The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-09-04
Intemperate Temperance.
Food for the Temperate and Intem-
perate to Ponder Over.

These appeals to moral emotions are out of place.
They overlook entirely the peculiar circumstances OF
the drunkards life. Drunkenness a complex divider
1t must be met by complex methods because it
springs from complex causes. There are for instance
those who drunkards in obedience to the great law
of heredity Dr. Carpenter tells us that "Where gen
era constitutional taints that is say abnormal hab
itudes of nutrition have been acquired, they tend to
propagate themselves hereditary" Drunken fathers
have begoten drunken sons and the drunken force OF
past drunken generations, lives in these sons mpeing
them to become the drunkards we find them today
Preaching won't do these victims any good The tenn.
perance dodge won't do them any good. Medical
science alone help them, alone lessen and per-
haps cure the fiery force OF their appetite and enable
thento bequeath the world the heritage of children
in whom that appetite may be still more easily
quefed
Then there are others in whom drunkenness is the
natural result of the victims material surroundings of
their lives The worst drunkards of any city those
found in habitng those oathsome dens grouped CALLED
the slums-dens into which Gods heath-giving air is
never allowed to penetrate The habit Of constantly
bieathing impure ain begets craving for stimulants
which not to be felt by those who are fortunate
enough to be surrounded by happier because healthier
physical condition. The temperance pledge has but
small help for these They must be lifted from their
vicious surroundings If we would free them from the
vice which, only in such surroundings, can find con-
genial home.
' Then there are others in whom drunkenness is but
this perverson of natural taste for social enjoyment
Young fellows thrOng streets night after night
they want enjoyment but there is no place freely
open to them except the orthodox prayer meeting and
the saloon. Naturally enough they prefer the latter
| should mySef if We're in their unfortunate case
Of course they 60 Often-ofton going leads to habit
habit leads to famn; and before they of it
they have contracted the drunkard's vice. Such men
need every kind of assistance and diversion. The way
to help them the way prevent others from falling
into the same pit is to provide them with cheap and
plentiful amusement, to open halls wherein they
have Billiards, cards, dancing theatricals and every
other amusement under the SUI, without the cOncOml
tant of the drink.
The Prohbitionsts have done some little good ad-
NIT 1t has lifted few drunkards out of the gutter,
wiped the filth off thenn and made them Clean But
sometimes think that the reformed drunkards it has
made are in pretty much the position as the man
in scripture who having been cleaned Of one devil,
the devils worse than the first They are saturated
through and through with spiritual pride, and bla
tand with pious brag. When they make speeches on
the platform 1R nine f % out OF ten W What 40
selves is true, they ought to be in the penitentary
rather than the platform presumrg to teach sobre
ty and virtue to better people than themselves. They
will tell you how they commenced life happily and
well---how they had happy and comfortable home
how that home was adorned by wife who was for
them, the perfection of wfehood---how children came
to enrich the home and make it musical with eher
sweet voices-how, at length they were taken captive
bv the devil drink---they always taken captive,
Just as though they themselves were innocent and
were massive victms---how the wicked saloon keeper
from that moment determined on their ruin.--deter-
mined they should be his and that all their possessions
should swell his unholy gains-how, one by one, the
comforts of their home departed.hOW the bloom LETT
their wifes cheek and filthy tatters futtered about
their chidrens half-starved forms-.-how occa-
sion in drunken fury, they snatched the sucking child
from the wifes breast and flung it through the win
dow--how on another occasion, maddened by drink
again they struck their patient wife blow from
which she never recovered-how they sunk lower and
lower until at length, wife and baby dead and living
children ruined and cursed with the inheritance of
their fathers appetite they were rescued by Prohb.
ton aws-and then they wont e~tatically to ex-
claim: "Oh, my friends, feel so good; shall meet
my wife and child in heaven; own the house live in
and am church member; buy two suits of clothes
a year and regularly take the sacrament. Oh, am
so happy but these cursed temperance drinkers they
never thrash their wives, Throw their children out
of the window nor ruin their homes but they caused
all the mischief that happens to such I-they are