The Washington herald., 1915-03-27
OUR INVISIBLE JAILERS.
BY ORIsON SWEET MARDEN,

w" OTh pHySltidhs oheANit''SS
Wholesale collapse of careers. the SUD
den brea kdown Of a great many popular
citizens. when the United States govern
ment enforces the drastic new law re-
garding the sale of all opium products
When We remember that. according tn
recent reliable investigators. the guam
tity of opium used in the United states
is about fifteen times that consumed IN
Germany. Italy and Austria combined.
We are not so much surprised at TINS
ldm"Utablc medical forecast.
! Physicians have estimated that th"r"
! are at least two millions Of opium or
morphine "addicts'' in the United States.
. Md many of these, IL is asserted. are
among our best citizens, including many
/ professional men. clerSymcn. teachers,
physicians and lawyers. as well as many
business men.
| Outside of the two millions addicted to
y this particular drug think OF the millions
Of Americans who. every minute Of tn"
day and often far into Tn" night. are
rcsOrtinE to other drugs and stimulants
and all sorts Of artificial devices to boost
themselves, to induce a better feeling.
Think Of III" mighty streams of men who
are constantly passing through the doors
Of our public and private barroOms to
| get a bra"cr. cocktail. a whiskey and
>"da. or some other form of stimulant
7 mat VIII sir thsUn up ana axe lnCnl
feel brighter more energetic.
There are also millions of women who
would feel insulted at even the sugges-
ton that they are dope victims. who are
trying L" get the same result through
the use OF tea and coffee that men seek
through alcohol. tobacco and other poi
sons. Those good women, many OF whom
could not b.. induced to touch Il drop Of
. liquor. keep themselves dOpcd lars"
part Of the time by excessive use Of
their fdy"rit.. hey cr,,gcs. II is true this
j. a little NOR" gcntccl. little less
heaStly sort Of dope than the others.
hut It is a dope just the same.
How little do youths and Older people
Tca.:Zr that the Things they consider
friends. helpful cXhilsrators, are their
m"rtaIc>t enemies. How little do they
dream when they hrst make acUuaint-
amr. with them that their feet are fast
taking hold upon he'll itself. They can
lot SOC that they ar" simply ugly mon
sl"rs heguiling them into their fatal dcns
from which they never again return to
their mental condition.
DE Quincy. that unfortunate drug
slave. in his confessions" speaks of his
Inrrmity az an invisible idiler. who led
him around. PcOpl" who are in the
clutches Of vice. VINO are Victims Of the
driIk "r drug habit, or other forms Of
dissipation. ar" continually beiuG led
around by invisible iailers. who never
los" sight Of them. Without knowing II
many of tH"m 20 through Inf" prisoners
They would Il" shocked If they wcr"
t"Id that they w"r" not free men or
W"rcn. hut, a. a matter II fact sta
tI~ti"s SNOW that the larger p"Tcc ntaG"'
Of the victims Of drugs and alcohol arc
practically such "nmplct" slaves to the
things that make them feel better
that they are never released from their
chains
The drug slave j. in more degraded
and pitful condition than tn" drink
slave.
Physicians who have made a Speciality
Of treating drug victims say that after
time Il marked physical change is evil
dcrt even in the nerves of those I'M
fo.tunates. Normally they arc cncascd
in sheet which they exactly nil. but
after the long continued use of opium
tn" nerves gradually shrink until as the
physician put it. they fairly rattle
around in their envelopes or cases" Ii
is the friction caused by this rattling
OF tn" nerves that produces the fright
ful pain and irrItability from which drug
users suffer.
Now, there is only one way of keepInE
our freedom. of growing To the height
that is possible to every honest. earnest.
ambitious man or woman, and that is
I" have nothing to do with any acCursed .
d"re. whether il be a drug or a drink
mat, Il" matter what We say Or think !
viii ultimately enslave us.
When china awokc from her opium
dream. and began To- break h"r bonds, A.,
siI" went 80 far as to infict the death
penalty IN p"upl" who persisted in the /.
Us" OF opium after her prohibitivc cdict /!
VAS passed.
= ynu have been 50 unfortunate as :" /.
euiHu-'r y"ur manhood or womauhoOd .
through tn" use Of drugs or alcohol. stop
a. once. Free yOUrSlf from degrading
slavery before IL is too late. Assert yOur
dis 10" right To own yourself Turn YOUR !
It:l"r oGt Of doors. Be captain OF YOUR
oUn soul. /
'uTyrirhf 'mT'