The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-07-31

ceS sef-restraint who keeps up the pure dignity OF
home life, who is trusted by his wife and beloved by
his chidren-this is the man IN whom "anathma" is
pronounced, and not on the man who makes of his
mOute an open Sepulchre in which every home happl-
ness is turned to rottonness and ruln The man who
does not drink to excess made out to be than
the man who does. All this is wrong. The temper
aehe moderate drinkers form the great bulk of the
community. and they are people whose habits, IN
stncts and tastes entte them to be regarded good
useful and patriotic citizens. 10 represent them as
responsible for the loss of health and honesty
for the increased crime and augmented taxation which
excessive drinking produces is about as unjust and as
foolish it would be to hold the wise woman who is
careful to dress neatly and within her MEANS RESPONSE
bic for the existence of the foolise woman, who is
mady anxious to dress extravagantly and beyond her
MEANS it is about as sensible it would be to make
the man who husbands his wealth and uses it wisely,
responsible for the spendthrift who squanders his
wealth and uses it foolishly nay it just sensible
as it would be to make the who is careful to use
speech only for pure purposes responsible for the man
who never utters word without the accompaniment
of foul oath, and who degradeS the noble gift of
speech into a loathsome obscenity.
This systematic and Incorporate abuse of the mod
crate drlnker is sought to be justified by affirming
that it is from the ranks of the moderate drinkers
that drunkards come--that if there moderate
drinkers there could be no drunkards This argument
however, goes too far. 1t is equally true that 1t is
from the ranks of the eaters that gutons come; and
that II there moderate eating there could be
no gluttony. 1t is equally true that it is from the
ranks of the women who wear Clothes that those fc
male gadlies come who cause their husbands purses
unduly to shrink that they may be awayed always in
the newest fashions, shine before the eyes OF wonder
ing mankind, like Solomon in all his glory. To this |
know it will be replied that dress and food good
things in themselves; and that alcoholic drink under
every conceivable FORM is bad thing in THAT il
is seductive poison which cannot be taken into the
human system under any FORM in any quantity, un-
der any circumstances without positive mischief result
ing. But this Is question which science has yet to
determine. The weight of scientific evidence SO far
as we can at present get certainly in favor of the
theory that there is legitimate use for alcoholic
beverages not only when the human system is suffer
ing under some forms of disease but also when that
system is in apparent health Until this scientific
question shall be setted-concusvey and finally sett
led in favor of the total abstinence theoryit will be
legitimate retOrt to the total absainer in answer to
their argument that moderate drinking is the parent
OF drunkenness to reply that eating the parent of
guttony and the habit of wearing clothes the parent
OF foolish and rulnOusly expensive habits o. dress SO
long it be shown that there is legitimate use
for alcoholic beverages at all, SO long must the total
abstinence theory be pronounced imperfect. Temper
ance does not total abstinence from things; it
means the use and sober of things. The question
to be determined is: What their use? If it can be
demonstrated that they have use then the total alb
stlnence theory regarding them falls to the ground
But we wait until this question shall be cOnclusvey
and finally settled, we shall wait long time before
doing anything to stay the ravages of drunkenness
Would it not be well for temperance reformers to mod
lfy their methods of action somewhat, and, seeing
that they cannot eradicate the habit of drinking these
beverages strive TO bring the habit under some sort OF
sensible control? Would it not be WELL if instead of
denouncng the temperate drinkers of the country as
responsible for all the woe and crime and want and
desolatiOn caused by excessive drinking; instead of
savagey declaring of the man who drinks a single
glass of beer, that he has committed sin so weghty
as to deserve the infinite pangs OF an eternal hel IN
stead of insanely denouncing, as Gen. Neil Dow has /
DONE every saloon keeper as guilty of crime that de-
serves hanging, would it not be well for them to try
and hit upon some plan in which some decent sober |
people could unite, whether total abStainerS or not
people who if not teetotaers are yet always SOBER
some plan for regulating the traffic, for relieving So
cety from the curse excessive drinking incts upon it.
for supplying the youth of towns and cities with
plenteous means of amusement, instead of leaving
them, they are so largely left now with no choice
at all as to where they shall spend the evening" except
the saloon billiard dancing hall, and the orthodox
prayer meeting?