The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-09-08
AOBSON ON LIQUOR
AND THE LIQUOR TRUST

of fermentation, in which process Ter
-ment germs devour glucose in solu-
ton derived from grain, grapes, and
. other substances, and in their life
processes they throw off waste pro-
-,lue(s like other organisms. one
of the waste products is the gas tina
causes bubbling. The other waste
product is the liquid alcohol. Alcohol
is then the toxin, the loathsome eX-
erection of a living organism. 1t comes
under the general law governing toX-
ms, namely, the toxin of n form
of life is a poison to the form OF
life that produced it and a poison 20
every other form of life of a higher
order. The ferment germs are slrE>e
cell germs-the lowest form of lie
known-consequently their toxin, al
cohol, is a poison to all forms OF hfe'
whether plants, animals, or men-
poison to the elemental protoplasm
out of which all forms of life are
constructed.
We must therefore surrender all
our preconceived ideas about the sup
posed food value and benefits of a.
.cohol, even in the simplest quantities.
AS an illustration, one mug of milo
beer-supposed to be beneficial and
belpful-will in thirty minutes lower
the efficiency of the average soldier
SO per cent in aiming his rife.
1t is estimated that there are
5000, 900 heavy drinkers and drunk
ards in America, and these men might
as we'll have a ball and chain on
their ankles, for they are more alb
.ject slaves than those black men who
were driven by slave-drivers.
Very little of the money paid for
liquor remains in circulation locally,
because liquor employs so few men
for the capital invested and pays
them such poor wages. ..... :.
1t should be a source of humilia-
tion to well-informed Americans that
our Government shows no indications
of change of attitude toward liquor.
Our need for revenue is much less
than that of the nations at war, and
yet in sections I and 2 of the revenue
hill recently passed we turned to IL
quor for nearly one-half the total
amount, strengthening the hold of IL
eGuor upon the finances of the Govern
ment. Liquor has the same stranglc-
hold upon the throat of our Govern
ment today that slavery had before
1860.
Many battles have been fought in
history for which there is no anthem
tic report of the casualty, but of
those of which there are records,
from the Macedonian War, 300 B. c.,
down to and including the Russo-Ja-
panese War, the sum total foots up
100000 killed and wounded, which,
being apportioned, would make a
little more than 2,100, 900 and a little
less than 100000 killed. Bearing in
mind the qualifying circumstances,
it can be generally said, therefore,
that alcohol brings to a premature
grave Americans in one year
than all the wars of the world, as re-
corded, nave killed on thefield of bat
tie in $500 years.
When the great war in Europe is
over it will be found that the sum to-
tai killed on the field of battle for all
nations will average less than 1900
a day. Alcohol averages 1000 Amer
leans a day. Europe is really in the
eyes of nature better off today in the
midst of her great tragedy THAI she
has been for centuries, because Eu-
rope is almost dry.
One-half of l per cent of alcohol
IN solution, such as a future mother
might easily nave in her circulation
III attending a banquet or fashion,
able dinner, drinking only vine or
beer, will, oft repeated, kill tie little
life and endanger the life Of The
mother.
Some vast agent in orr midst is
systematically teaching the .ooys t,
drink and debauching the youth. Wh2
IS 1T that carries on this sinful husi-
ness! Certainly it is not the drink
ers. A man may drink, but unless
ne is a hopeless degenerate ne would
not teach boys to drink. I have
known many drinkers, but I have
neve yet known one who made a
hlbit of teaching boys to drink This
sinister agent is the Liquor Trust of
America.
Tens of thousands of. PAD. agents
all 0Iyoc Tho lo-l