The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-12-21
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE.
THE MODERATE DRlNkER.

Whatever customs may prevail in
foreign universities, the practice of
drinking, even moderately, is doomed
to disappear in American schools, says
the Creighton Courier" not alto
gether either on moral grounds, but
also because of the gradual cultivation
of public opinion which regards
even moderate drinking as menace
to efficiency. The wildeyed re-
formers, shouting anathemas against
the demon rum, have contributed
something toward the formation of
this modern public opinion, but the
cold-blooded, levelheaded business
men who are quick to discover what
ever makes for lack of efficiency have
rendered probably the largest service
in the upbuilding of this opinion The
time was when travelling men, mer-
chants and professional men regarded
drinking as an incident of business,
it being quite the proper practice to
show ones good fellowship by treat
ing. Years ago Nebraska, as we'll as
I" huAAbSA VI OIA4CA 0IoCO0, pd0SCu WS
against treating, but they were inef-
fective because they were not backed
up by a healthy public opinion. The
8 o'clock closing law, which encoun-
tered very great opposition four years
ago in this state, is now accepted by
both republicans and democrats as a
wise measure.
The days of excessive drinking, at
least for the man of ambition, are ad-
mittedly gone and it would seem that
even moderate drinking is doomed to
gradually disappear among the ranks
of those who take pride in themselves
and crave the achievement worth
while. The fact is that with the
growth of population, the struggle for
existence is becoming fiercer and the
wonderful modern development along
so many lines of mental endeavor has
necessitated the completest possible
conservation and development of ones
powers if he would succeed
In pioneer days when professional
men were fewer, when business was
in crude state and when the virgin
soil yielded luxuriant crops there was
less danger in dissipation, but with
the passing of these pioneer days there
has come call for new type of man
who not only believes in conservation
of the country's national resources,
but is insisting upon preserving his
own powers and developing them as
far as possible in order that he may
bring to his work the largest degree
of efficiency. 1t is true now as never
before that the mediocre man cannot
hope for big success. If he would win
the heights, the worker must utilize
every opportunity for self-improvement
and be always on guard against the
approach of every foe, particularly
against those enemies who work in
sidiously to undermine his powers lit
tie by little until he falls in a miser-
able heap, fit monument of the forces
which have accomplished his ruin,
A number of magazines have taken
this subject up lately, among them be-
ing "The Outlook" which comments
favorably upon the change which is
being wrought. One of the most timely
editorials upon this topic is contained
in 'The Journal of the American Med
ical Association for November 2, 1912,
which is as follows:
"The use of alcohol is receiving
some hard knocks these days. A
prominent railway system, not content
with the general rule heretofore in
force among railroad companies for
bidding employees to drink while on
duty, now forbids employees to indulge
at all in drinking out of employment
hours and in any other conduct which
will impair their health or make them
less alert or less capable while on
duty. The owner of one of the ma
tional pets, prominent baseball team,
insists that moderation in drinking is
not sufficient; the players on his team
must leave alcohol and cigarettes en-
tirely alone. The justification for these
rules may be found not only in the
difficulty of being moderate in in
diligence, but also in the cumulative
after effects of dissipation. The world
is moving; the old fetish of personal
liberty at whatever cost or danger to
the public at large seems to be losing
it's power. The time may come when
every man to whom the life and safety
of others are entrusted may be ex-
pected or even required to be as alb
stemious as the ball players and rail-
way employees just mentioned"