The Dolores star., 1909-09-17
DRUNKENNESS NOT MODERN.
In Thirty Centuries Thsre Has Been
Ne Change IN csUsss end gs.
soesB - lntempararee.


soess - lntemparapee.
A thousand years before Christ.
Homer, in his Odyssey. sang Of fair
enchantress, Circe, whose palace.
spite Of all its fne appointments. was
really - sensual sty." and whose
guests, a. socn - they had auaiIed
her cups, were transformed into
beasts,
Ana they % perfect in their misery.
Not once perceived their foul disns-
urement-
In the very same age, Israel's post
king. Solomon, was painting, With In
imitable skill, the horrid likeness Of
the drunkard. his woe. his folly. and
his fate. The picture has nashed
before each succeeding generation IN
inspired danger signal, powerful de-
terrent from intemperance.
The very antiquity of the picture IL
lustrates the fact that drunkenness 10
no modern vice. II II not the Acci-
dent OF civilization. It IL ~ old -
the time Of Noah and older. It was
probably provoking cause Of that
nameless depravity which was
drowned out in the awful Judgment Of
the flood. Each succeeding genera
tion has suffered the crushing weight
Of this dreadful woe; each been
burned. bitten. and poisoned by this
vice; from each has burst the sor-
rowfui. despairing interjection. "Oh!"
"Alas!"
This picture. 5000 years old, il an
exact likeness Of the drunkard OF
to-day. In 30 centuries there has
been no change In the causes and ef-
fects Of intemperance. Those who
tarry at wine. by the increase Of the
subtle and powerful appetite. are com
PEELED to seek stronger potations
(mixed wine). The graduation from
light wine to red wine and the high
~ alcoholixed wine. with its eyes and
beads. is inevitable. Then follow the
facial signs of inebriety (redness Of
eyes): next Quarrelsomeness, cause
less wounds and the infiaming OF sex
nal passions; inally. incipient demen.
tia. which makes the drunkard obliv-
tous to personal danger. and to in
dignities visited upon him by hooting
mob or oficer Of lava dementia.
however, In which the appetite per.
sistently asserts itself, the worm dieth
not. the iire ID not quenched. all IL
forgotten. all 10 lost; but among the
debris OF the mind. heart, and man.
hood the conqueror stalks.
And careth naught
For the awful ruin he hath wrought.
No truly philanthropic spirit can
push this direfui picture aside. No
Christian can do 20. unless the Bible
permits him to say: I'm not my
brothers keeper" But II neither phil.
Anthropist NOR Christian, whether he
Will or no. the citizen must, from
selfsinterest, sooner or later give at.
tention to this mirror which Solomon
holds up before our times. There is
blood-spot upon the hand Of our
American civilization. 1t will not
Nout." Here's the smell Of blood still:
all the perfumes Of Arabia Will not
sweeten the hand" Self-interest and
defense will soon compel the govern
ment. aside from all suggestions Of hu-
.manity. to take stand against the
trafnc which produces q deteriorated
manhood. insanity. pauperism, crime,
and death.
Some means Of defense are here
suggested:
l. Total abstinence IL the Ulyssian
flower which disarms the modern
Circe OF her internal spell. It will
save our boys and young men from
being converted into beasts.
O. Many perish for lack of knowl-
edge. Scientific education in the pub.
lie schools on the subject Of intemper.
ance Is the duty Of the state.
3. The enforcement of all existing
temperance laws by every honorable
means.