Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-12-11
Power Of Will to
Subdue Alcoholism
Many Men Who Have
Redeemed Selves Have
Proved that Practically
Every Victim Can Es-
cape from Curse.
BY DIR. CHARLES H. PARKHURsT

To any readers OF this page OF The Bee
who may chance to be victims of the
alcoholic habit / want to address half
a dozen paragraphs in regard to the will
--Shd in regard to the will power consid-
cred as means of changing ones life and
its habits The will is a faculty that no
one can exactly describe. except that IT
is tremendously effective if we will let 1t
work. If man is a drunkard and does
not want to give up drinking then no
won't. But If he is a drunkard and does
want to give up drinking then he can.
There is much said about alcoholism
being a disease. and there is truth in
that way OF putting the matter. But be-
cause It works disease in the body It
does not follow that it brushes the power
Of the will. and It is the will that is :,
going to settle the matter. or that can
settle the matter II we will let It.
There are too many cases that we all
know or have read of where will has
successfully crushed the drinking habit
to leave room for supposing that it has
not the power to do so. The trouble is
not with the will. but with the failure to
use IT.
was talking q few days ago with a
man whom L had been observing with
some interest, and he told me his story.
He seemed TO be nothing out Of the ordi-
nary. and yet had the appearance of
being a straight sort of fellow and
Astounding in health and good spirits. It
seems that from the age of about is until
he was over 80 he drank hard and pretty
steadily. He reduced himself to extreme
poverty and was refused a cup Of coffee
eoecause he could not pay for It,
That experience gave him q sudden
sense Of degradation and he said to him
self abruptly; II am done with drink"
And he was. When he told me his story
he must have been E In the meantime
he told me he had not tasted q drop
His face and general bearing indicated
as much. He was telling the truth. All
those twelve years of whisky he had had
a will as good as anybody's, but had not
used It.
familiar with was that of a younger
man who during most of the time for
thirty years was soaked with liquor. His
debauches were fearful. sometimes con-
tinuing for days. He considered his own
condition hopeless. It was recognized by
his friends that his will was conquered
and that he was sunk into q condition
of slavery from which there was no
emancipation
And yet his case had this peculiar
feature. He was accustomed each year TO
spend four or five months in the coun-
try The people OF the country town had
no knowledge of his habits. While there
he lived the life Of total abstainer. He
acclaimed eloQuently against the drink
habit; was active in closing saloons, The
pride he took in being held in good repute
helped to keep him UP. But Immediately
he returned TO his winter home, where
he was known as drunkard, he cei-
lopsed and celebrated his return with a
debauch.
There was nothing the matter with his
will. He could have controlled himself
IL he had wanted to. These people should
not be babied and pitied because they
are helpless. They are not helpless. They
had rather drink than exercise the power.
the will-power, that God gave them and
which 1t Is wicked to disuse.
II many of those that have been the
worst inebriates had not shown that
they could stand erect and get the best
of the habit. when they choose to, we
might not speak so confidently. But as
It is. such cases disprove the whole
theory OF helplessness.
For the purpose of illustrating what a
tremendous thing the will Is. and what
it can accomplish against the most ad-
verse circumstances, / want to relate q
story which may be some encourage
ment to whisky victims, although 1t has
nothing to do with whiskey. There is q
fascinating little book. by the late Will
liam, c, Prime, entitled, Among the
Northern Hills" Mr.. Prime was a great
lover of New England and. as a mar
A. .vxa w ha han
himself familiar with all the trout
brooks of the region and with the house
holders that lived along their borders.
In this way he picked up no end OF
incidents, some OF them funny. some OF
them pathetic, but all exceedingly read
able. Among others was one that had Il
do with an old lady and her SON She mo-
ally lived in New England. but was ful
of the New England spirit. and tina
spirit included, among other things,
will that was solid as adamant ana a.
forcefil as a catapult. 1t should b'
premised that as to her son, she was no
fond OF him, the reason for which the
story does not explain
She lived upon a large farm and Wal
in control Of its affairs and supposed
that the farm was her own. She haC
been mistress of IL for so long tim
that a misunderstanding in regard Z
actual legal ownership could easily hav'
arisen. The time came, however, for tn
old lady to die; at least her condition
pointed very manifestly In that direction
The change came upon her suddenly
The doctor came post haste and tn
lawyer followed in his wake. having bee
summoned for testamentary purposes.
Esquire" she said. II am going TO di
and / want to make my WILL disposing o
this farm"
Madame" he replied. the farm 4
not yours You have simply held It il
trust under terms OF a will that require
that on your decease it should pass int
hands OF your SON"
Esquire. do you mean that n / di
this property Is going to belong TO M
SOM"
Certainly" said the lawyer.
~" well. them" said she. Il am no
" going to die"
Whereupon she gathered herself uI
strobe across the room, got well an
lived for fifteen years. surviving her so
bv four years. That is what the huma
- a. nd n.