The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-02-28
II GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
TIE VICE OF iNTEMPERANcE .
Drink Habit of "40o'' Women Stirs Pastor
The Rev. Madison c. Peters Repeats
Pulpit Charges of Intemperance-De-
crease NJ Marrfapes Due 10 the Evil,

The Rev. Madison G. Peters Repeats
, Pulpit Charges Of Intemperance-De-
crease OF Marriages Due 10 the Evil.
The Rev. DR.. Madison Peters recent
ly said to q New York American rep
resentatiye:
II have been into the cafes of the
Astor, the Waldorf, Sherry's and other
fashionable hotels, and nine women out
of ten will order drinks Of the same
| kind that their escorts order, and quite
as many of them. I have watched
| these women and I have wondered If
they realized what those same men
thought Of them deep down in their
hearts.
"They think, mark you, I am voicing
the sentiments Of the mar about town
when 1 say it-they think these same
young women are all right for a time,
but they would not marry such women.
"And this brings naturally to mind
hesthought4why' are there in this city.
to-day thousands of men in their thir-
ties and forties, men of means or OF
/ excellent salaries and incomes. who are
not married? And why are there so
many instances of men marrying, as
society puts it, beneath them" .
1.-The answer is because so many OF
the daughters Of their own fashionable
set are given to drink, cigarette smok.
ing, gambling (for that is what bridge
whist has resolved itself into), and to
kindred vices. 1t Is because men of
| the world ard of society realize that
such women are not fit to become the
mothers of children--not fit to preside
at their table and over their household,
mot many of these men, finding the
women Of their wv circle given over
to these vicious habits, go beneath It.
and find honest young women, whose
names are not in the social register, as
their helpmeets.
1.-THE cause of these conditions is
| largely due to the fact that the women
Of society have nothing to do. They
| are deprived Of the attention and soc1'
! ETY. Of their husbands; they are with.
out children and housekeeping cares,
and they become mere *pleasure.seek.
ers, and before they know it they are
brought to that state of mind where
all Of their faculties are engaged in
discovering modes of selfish enjoy
ment.
IF there were more children in the
homes of the rich there would be less
destination. Think Of it, on Fifth ave.
| nue., from Washington Square to Nine
ty-ffth street, there were only fourteen
children born last year. On Madison
avenue, from Twenty-third to Ninety
fifth street, there were only ffty-four
births during the past year. These
figures are eloquent.
1.-THE only remedy for these truly
grave conditions is for the women to
find an aim that is worthy Of the deep
est and strongest in their natures. ANY
| serious purpose will save women from
| frivolity,
I'VE find that these women seldom
| read; they have, no thirst for knoWl-
| edge;they seldom cultivate their minds
by study, Only the other day / was
! going up in the elevator Of one Of the
! most fashionable hotels Of the city
when I heard a young woman say to
another, and it was then 8 o'clock. L
haven't done a thing all day but play
BRIDGE
THAT is only an example Of what
women do with their time. / am told
that the gambling whist habit has be-
| Collie SU pIcfdlCuL lhoI "o"SA
and dozens of them-go from house to
| house. from fashionable hotel to fash
ionable hotel day after day and night
after night, reviving themselves ty
drinks Of various Sorts CT course
there are those who would criticise a
man of the cloth for offending his
fashionable pew renters, perhaps, by
telling the truth about these alarming
conditions.
1.-THE conditions are all the more
grave when one considers that the en-
tire country is influenced by the doings
of, members of the Understandable
| circles of New York: Their every
movement is heralded in the society
columns and their amusements are
taken as a pattern by other silly
| women all over the land.
when Mrs. Astor slums she MAJ a
thousand followers; if Mrs. Fish plays
| bridge the smaller fry will follow suit,
| and if all Of fashionable society drink
and smoke the entire country will feel
it's vicious influence. That is Where
the most harm is done"