The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-04-06
The TEMPERANCE PROPAGANDA
CONCERTED ATTACK ON DRINK
WINNING ALL ALONG LINE.
Alcohol Hurts Race.

NAo
the real and substantial enemies Of
moral, artistic and commercial pro-
gress of the human race, according
to the report of the United States
delegates to the twelfth International
Congress on Alcoholism, made public
by the State Department, Washing
ton. The delegates we're appointed
by Secretary Knox Is one of his first
official acts. The congress was held
last July in London, and twenty-five
governments were represented, the
delegates Of each %concurring in the
general finding that alcohol not only
was unnecessary to human life and
comfort, but vas inimical to both.
Three departments of the Govern
ment were representative State,
Navy and Treasury. Twelve repre-
sentatives went abroad, and all Of
them signed the unanimous report
made public, the finding of which is
to condemn the drinking habit as
dangerous to public health and morals
and subversive of national, moral,
commercial and military greatness.
While the congress %urged.the neces-
sity Of imposing the most rigorous re-
strictions on the sale and traffic in
alcoholic liquors, it regarded as equal
ly important the need Of educating
the younger generation to a true
knowledge of what alcohol is and
what its effects upon the human sys-
tenn are. The delegates believe that
the numerous recent discoveries as
to the harmfulness Of drunkenness
and even of moderate" drinking
also should be set before children in
order that they may see the danger
Of the practice. The American dele
gates SUI up this phase Of their re-
port by saying:
Increased teaching as to it's char
acter and influence should be pro-
vided, to conserve industrial efficiency
in the commercial competition of ma
tons, as well as to promote two of the
chief objects. of government-the
public health and morals"
The value of this method Of COM
batting the growth of the liquor habit
Is emphasized. in the report. While
acknowledgment is made that the or
g~anization of associations of Juvenile
abstainers is useful, it is asserted the
chief reliance should be placed OF sci
entific Temperance education in the
public schools as Q means Of Kidding
the public mind of errors about the
effects of alcohol and substituting the
facts that science is believed to have
evolved about the use of the bever-
age, even when taken in small doses.
Miss Cora F. Stoddard, Of Boston,
another American delegate and sec
,o+a-v 30 tho SntnrfiAn Toynonoronnn
Federation, also devoted to The same
subject her address, which was the
first paper of the congress. In 1t she
put forward the benefits derived by a
NUMBER of countries through the
adoption of such a plan as proof that
it should become universal.
The United States, the report says,
made an unusually good showing in
it's exhibits. Germany also was to
the fore with q particularly fine COL
lection of colored charts showing the
effect of alcohol on the body, the fam
lily and upon society. Especially ef-
f~ective, 1t is said, were the stereopti-
cor slides of the National Temper
ance League of Great Britain.
These stereopticon pictures, the re-
port goes on to show, were largely
reproductions Of municipal posters
that are being issued by the City
Councils Of about 100 British bor-
oughs. The posters deal in a popular
way with the deleterious effects OF
alcohol on the human system, and.
are posted by order of the regular
officials of towns in which the sale Of
intoxicants is licensed. This fact,
however, does not prevent the OFF,
Gals from warning the public against
the use of alcohol.
Britain the city and district officials
of France and Australia likewise have
adopted the public warning" method
of advising the people against indul-
gence. The report deplores the fact
that the same method has not yet
found a foothold in the United States,
although such a plan has been noted
in certain cities, where posters in
Weighing against the use Of alcohol
have been issued by authority Of the
Mayors.
The Chief Justice Of England, Lord
Alverstone, announced that in his be-
lief ninety per cent. of the crimes
passing under his observation were
due to drink.
Judge w. F. Pollard, of st. Louis,
who presides at the Second District
Police Court in that city, said that of
the cases passed upon by him fully
e%ighty-fve per cent. of those convict
ed could charge their degradation to
the use of alcohol. Lieutenant-Colo-
uel McHardy, Of Edinburgh, Scotland,
conceded with Judge Pollard as to
the percentage of crimes occurring in
he former Scotch capital.
Judge Pollard won the support Of
the delegates from twenty-three coun-
tries for the adoption OF his plan to
suspend sentence in the case Of every
first offender who Is brought into
court charged with drunkenness. This
Involves such first offenders signing
4 pledge to abstain for one year. If
the probationers fail to live up to
their pledge they may be arrested
and summarily sentenced. The
knowledge that n drink may mean
a prison sentence. Judge Pollard ar
gued, kept many a man straight until
he had time to collect himself. The
penalty for failure to keep faith with
the court was not settled, several Of
the delegates arguing in favor Of va
rious degrees of punishment. The
principle, however, was regarded as
admirable, and 400 delegates urged
it's adoption by the various govern.
ments of the world.