Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-11-20
HELP FOR THE MOST HELPLESS

HELP FOR THE MOST HELPLESS
 People who have no particular lik- ing for liquor can't understand why the drunkard doesn't stop drinking.
 Neither can the drunkard himself.
 He has thought about it good deal more than anybody else, but without hitting on an effective method of his own
 It Is his first problem every morning "after''; and the more anguished thinking he gives 1t the earlier he takes drink.
 There is nothing more ineffective than the remorse of a man who drinks and wishes he did not.
 Never was there a teetotaler that hated whisky or knew Its killing effects half as thoroughly as does the unhappy, hopeless whisky victim.
 Among the graves of his possibilities, ambitions, hopes, loves and manhood, he grovels, trembling, terrified wreck.
 He doesn't theorize. He sees himself as man who has lost his standing. has spent his substance, has disgraced his name, has ruined his home, has broken the heart of his wife, has beggared his children, and henceforth is good for nothing.
 He knows there is no virtue in maud lin remorse, no hope in alcoholic repen- tance.
 There is nothing he can do but stop, and to stop calls for degree of man hood which, had he possessed it, would never have permitted him to reach such degradation.
 The past is hideous nightmare, with its follies, weaknesses, resolves broken. The future is full of unknown terrors.
 He may tell you that he doesn' t know this, but he does know it-far better than anybody else. And the only peace he finds is in the forgetfulness that comes with more drink.
 For whisky, We must remember, brings oblivion--for the moment. He who is going under the surgeons knife takes chloroform. To the drunkard whisky is the anasthetic against the knife of conscience and the bangs of despair. That's why 1t is that the hard CT he tries to stop, the harder 1t is for him to do 1t.
 It Is easy to preach to him, but you can't preach as forcefully as he preach es to himself.
 There are lots of arguments you could give him, but none that he hasn't put to himself million times.
 You may scold and bcrate him for his lack of pride and will power, but he knows you are talking of something of which you know nothing about.
 All the sermonizing, arguing and scolding in the world will not save the drunkard who has real reason to fear alcohol and knows its power.
 Your pride and your will power arc not his. These are the first things al. cohol destroys.
 And still he may be saved. Thousands have been and thousands more will be.
 You may have the means if you will go about it right and persist long enough and lovingly enough.
 Instead of scoldings give him sympa- thy and affection; instead of sermons give him companionship that will re- store his lost self-respect; instead of advice, give him something substantial to stand upon while he finds new pur- poses and aspirations.
 You can't take whisky away from him without offering in it's place some thing he will like better.
 In place of his despair give him real hope
 In place of idleness give him work. In place of apathy give him some thing to aspire to.
 And always give him love and cheer. Remember that all men always fol low their strongest impulse. The whis- ky victims impulse is downward. Give him chance to aim at something up ward. Find for him opportunity that will awaken his ambition