The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-08-06
STATE PRIZE ESSAY

erintendent Of scientific temperance
instruction, brought all the essays
that she had received in the state TO
OcaIa TO be judged and graded, and
the following essay viii be known as
the State Prize Essay.
The grading committee consisted
Of Mrs. c. L. Bittinger, Mrs. G. w.
Martin and Mrs. G. D. Washburn.
This kind Of work will do much TO
educate the young in scientific TEN
perance, for it requires a great deal
Of reading before one is prepared to-
write a paper like the following:
Injurious Effects of Alcohol
(By Zelda De Lancy, age 16 years..
Alcohol! Think of the innumer-I
able lives she has destroyed, and how
many children she has mislead!
But, although knowing all this, and
having the glorious faculties which
God has given MIN, man has set her
on a pedestal far above other gods.
He has followed for ages her beckon-
ing finger, urging him on and on.
He has placed on her head crown
sands of wives and mothers and she
has greedily accepted.
Many men are so fortunate as to
never catch a glimpse Of this heart
less sovereign, but the more unfCr-
tunate see her, alas! too often.
At first she is an enchanting, elus-
i've, and, thus, very desirable crea-
ture, who commands him to view
life thru rose colored glasses and
forget all the heartache and sorrows
of the earth. She leads him 20 be-
lieve that, with her, he is really liv-
| ing, while in the life OF hardship, he
was simply existing.
For a time he is wildly and thrill
Ilingly happy, but gradually her
beauty fades. He perc:eves that what
he thought was a sweet mouth, is
really distorted by sneers, and her
face, instead of being round and
soft, is yellow and worn. Slowly,
but surely, he can feel her chains
tighten, while he is powerless to re-
sist. Her demands become more un-
reasonable, her temper more erratic
and before he is conscious of it, he is
bound hand and foot.
She has made her way seem so
smooth, that not until now does he
realize that she has skilfully led
him to shirk thousands of RESPONSE
biHties.
Perhaps he had, once upon a
time, wife and it seemed, far back
in an almost forgotten corner of his
brain that he had promised to re-
main with her forever. But it isn't
too late now he thinks he could re-
turn if he wished, for no power on
earth could hold him if he did not
desire to be kept.
However, his opinion changes
when he endeavors to free himself,
for the enchantress has him secure
| ly chained, and each link has been
given her especial attention. Thus,
realizing that he has awakened too
late to his danger, he struggles
fiercely to become disentangled, but
to no avail.
Each day his ideals become dim
mer and his power weaker, until, at
last, with one more spasmodic gasp,
he gives up the fight and bids the
world farewell. And does this re-
lentless demon pause an instant in
her life-wrecking work to erect a
monument over his wasted body =?
No, indeed, With a smile of con,
tempt, she hurls him into her rapid
ly filling pit, with never backward
glance, and continues her fight fol
degenerate souls.
These are merely few of the eff
fects of alcohol-the moral ant
mental effects. But the physica
| evils perhaps concern the working
class vitality, as the body is thei-
chief care.
The children OF drunkards arr
never so bright as others. 1t doe
indeed, seem a pity that the limo
cent must suffer for the sins o
their ancestors, but, truly, God Wis
| its the iniquity Of the fathers upon
the children, unto the third anC
| fourth generation.
II Seventy-six percent. Of the child
rem of brewery workers in German.
are unfit for any of the duties o
: life, on account Of their parents dis
sipation. Their qualifications ar,
far below the standard of good
clean American citizenship.
If mans constitution is strong h
may drink for years and not notic'
any iniurv from the poison. eEcep