The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-07-06
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF INTEIPERANCE.
"What is Whisky?"

For some time past LII. Wlley anu
other distinguished Government off,
Gals have been trying to arrive at a
correct definition for whisky, and
finally, in concluding the discussion,
the President has announced what, in
his opinion, it really is.
Undoubtedly considerable interest
centres in this decision, but it is
chiefly a commercial interest. 1t
would have been far more interest
ing and useful if the Government had
taken it upon itself to have run
whisky directly to it's lair and had an
swered this question in. plain, every
day English by telling US just what
whisky is, what 1t is doing to the peo-
pie, what it ean to the Nation, and
what ought to be done about it.
And it would have been a compare
I lively easy matter to have prepared
this information. In determining the
correct commercial definition of
whisky many men were called upon
to give an opinion: and many lines
of inquiry were pursued. With no
more effort the Government might
have secured the other kind of infor-
nation, It would simply have had to
look for it in q different direction;
it would merely have had to consult
with a different class of people.
If you want to find somebody who
really knows what whisky is you
want to call upon the judge Of =
police court, upon the chief OF police,
upon the manager of a charity organ
ization. They are the persons who
are best fitted to answer this query,
for they are brought into daily and
hourly contact with the work that
whisky is accomplishing. AS a rule
these men are not what is popularity
termed Temperance cranks," yet the
stories they could tell would be far
more eloquent in their appeal than
almost any illustrations that the
preachers of temperance sermons are
able to devise. The simple TACT IS
that these tales are the plain, matter
of-fact incidents that have come to
them in the course Of their daily work
among whisky's worst victims-those
whom whisky has brought to a con-
dition of misery that is i~ncalculaDly
worse than death.
Of course, most of us have some
Idea of the work that whisky is doing,
for there are few persons who DO not
number one or two victims of this
beverage in their list Of relatives,
friends or acquaintance; but to dis
cover the whole truth, it is necessary
to go to the police courts n TO the
tenements in which women n chill
dren are starving, for it Is then that
the charge against whisky commences
to assume proper proportions: IN
fact, it would be q very good idea II
every young man could be given an
opportunity to study this effect OF
whisky at first hand. 1t would be a
temperance lesson that would cast
the most logical Of arguments far
into the shade.
Ask any police official, any judge,
any charity worker, what is response
BILE for the crime and misery OF the
world, and he will tell you that
whisky is to blame for the greater
part of it. Even when other causes
may be assigned a little further in
yestigation would probably show that
whisky played it's part in the dlsas-
ter. They will tell you, too, that the
bulk of evidence goes to prove that
whisky is a thing that cannot be
fooled with-that 1t objects most serl-
ously to being let alone. Once 1t mas
gained q firm hold upon an individual
it holds on with a grasp of steel, and
it takes something more forceful than
ordinary determination to break It's
hold.
1t isn't because it tastes good that
people drink whisky, for there are
few persons who really like the flavor.
1t is simply for it's effect upon the
brain that it is consumed, and 1t Is IN
this insidious effect upon the Draln
that it's danger lies. For, once nav
Ing been experienced, the brain de-
mands this sensation more and more
frequently, until finally the habit has
actually been formed and the emu Is
in sight.
This is the story that those who
work among the poor and the law
breaking elements can tell, for pow
erty and crime follow as naturally IN
the wake of whisky drinking as the
moon follows the sun 1t is practical
ly inevitable law that whisky spells
disaster-disaster to the individual,
disaster to the family; and when we
realize that there is no other side TO
the picture-no glorious record OF
success attained through whisky, but
only misery and death-we begin to
regret that the Government did not
carry it's Investigations a little further
and furnish us with just the sort OF
definition Of which w are in need
Graham Hood, in New York GLOBE
and Commercial Advertiser.