The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-23
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

All.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
There is a peculiar pleasure in dis
covering a familiar quotation in an un'
expected place; it is like meeting ar
old friend in strange country. Every
body knows the phrase, fprecept upon
precept, precept upon precept; line up
on line, line upon line; here little
there a little" Not everybody knows
however, that it occurs in connection
with this passage upon drunkenness IL
the Book of Isaiah
The connection is appropriate There
are few better texts for a discourse on
tho present temperance situation fhan
which so many brilliant minds have
grown eloquent. still needs 10 DC
preached, ''precept upon precept, pre-
cept upon precept; line upon Line, NE
upon line; here a little, there a little, ="
until the whole world has won TO the
goal of sohriety. That is why, once
every quarter, n Sunday schools are
given a temperance topic to, consider.
Watching the Worlds Drift.
What Is happening On the stage Oh
public events is imp 1rtant ana lnttf-
esting; equally so is that which Is go
ing On behind the Scsnes." IL watch
ing the outward tendencies of the
times. the wise Observer will not fer
get the inner trend from which thry
spring The state of society's mind is
not less deserving If attention thsn
the course of public conduct
To many persons who watch the
worlds ways, it seems unmistakable
thoughts of self-indulgence. These days
of national prosperity have brought
relaxation of the stern self-restralEt
and self-denial of other days. While
drunkenness on the whole may be de-
creasing, there is a neHceable increase
in the number of liquor glasses on din
ner tables. At the largest hotels ana
restaurants, it is common TO see poth
.7v-11a l~ir wit hHi
meals. Probably more wine suppers
are given in America in a week, at the
present time, than were given in
month, 25 years ago.
mics should smoke, or that japanese
and Chinese women should be as devo-
ted to cigarettes and the pipe as their
hus bands and brothers Serious minded
men, though, do not like to see Ameri- |
can women range themselves in this |
class That seems to be coming to pass
in these days, and the amount of smok- |
ing done by women of wealth and sup |
posed refinement would shock our |
grandmothers. Likewise the spread of |
gam biing-most popularity illustrated
by the craze for bridge whist-is a
sign of the same tendency In the ma
tons mental processes. We are pros
porous; we have money and We have 1
leisure; therefore we revert to the sort
of practices which have always charac-
terized rich and idle people, prior to
their downfall.
Drinking Around the World.
This is no jeremiad; the Western
continent still leads Christendom in
its sobriety But II is the part of cour-
age and sound Judgment always TO
face the facts. While in certain direc-
tions the cause of total abstinence is
making tremendous strides, in others
the reverse is true. The number of
men whose fathers were total abstain
ers who now drink to a greater or less
degree is significantly large. Since the
majority of New World residents be-
lieve that the simpler way is better,
and that
where there's drink there's danger"
II is we'll to keep open-eyed to the
signs of the decadence or vitiation of
national character that may be seen
on many sides.
Sailing along the China coast I fell
Into conversation with tourist from
a typical American. Apro-
pos of his experiences and impressions
he remarked, 81 have never done so
much drinking in my life as I have
done since leaving America. A man
can't help drinking wherever he goes.
Everybody does it." OF course he was
mistaken in his easy assumption that
"a man can't help drinking" for hun
dredS of tourists quite as companion
able as he go around the world with
put tasting liquor; but he was quite I
correct in saying that the amount of
drinking is astounding. Merely as an
Item of expense one marvels at it;
small wonder that in the foreign set
Element of the largest port in the East
Is frequently heard the statement,