The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-11-05
RELIGIOUS
WORLD

4. New Front to a World F1ght-Ine
International Sunday School Lesson
for November 10 IS, "World's lem'
perance Sunday Hosea z.
(By WILLIAM T. E.LILS.l
Once q year the nearly thirty mil
lion members Of the Sunday schools
give themselves to the study of the
temperance question. That simple
statement points the way to q pro-
found and po%rtentious truth concern
ing this worldwide reform. 1t means
that the impreSsionahle minds OF
youth are getting fixed ideas upon the
use Of intoxicants. The leaders OF
the churches, teachers and preachers,
are themselves at this time making q
fresh study Of the question. The
whole subject is brought INTO reVle"
at least once a year as a real concern
of religion. Each person, from his
own angle, Is making out q case
against the use of intOXicants. The
aggregate influenced OF all this is stu
pendous, immeasura BILE, u~nthinkable.
down to bed rock on the whole SUBJ
ject. Instead Of pr esenting unrelated
incidents and interesting stories. and
statistics hat should stagger, it Is bet
ter to deal with the fundamental QueS-
ton. Where does the world stand
on the temperance question? What
+ Christian people going to do
about it?
The Temperance Observation-Disclosures
ance.
Words Of soberness are in order
here, If ever. In the face of this
thinking is demanded. No teacher
of temperance should go faster or
farther than any intellectually honest
person "a follow. All exaggeration
and over-statemcnt are to be avoided
and decried. For, admittedly, the
o<~ ~~~ ~, ~ h1l tam n 20 n
propaganda is it's intemperance.
When an ardent advocate Of tenn
perance teaches a boy, as myriads
"a done, that everybody who drinks
comes to poverty; and that all success
full men are sober men; and that the
great men are all a~bstainers, that boy
eventually learns-if he has any wit
whatever, Or any experience Of the
World-that these statements simply
are not true Therefore he throws
over not merely the fallacious ex-
trencs Of the temperance teaching he
! has received, but likely as not. all the
I teaching the sound with h unsound.
1t Is perilOuS to tell children anything
| tina the ripeness Of maturer expert
! ence will not vindicate. No perma-
nent good, and usually real harm,
comes from any teaching which does
not square with the truth.
II fanat'cism is ever eScusahle, let
il be said IN eNtenua,ion. this is the
occasion. The extreme statements
ana the passionate o~ne-sidedness OF
many temperance advocates is scarce
ly to be ondered at, as they have
lOoked upon this monster evil, whose
Unsuitable NAV is hourly demanding
q fresh CLINT OF young life. This is
scarcely the time for cold calculation
and nice elaboration. The intensity
OF the spirit OF love for mankind is
doubtless the explanation OF most OF
the ~unrealities and Unbalanced
teachings and artificial atmosphere
which may be detected In a great
deal Of temperance propaganda. Still
the cause itself is SO important, and
the issues involved SO great. that
they should command extraordinary
selI-restrain on the part of all ad'
~vacateS. All temperance teaching
should be able to stand tho test =!
the tcmpcsis of time.
.Retter Not"
Even when all possible admission;
! called for by scholarly Fairness ant
g magnaniInity 10 this worst Of foe
have been granted, 1t can be show
that there are a score Of varied rea
sons why boys and girls. men an'
: WomeD would better not drink
4 The abstainer is on absolutely SAT
: ground. In the case of youth, thi
is the only safe ground. The wit
ness OF every saloon keeper II eyer.
man OF the wOrl now living Cal
be secured to the fact that 'wher
there's drink there's Danger Ply
siology, economic efficiency. sncia
= stability, altruistic effectiveness, an
essential Christianity al urge for alb
Il ~stinencc.
The oll-fashioned ard scnsibl
n method OF pledge-Sisning, vine
r pledges are deliberately and INTEL!
Il gently taken. is being revived by tn
n Sunday school leaders. This Is to b
IS commended. The temperance war
rot to be won hy grand campaigns
= the issue will never dc settled unit
h it IS settled ~ each Individual *
y himself.
The Grated Tree.
= Another step is inevitable, and
is being taken. Negative teachin
- is not the best teaching. The soci:
= opportunities OF drinking must
D o14.2 ~. ntlo - u-1,afcS,r