The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-08-17
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POVERTY NOT DRINK CAUSE
Prominent Writers 7etard Temper
anee Movement by Theories-Di-
agnosis Is False and Harmful.

ance movement by TheorieS-DI-
asnosls Is False and Harmful.
Some prominent writer's on social
science have seriously retarded the
temperance movement by teaching
mat poverty, instead OF being the re-
suit Of the dsink habit, is more often
the cause Of intemperance. They
claim that many people dring because
they are poor; they are not poor sim
ply because they drink. They point
to the human wrecks In the low sa-
loon, and tell Us that these persons
are driven there by their miserable
coalition to drown the woes OF want
In the cup. They also tel! us that the
family In the hoyel or dngy tenement
Is in distress not primarily through
intemperance, but that the parents
have been led to drink by their pow
erty.
The problem is complex. and no
single explanation will ut all cases.
But this theory advanced by some So
cial scientists is. in the main. griev-
ously false and exceedingly harmful
TO the cause OF genuine temperance.
writes Joseph H. Covoker in the Ma
tlonal Advocate These writer's have
mistaken the late and incidental con-
ditlon Of these lives for the real cause.
which lies farther back and Is radio
10 tVstn
later on In life people resort to drink
to drown their misery. at this late
stage they do drink because poor. But
this is not the whole story. nor is II
the important part OF the story.
When, however, we go back TO early
life when We touch the formative
period and the determining factor. We
find that the young man did not begin
TO drink because poor He first drank
because It was the custom, because no
enjoyed the companionshlp and exhil-
aration-perhaps to crafty an appe-
tlte, though this probably plays a
smaller part than is generally sup
posed. Probably ninety-nine In every
hundred OF those who become drunk
ars start the habit without any ref
erence whatever to financial condi-
tions. It is only late In life, when
want has overtaken them. that they
drink because they are poor.
The appeal to life at this point is
decisive. II any one will visit the
places where young men congregate
to drink liquor he will realize at once
the obvious fact that practically none
OF these persons are there because
they are poor They are not even
there simply because drinking Is the
cheapest form OF amusement. The
time will come when some will con-
tinue to drink because in want: but
even here the poverty is only the In
cidental factor, and at this stage more
result than real cause. A person with
wide acquaintance among the poor
and the Incorporate would have TO
search a long time to find an indi-
vidual who began to drink solely be-
cause destitute. There are such, but
they are very rare. But those who
are poor because they drink crowd
upon us at every corner. Again, let
any one investigate the history OF the
score OF drunkards whom he may
know Probably not in single case
did poverty have anything to do with
the beginning of the habit. Still
again, how many cases have any OF
us known where loss OF fortune has
driven men to intemperance? Very
few indeed But we do know very
many instances where too much
money has made young men drunk
ards. who long afterward probably
drank because poor. although their
poverty really came as a direct result
OF using liquor.
These social scientists stop short
with the wreckage late In life. but
they fail to go back to the real cause;
their diagnosis Is false and harmful.
The drunken parents do today send
out for liquor to drown the woes OF
poverty. Speaking superhcially you
may say that they drink because they
are poor. But when we go into the
life history and look back far enough
and penetrate deep enough what we
really find is this: Originally II was
not poverty that led them to the drink
habit, but It was long-continued In
that has brought them to
his sad condition. The score of work.
men lining the bar of the obscure sa-
Don are not there because poor not
because tSey have no other enjoy
nents In life; many others who are
poorer and who have fewer pleasures
ire not there A determining factor
argely influential In causing their
presence there is the ancient super
'tition that liquor is a life-giver-a
which science has shown
o be utterly false. While It is not
rue that poverty Of things is the chief
source of intemperance, 1t is true
hat poverty of life" largely causes
he drink habit