The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-01-28

eign missions we spend something
like s9.OO0,000 each year. u seems
incredible that there should be so
much difference between our foreign
mission budget and our drink bill.
100000 10 carry the gospel 10 for
eign lands, and $4,000, OO0, 900 10 serve
the Devil here at home. But people
are usually willing TO pay more for
what they want most.
Now the foregoing is bare recital
Of the cost in terms OF dollars and
cents. You will agree with me that
this represents but a small amount
Of the real cost Or IL you don't
agree with me now. you will after
reading the rest Of this article. This
two billion dollars does not include
the number OF homes that are
wrecked; nor the number Of human
lives lost; nor the number OF moth :
ers whose happiness is destroyed.
II does not include the number OF
young men whose manhood and self :
respect are destroyed nor the num-
Der OF young women whose virtue Is
ruined. II does not represent the
amount Of suffering that helpless
children in drunkards' homes mus.
undergo nor the amount OF shame
and disgrace brought upon the whole
communities by those much given 10
drink.
There are some things Too precious
to have a price OF dollars put upon
them. What would you take 10 see
your mothers happiness destroyed9
How much money would you take
in exchange for the life OF your faith
er? What sum OF money would re-
present 10 you the value OF the vir-
tue and purity Of your sister? These
are things whose value cannot be
reckoned in terms OF dollars and
cents. And yet the drink traffic de
stroys every one Of these precious
things, and many more besides, and
still it lives. Every year hundred
thousand homes are made unhappy
by drink; every year a hundred
thousand mothers suffer the shame
and the disgrace and often the ply
steal pain that drunken husbands
heap upon them; every year tens OF
thousands Of young men have their
manhood wrecked by alcohol; every
year tens OF thousands OF girls once
as sweet and pure as your own sis
ter are seduced and ruined and led
into a life OF unspeakable shame
while under the influence OF alcohol
or by men who are themselves
drinking. The reports Of the vice
commissions OF Chicago, New York.
Minneapolis. Atlanta, Philadelphia
and other cities all tell the same
story. Thousands OF girls are ruin
ed every year in drinking gardens
under the management OF saloons
whose prOprietOrs prepare and FUR
nish drinking booths and private
rooms and in other ways plan de-
liberately for these unspeakable
things to happen. They know the
passions OF men under the influence
Of strong drink and they know the
weakness Of young girls when under
its influence, so they arrange every
convenience for men who are in
clined to do so to purchase drinks
and treat young girls al the price OF
their maiden purity.
And there are other terrible things
that happen in these same beer gar
dens. There are frequently found
good-looking young men who seem
TO be polished and upright gentle
men whose business is 10 get ac-
quainted with weak girls and induce
them 10 leave their homes and go
into houses OF ill-repute where
every kind OF sin known 10 the hui
man race is practised. This kind OF
business is going on at this moment
in many cities. and while I am
speaking 10 you young girls are be-
ing led into lives OF shame from
which they will never reform until
they are brought away in their cof-
fins.
Now do you think that the 5000
100000 spent for drinks really covers
the actual cost OF the traffic TO the
people OF this nationf II you do you
might as well stop reading here for
the rest OF my discussion is as start
ling as anything | have said already.
You cannot count the cost In terms