The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-27
A Temperance Lesson ls
 The Lesson For 7omorrou

plenty waEes were increased annually two hundred million dollars. That made six hundred million dollars Tor three years. Did the workingmen. py common impulse. fired by great amoi- tfon, save these two hundred millions a year? Did they change the savings into eoidf Did they control the banks and dictate terms to financiers! For six hundred millions was just the amou1t of gold in circulation In Great Britain at that time.
 If these things had been done the past thirty years would have seen new England, and the whole world would have been filled with the sense of the great achievements that had at last been wrought by the working classes. They would have superan- nuated the aristocracy: they would have swept out age-worn, supersti- tions: they would have como into their own empire. The working people of England earned two hundred million dollars extra per annum. and the sad companion fact is that the drink bill of England. too. during each of those three years. increased just two hun dred million dollars."
 Had there been . tangible monster in the form of . physical dragon that had thus dcvoured the increase of Hl0uU DuDBtaDCor 8uQ PE0pC"eCa shSht progress and growth, how quickly would all the knightliness of the age have rallied to It's extinction. Our ina ginations are growing keener now adays. and we are learning that strong drink is no less dangerous and worthy of extinction because 1t is . widely dis tributed evil rather than . personified monster.
 Brains And Rum. Not viciousness, but thoughtlessness and uncontrolled self-indulgence are responsible for most use of strong drink. Whenever a person sits down to consider the highest possible use of his own powers. he is inevitably bound to eliminate from his habits the use of liquor. He finds the best scien- tists in agreement upon the position that strong drink impairs mans high est faculties. The twentieth century is not sGtfsfied to tolerate anything that hinders the fullest development of manhood. In order that he may make more of himself and of his children. and of his children's children. a man must repudiate whatever hurts or hin deny the statement that man is not man at his best when lie is in the grip of the habit of strong drink.
 A few weeks ago. in a Southern city. saw the members of a certain prominent secret society foregatheredl in the lobby of the leading hotel. They wore the weIl-known regalia of their order All of, them were presumably gentlemen: actually. for the moment most of them were fools. They had drunk to the point of stiffness. The very negro servants of the hotel spoke of them contemptuously. The sober members of their order were shocked and indignant. for they realized that the order. as well as the individuals. was injured byfsuch debauchery No man can become drunken and retain the respect of anybody who knows him. including himself
 The story Is told of rich young man who sat at the dinner table with number of friends, and bab6led drunk en foolishness all the long evening One of his friends was a court steno- Rrapher. Seized by an idea for the help of his friend. he, stenographically reported every word that the latter ut- tered. The next day he had these notes transcribed and sent to the man him self The latter. shocked. could scarce ly believe that he himself had de- scended to such level of imbecility. ''If this is the way man talks when he Is drunk. I mean to keep sober hereafter" ,s
 The Decisive Battle.
 Enormous sums are now being spent by the vested liquor interests to stem the tide of temperance reform. Ap- parently 1t is too late. The liuuor business as business is-rapidly being outlawed all over this western world: and those who engaged In it are being socially .tabooed The whirlwind is now being reaped
 It is not to be supposed. however, that the decisive battlefield in the present temperance conflict is in the halls of legislation. It really lies in the public schools. and in the Sunday Schools. and in the homes. There must be mind of temperance and seif-con- trol put into the youth of today Boys must learn the needlessness and hdrt of strong drink. and the necessity for withstanding its lure. and the glolry of joining that company of knightiy souls who have vowed to fight 1t ever and everywhere until 1t shah no longer curse the race.