The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-18

only equal to the sum of all of its
parts. If the people lose their self
debauching habit of strong drink, then
there can be but one fate for the ma
ton. Private morals are the ultimate
determining factor in nations destiny
Britain is great because there are such
large percent of great Britons. Am
erica is great for no other reason.
Directly bearing on this question,
is that other practical one the attitude
of the young people of today toward
strong liquors. Let US start with no
misconceptions or Misrepresentation
which may later return and nullify
all our teaching. Every drinker is not
drunkard. Thousands of admirable
persons use liquor in moderation.
There are vast reaches of society,
cultured Christian society at that,
where wine is regularly served at the
table. It even used to be conside cred
bad form" not to drink. So for from
the use of intoxicantS always causing
poverty, disease and death, there are
thousands of ripe and rich and healthy
old men v no have regularly INDUCED
in the moderate use of intoxicants.
Admitting all this, and leaving out
of the case for the moment that other
vaster company of persons whose use
of liquor has brought only harm to
them, the pathetic parade of the
drunken and defeated and weary of
life, we may say in all assurance that
the advantages of the use of intoxi-
cants are far outweighed by the dis
advantages and the risk. At best,
liquor affords merely pleasant taste
to those who like it. 1t is not ne
cessity at all. The most rabid advo-
cate of strong drink will scarcely
claim for it that it adds any years to
his working ability. The doctors and
the life insurance companies have put
that phase of the question outside OF
49, 70 n
real physical or material gain in the
habit Of drinking.
There remains only the social aspect
of the case, which has perhaps been
more influential than any other in gain
ing recruits for what every beginner
fondly calls moderate drinking. All
users of strong drink are moderate
drinkers at first. If men had to begin
the habit at the gutter end the en-
tire business of the manufacture OF IN
toxicants would dry up and disappear
inside of five years. The first glass
is generally ''the social glass" Men
drink because they want to do as
others do. They do not care to seem
peculiar" Their friends drink; there
fore, so should they. That is the
course of reasoning which causes the
Arab women to tattoo their faces, and
the Sudanese men to wear huge CASH
es in their cheeks. 1t has put rings
in the noses of Hindu women, and
pounds of metal bracelets on their
ankles There is not bad or foolish
custom in existence which has not had
as it's chief buttress this argument OF
usage.
Happily, society has grown sensible
and tolerant of recent years. A man
is no longer peculiar" because he does
not drink Somebody has given
emancipation" as the keyword of the
nineteenth century. People are freer
now than ever before in the world
history to follow their own tastes ana
principles without embarrassment
The most sensitive guest need no
longer blush at refusing the wine at
a hosts table There is today as good
social precedence for total abstinence
as there is for indulgence. Even
abroad this is coming to be so, and
the example of America is helping. AT
the home of a distinguished Briton the
only comment made upon my empty
glasses was, 81 am told that in Am
erica every other man is total alb
stainer." AS for the old notion that
one cannot travel abroad without
drinking wine, it is simply nothing
less than nonsense. myseh nave
travelled entirely around the world,
and am at the moment in the heart
of Asia on a second trip, and 1 can
testify that 1 have never been caused
the slightest inconvenience by not
tasting wine Wherever wine is TO pc
had mineral waters may &c t-11 -
or. more satisfactory yet the traveller
may carry his own supply of freshly
boiied water with him. Only once
have 7 been embarrassed by my total
abstinence principles. and that was
when my Scotch hostess at dinner
party in China did not know the
Chinese word for drinking water!
The safer, easer, cheaper, healthler
and more altruistic course for young
person to follow with respect to intox-
icants is that of total abstinence. Cold
water causes no headaches, costs no
positions, and is never followed by re-
morse and shame.