Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-05-05
OF TOTAL ABSTI-
NENCE TO A LIFE.
CONTINUED from first .pagel

llOnClEuGQ l. lTOIl =
stainer has greater capacity for
brain work than has the drunkard.i
One of.tl,ese experiments is the fol
lowing: To any person who adds
column of figures perfectly, give,
each day small quantity of whis-
key. At the end Of month his.
work is filled with errors. In the
beginning-he was an abstainer and
his work was perfect. But as he
began to use alcohol the natural re-
suit followed and his. work was a
failure.
The brain and nervous system are
very closely allied. Nervousness is a
frequent cause of insanity. We
have shown that the abstainer has
a superior nervous system. Hence
it but follows that his brain power.
is superior.
There are forms of insanity due
entirely to alcoholic excesses. OF
course the abstainer need have no
fear on their account. One of these
is dipsomania, a form of mental dis
ease. in which thereis such craving
for strong drink that the patient will
even commit murder to secure alec.
hol. Another form of alcoholic in
sanity is Delirium Tremens. At the
height of the attack the patient is
raving maniac.
By abstaining one tends to make
perfect the Medulla Oblongata, or
base of the brain. This part of the
brain has control of all the organs
that do involuntary work. So right
here abstinence is of great benefit
to the athlete, because at one time
it tends to. strengthen the lungs the
heart, and all other involuptary or
gans.'
: John Locke says, "A strong mind
in strong body is short but full
description of a happy state in this
world. He that has these two MAS
but little else to wish for, and he
that lacks either of them will be but
little better for anything else that
he may possess.
The use of alcohol has left its in
delible impress on the characters of
thousands. Here on earth we see
wretches with blasted eharactefs who
owe their condition to the use Of al
cohol. And l believe, that could the
human eye penetrate the hideous re-
gions of hell. we would see there
thousands who sacrificed their char
acter on the altar Of intemperance.
This being trne, then it is reason
able to suppose that there are in
Heaven to-day thousands who owe
their eternal Joy to the fact that
they resisted the temptation to in
dulge in alcoholic excesses.
Character has its tangible basis ia
the physical being. Whatever influ-
ences the body or the mind. likewise
tends to influence character. Health
full exercise tends to benefit the char
acter as well as the body. The far
msr who works in the open air very
seldom commits crime. Health
causes happiness; happiness, opti--
mism; and optimism is, at least,
characteristic of strong character
Since tliis b. true, abstinence, an in
fuence THAI tends to strengthen the
body, also tends to strengthen char
acter.
The will is the one great factor in
character building for on it depends
the formation of habits, and fixed
habits determine character. The
best thing one can do to strengthen
the will and with it character, is to
abstain from alcoholic drinks. So
it is mans duty to God to abstain,
inasmuch as it is his duty to strength
en- character.
The continued use of alcohol eau
ses men to act emotionally rather
than prudently: to make men rash
rather than deliberate. Itis partly
due to this fact that nine tenths Of
the criminals of America are drunk
ands.
The greatest influence iii America
to-day tending to destroy the deli
cate fabric of society is intemper-..
ance. The drunkards form the
weakest link in the chain of society.
1t is the drunkard who commits the
crimes, who corrupts politics and
treads under foot the laws Of God
and man. If the social chain were
no stronger than the weakest link, |
should despair of its progression.
But, thank God, society is dominated
by the power of the abstainer and
under his care is evolving into high