'll condition both as to his body
and his mind 1t appears to me, by
Juno, that a freeman ought to pray
that he may never meet with a slave
Of such a character, and that he who
is a slave to pleasure should pray to
the gods that he may find well-dis-
posed masters for by such means
only can a man Of that sort be saved
While suchwere the remarks that
he made. he proved himself more a
friend to temperance by his life than
BY his words; for he was not only su-
periOr TO all cOrpOreal pleasures, but
also TO those attendant on the ac-
QUESTION OF money; thinking that he
who received money from anyone, set
up a master over himself, and sub
mitted to a slavery as disgraceful as
any that could be-