Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-02-22
EVERYBODY'S ENEMY
COMPARED WITH WHISKY, THE
WORST MAN is HARMLESS.

A Human Foe May Do His Utmost to
Damage You, but He Cannot Take
Away Your Renson-Need of Tenn
perance Education.
Tell a young man that certain per-
son is dishonest and he will look out
for him.
Show the young man that this dig
honest person is shrewd and unscru-
pulous, that he overcomes prejudice
with Misrepresentation and false prom
ises, but that his sole purpose is to
ruin and destroy, and he will have
nothing to do with him.
Convince him that this INSCRIPTIONS
person yields mighty power, but that
his power is all for evil; that he works
insidiously and industriously, but his
work is all in one direction and for one
object. the humiliation and degrade
ton of others, and the young man will
shun and despise him.
Prove that through some subtle in
Auence this dangerous person gains
control of good men. but that his pow
err is a whitening blight that wrecks
homes and ruins happiness, and there
would be such a feeling Of Indignation
that he would be driven from the COM
munity.
But there is an enemy compared with
which the power of the worst person in
the world Is weak and harmless. This
enemy is whisky.
When an Individual seeks to injure
you he may 90 his utmost of damage,
but lie cannot take away your reason
ing power, your ability to cope with
discouraging situations. Whatever
happens, your brain is clear, and you
are able to plan some way out of the
difficulty.
But when whisky is the antagonist
you stand to lose in every conflict.
You haven't an argument left in any
controversy. Whisky paralyzes the
judgment and destroys the will power
1t deceives its victim with egotistic
fancies and gives him false idea of
his own Importance.
Whisky blunts mans sensibility
and makes him forget his duty to his
family. 1t brings desolation and mis-
cry into his home. 1t destroys his am
bition and ruins his finances, and then,
when all Is over, when it has done its
r..;o nj hnpan and for
tune and position are all swept away,
and in sheer desperation the man
would break away from the enemy
that has caused his undolng, he finds
that he may not CO. He may not break
the chains that years of delusion have
forged.
Possibly lie doesn't understand this.
When lie is sober enough to understand
anything lie doesn't see how it has all
come about When he commenced
drinking lie had no thought of making
any trouble. He drank little for so
liability, then lie drank for stimula-
tlon-he thought whisky made him feel
bctter-or perhaps he drank for inspira-
ton or for couragc-he thought he
could do better work; but, whatever
the cause, lie didn't mean to ruin his
life or wreck his home. Neither does
any man when lie begins the pace that
leads to inebriety
There il need of more educational
work along preventive lines of temper
ance. AS has been said in these col
umns before. it sometimes is difficult
to convince a young man that moder-
ate drinking is a vice when he can
point to respectable men who are mod
crate drinkers. But all young men
should understand that, whether mod
crate drinking is a vice or not, it is al
ways danger.
For one man who fixes limit to his
rotations there are scores who become
drunkarls. And even IL one could be
sure 10 would keep TO his limit. what
is the advantage of drinking at all?
Whisky. even in moderation. is q
heavy handicap for young man. 1t
bars his way to the best positions and
binders Lis advancement in the places
he can secure. II combines tie worst
characteristics Of an individual with
the subtle power of drug. 1t deceives
with false promises and units man
for successful effort. Whisky Is an en-
envy to everything that makes life
worth LIVING -Ronnor NJ Cold