The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-04-25
The West vlrginian, daily and
weekly, Is entered In the Postofice at
5Erirmont, W. Va, as second class mail
matter.
ego. NJ. JAcoBs, President.
BYRON CARLETON LoDGH, Editor
{ ". DAVIS, Business Manager.
R OF SUBSCRIPTION.
THE LIQUOR HABIT AND THE
LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

Hon. William H, Taft, whom the
people are learning more and more to
know and love, has the following to
say OF. q most important subject;
Looking at It In 0 general wny. and
tSspeaking from an experience 10 public
life covering many years. l can say
that to the active individual, drinking
IS unsafe and a hlndrance to success.
To the youth 1t is a positive danger
and for a doctor to prescribe liquor for
any but tho eyed, It Is a,real crime.
aot course, my knowledge Of medl.
cine does not permit me 10 speak with
authority, but It seems to me that a
person who has passed on to the even.
Ing Of life Is out Of Its active duties
for that person to take. says little
diluted whiskey, on; advice Of the fam.
lily physician, might have a benefcent
effect It can do no positive injury,
because he has passed the habit-form.
Ing period and has no important du.
les 10 perform.
s.But to any man who Is actively en-.
gagged In responsible work, to him who
must have at his command the best
that5 is In him Mt It's best, to him who
IS at the habitforming period Of his
existence, 10; him ! would, with all the
emphasis that I possess, advise and
urge: Leave drink Enthusiastically.
Even II some can take IT anil
leave 1t alone to quote 4 common
phrase, nothing is gained by It's mod.
y erate use. md the risk he incurs is at
all times imminent.
PERSONALLY refuse to take such a
risk. I no not drink,
And SO, the person whose business
compels min to lead a nomadle HE,
the commercial traveller, professional
man, and especially the soldier or sail.
or-that class particularly should prac.
tice teetotalism. Drink makes n man
more susceptible to disease. For In.
stance. the drinking man who goes
down to Panama will take yellow fe.
yer-ati least runs a greater chance
OF taking 1t than his sober companion.
do not mean TO assert that tee.
totallsm Is a panacea for all disease.
hut II Is a very great shield and pro.
lection. With hardly an exception, the
men who are incapacitated first dur.
ing the preliminary activities Of any
campaign are the drinkers. The same
is true In every effort Of life which de.
mands the best energies OF a man. He
who drinks is deliberately ~disquallfy.
Ing himself In the race for advance.
ment..
you must always consider that We
must deal with men as We find them,
not as they should be. The ideal state,
and that which We should work for, Is
prohibition, unquestionably. But I'M,
der present conditions It Is inevitable
that men should drink. We must pro,
vide for that e~xigency.
gAny provision for an evil which
gives no aid to suppress It must nee,
essarily be an evil. That Is the rea,
son that consider the system of high
licensing a saloon an evll-but n les
serseyll than the saloon free from al
restrictions.
In a word, ] prefer the ideal al
ways-whcn posslble-otherwlse the
lesser evil, working to. the Ideal.
That argument makes me an ad
yocate Of high license, but when The
majority will It and II Is enforceable