The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-02-24
TREATING AND IT'S DANGERS.

'H-Nt iN1 AMI u - HANGERS.
l am in hearty accord with Justice
Barnes on the necessity of something
being done to train our boys to habits
OF temperance and on the advisabilitv
of the Knights of Columbus undertak-
ing to pay the expenses of corps of
ardent and energetic priests to visit
the different Churches periodically and
impress upon our youth the dangers
OF 1ntemperance and urge them to
take the pledge of total abstinence
writes ]. FL. O'Donnell in the "Colum-
biad''
l think, however, that the twenty
first birthday is the wrong time for
the expiration Of total abstinence
pledge for the very good reason that
just at that particular time, more than
any other, there is supposed to be a
certain indefinite restraint lifted from
the new man that is all too likely to
be taken advantage of by the tempter
and represented as being license to
indulge in anything and everything
that the appetite and passions may
dictate, and the. lifting of the total
abstinence pledge at his particular
time is like tempting fate and should
by all means, be avoided.
The twenty-second birthday
the young man has had a whole year
to become accustomed to the sensa-
ton of being man and has begun to
pn01i1n Txyh o&
dangerous.
Still better, the twenty-fifth birth
day, when he has grown wise enough
to see the folly of drink and curiosity
no longer impels him to take his first
glass.
But, if it is a good thing to take a
pledge of total abstinence for a linn
tied time, how much better to take it
for life, which few would hesitate to
do If they had kept pledge until the
age Of twenty-five; for it is difficult to
conceive of man who has experienced
the blessing of a total abstinence
pledge until his twenty-fifth birthday
who could be persuaded to throw aside
such valuable safeguard, but, on the
contrary, would gladly renew his
pledge for life
The Seed Of Drunkenness.
But, the particular phase of the
liquor question to which I have given
the most careful study is the absurd
American custom of treating; the most
disastrous form of misdirected gener-
osity that this world has ever known.
A custom that prevails even amongst
the better classes, and, regret to say,
is too frequently permitted and encour-
aged by our members.
This is the one particular vulner-
able spot where the Knight of Colum-
bus can strike fatal blow to the
cause of intemperance by coming out
boldly, emphatically and unequivocally
against the senseless custom of treat
ing.
Who ever heard of drunkard who
had never taken his first drink?
Who ever heard of a drunkard who
had not first been a tippler?
Who ever heard of any man taking
his first drink voluntarily, deliberately
and alone?
Is it not a fact that not one in a
million take their first drink in any
other manner than through the misdi-
rected generosity of some respected
friend, whose offer of the first drink
the young man hesitates to refuse for
fear of causing offense?
And, once the first drink has passed
his lips the young man has joined that
vast army of drunkard makers without
the assistance of which not one drunk
ard in ten thousand would ever have
acquired that irresistible craving
which has hopelessly enslaved him.
And where is the drunkard, no mat
ter how hopeless, who did not at one
time cherish the delusion that he could
take drink and leave it alone; that
only the weak willed were unable to
stop before reaching the danger
point?
And there is the tippler today who
would not feel justly indignant if any
one should intimate to him that he
would ever become drunkard?
Drunkenness is the product Of treat
ing. The first drink is the only seed
from which it can be produced, and
treating is an essential requirement
after the seed has been planted.
Are we going to continue planting
and cultivating this seed? Or, will we
do our part to root 1t out?
1t Ia most serious matter to offer
your fellowman drink of Intoxicating
liquor! Stop! Think! And your con-
science will not let you do it.
The influence OF the Knights of
Columbus, IL welded In this cause,
can reduce drunkenness In this coun-
try more than any other agency. IL
Ii not worth the effort?
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