Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1905-02-16
THURSDAY, F. FEBRUARY 16, 1901
A MODERN BACCHANTE.

Epictetus somewhere sagely remarks
''Pan 4yagB!a dHas fthet kabas" which a
learned scholiast properly translates
"every sublunlry thing hath two hand
les, and while Mrs. Grundy claims sub
rosa that moderate indulgence in in
toxicating drinks is good and wise
thing to practice, basing her theorem
on the precedent of the days of yore,
we add another h andle to the PROPOSE
ton by claiming it is better and wiser
thing to let them severely alone. The
risk is too great 1t is too much like
playing with fire, which only children
and fools tinker with.
But Mrs. Grundy has unconseiously
touched the point d'aptm! If all men
had EQUAL WILL POWER to resist
the inclinations Of their appetites, II
they could all take matitudinal drink
and stop at that, the cautions OF the
prohibitionist or teetotler would be un-
necessary. A perfect balance would be
maintained, and the evil would not be
so far-reaching in its effects. But men
are different by nature, and the first
drink with many means complete sur
render to the enemy. Mrs. Grundy may
preach all she wishes about moderate
drinking, but she cannot deny that the
full-hedged drunkard comes from the
first draught from the intoxicating cup.
We regret exceedingly to see Mrs.
Grundy an exponent of even moderate
drinking in view of the evils that arise
in its train. She is now bearer OF the
s'cup which cheers (?) and inebriates,"
changing the old definition of tea from
a negative to an affirmative. She is a
devotee Of the tipsy Bacchus She is a
Modern Bacchante AS an exponent OF
the s'goblet's magic measure" she per-
sists in her error, holds aloft spark
ling glass and tempts her people "in
moral way" to drink! ftmpord! Q
moresl
Ignorant of the penalty OF playing
with fire(water) she bewails the passing
of the good old days of yore, when &C
cording to her allegation people could
make the unad ulterated stuff ad h6ifan
and had no desire to get drunk. She
desires return to those conditions, for
getting that "times are changed" and
of course so are conditions. She forgets
that our modern civilization Is demand
ing more and more tn Q PERFECT soBRT
ETY. of the citizen, The man who
drinks, be it ever so little. Is looked up
on with distrust Positions Of RESPONSE
bility are not open to him. The lives
of people are not intrusted to his care
and all positions of trust are barred tt
him, The railroads place detectives II
spy upon men whom they suspect to b'
dallying with the flowing bowl, and ev
en- the LIQUOR dealer draws the line a
the Incorporate bartender. (Truly al
argxmentum ad Aominen.J The day OF tn
drunken printer is even past, for nov
only the steadiest of men are controli
ing the complex machinery of the mos
benign of arts.
Mrs. Grundy's creed of drinking to b
'inspired" has no place in these moder
DAYS of hustle, for business has no plsc
for the harlequin, evcn II he be inspii
ed with "wise saws and modern instar
ces," conjuring up smile and though
for each" The business man Is "a
busy himself to listen or permit his en-
ployss to listen to booze inspired witt
cisms. The day of "a that" has passed
and the flowing bowl is not mentione
near as frequently on the poets pag'
II the Editor of Mrs. Grundy is alb
to restrain his appetite for drink, /
should not take it for granted ergo tn
the ninety-nine other men out OF Il
hundred are able to restrain their app
tites, and quote Scripture to advoca
the taking Of little wine for the
stomach's sake. If the ninety-nine OF
ers should fall as q result Of his arg
ment, would he not be morally respo
sible for their fault. II not. why nc
He would be the tempter, and even {
serpent was punished for tempnn
While Paul is quoted as saying use
little wine for thy stomach's SAKE
thine often infrmities," Il Tim. S;
twice previously Il Tim, s; s. 81 he
Weighs against the use OF wine IA
evidently meant that the salvation
the soul was not to ieopardized for
sake Of the stomach.
The translator into English who r.
dered the expression Je dt71d'df In
French state paper 81 demand" crea'
quite an excitement by his error,
Mrs. Grundy seeks to create excitem'
by demanding" that we furnish pr
from the Bible coNfENDING OR TEA
ING prohibition.
Prohibition as term was not kno
then. In fact Miss Francis Will
had not been a recognized leader OF
w. G. T. q. For some reason the /
hibitiOn party had not made lie appe
snes on the pOlisical horirOa. Line
osss,y" and Rssssrssas Best =