The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-04-20
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FLAG OF TOTAL ABSTINENCE
Or. Amos p. Wilder, Consul General
for United states st Shanghai
Talks on Temperance.

| CN~-~
pire," published at Shanghai. contains
most stirring speech by DR.. Amos
p. wilder, consul general for the
United states at Shanghai. on "A New
Civic and Christian Duty-Toth Alb
stinence." The American consul
general said: Il want TO talk sensibly
and not unkindly. ! shall try not 70
forget that the world has known al
coholic drinks for 5000 years. though
by their sanctions Hindu. buddhist.
and Mohsmmedan sections have been
protected against Il until OF late. !
shall not forget that our ancestors
quite generally used these beverages;
that our relatives and friends are sun
doing 80; indeed. their use II quite
general. do not mean to scold any
body, but n possible to say something
that shall lead some to be AFRAID OF
aicohol-some because they fear u
VIII affect their health: others be-
cause OF the menace to the State: ana
some others. perhaps. who do not fear
for themselves. but begin to see that
II may be their drinking which On
courages others TO drink.
Il have been fortunate myself In
that ! was born and reared In tho
state OF Maine. where prohibition has
obtained for half a century. " IL dif-
ncuit 20 forbid liquor selling wholly
as II IL difficult wholly 10 enforce the
laws against larceny or vagrancy. but
there is no splrituous or mali liquor
made In Maine, and. more important.
drinking Is not "a part OF tho social
life OF the pcople-liquor does not ap-
pear at state banquets. nor on IN"
family table. Citizels who themselves
have no scruples about drinking are
yet unwilling TO violate the law OF
their state In securing liquor. Those
things are. OF course. great gain; gen
GRAFTON after generation IA brought up
who do not know liquor. DO not need
II. It Ia no virtue IN sach that they
do not drink: they have been for,u-
nate. I say. in not being sohooled TO
alcohol. II Is not a part OF their life.
they do no, miss q. and they escap'
ed It's perils. recall the horror with
which as n boy OF II ON a Wis
II to a neighboring state I FIRST saw
signs advertising strong drink and
drinking shops in operation with con
sent OF law.
Il have seen what an advantage II
Ia personally not TO be- dependent on
alcoholic drinks-to be able To go
about ones business without the er.
pense. the Inconvenience. the risks OF
drinking: and I have seen the ad-
vantage OF n social life In which wine.
whisky. and all tho rest are not only
not needed. but not even thought Of
For these reasons must be Interested
IN the question: also I must do my
part In leading men to think about H.
II IL not necessary To reiterate the
evils OF drink We win mt stop for
those who do not observe them. and
who win not read 90 know that al.
cohol- poisoning is the major peril Of
the age in which We live. II is en-.
trenched not only In profits. as was
slavery. but also In appetite. and
yields very slowly to attack. But II
Is being forced home. that nations
may be wrecked today IA In the past
by alcohol: that while its reckless uso
continues man can never come TO his
full stature. and the vision OF
higher humanity can never be full
filed. My own country spends a bill
lion dollars year for drink.
But drinks rayages are worse in
some countries than In others, but
one who will consult the literature
(the extent Of II Is surprising. espec.
tally from French sclentists) win find
that the results Of alcohol-poisoning
alarms thoughtful men Of France and
Germany scarcely less than the coun.
tries which look with envy on the
glass OF wine leisurely slipped in q
family group in beautiful France, or
tho quiet glass OF beer -unter den
linden" There may have been time
when all this was as harmless az Il
was innocent; II has gone. The bish.
op OF Chalons' 30page pamphlet
reads like an appeal In saloon ridden
district of America. or whisky
drinking British city. "Ons II justi-
fed In believing" he says. THAT aico-
hol Is at the present time the chief
and most deadly Of the plaques that
infest humanity. Must one tell you
that Of a hundred insane there are
twenty-one alcohoiicsf That OF
hundred convicted criminals In our
courts there are forty or fifty aico-
holics? That OF hundred murder.
ers there are sixty alcohoifcs?"
After referring 10 tho ruin that came
TO hundreds OF the small white pop
ulation Of China through drink, the
consul general made an impassioned
appeal TO his hearers that was alive
with striking facts. and he finally
ended up by saying: Total abstin-
ence makes it's claims TO all. II Is
certainly tho duty nearest at hand. II
Is the creed OF many-to leave tho
world little happier than they found
IL. Is this mere sentiment Others
paste over their desks a pretty para.
graph to the effect that they expect
20 pass through the world but once.
and II they have any good things TO
do for their fellows they want TO do
It quickly. or they will not pass this
way again. Here again we have
laudable outreach: but 10 there body
IN III no thew want IN Az 49,