The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-01-12
THE FIRST DRINK.


Editor of The News: That splen-
did paper, the Albany Herald, whose
editorial page is one of the strongest
and most readable in the South, car
ried a sermon in a recent issue, which
should arrest the thought of every
mind at he beginning of this good
1915. We especially commend it to
some of the charming mothers OF
Dawson, whose delightful hospitality
is often blighted by the poison given
out to our young people at social
functions. 1t is charitable to believe
that it is thoughtlessness on their
part and ignorance of the true nature
of alcohol, but the question comes:
Are we excusable for lack of informa-
ton in the blazing light of this TWEEN
tieth century? Read below extracts
from Mr.. McIntosh's editorial. Very
resDectfulIv A READER.
''Of all the drinkers under the sun
the one who deliberately leads the
Young man who has been strictly
temperate to take his first drink
and then, if possible, his second, his
third, and so on, indefinitely-ls
most despicable. We have known OF
saloon keepers who would refuse to
sell a young man his first drink and
| 1t is impossible not to admire them
for their attitude.
1--WE did not begin this with any
idea of delivering a temperance lect-
ure; what we had set forth to say be-
ing inspired by a story which comes
from Augusta, Here it is, as it ap-
peared in state paper:
Augusta, Ga.~-Friends concoct-
ed a drink here which they told G.
L. Martin, a young Augustan, was
wine, and upon dare the young
man finally drained the glass. In a
few minutes he was unconscious,
and died last night after many hours
of intense suffering. The friends are
Frustrated over the result of what
they considered a practical joke Al
ter an inquest the corOner's jury
found that Martin came to his death
from accidental poisoning, in that he
took an overdose of choral. Martin
leaves a wife of only a few months.
1t seems that Christmas Martin de-
clined wine and eggnog when 1t was
offered. and his companions took ad-
vantage of this fact to jeer him. The
result finally was the attempt at a
joke, which resulted fatally to Mar
tin.
THE report of young Martins
death, as it appeared in the Augusta
Chronicle, is different in material
details from the one we reproduce.
The Chronicle report states that the
young mans friends did not mix
a drink for him, and that the choral
was taken through a mistake for
which he himself was partly respon-
sible. We are glad the false report
is thus so promptly corrected, for the
story telegraphed to some OF the
state papers made out an ugly case
against unnamed parties.
Still, the point of what we have
written is not broken, and the fact
remains that he who deliberately in
duces a young man who has never
INDUCED in strong drink to take his
first cocktail or 'whiskey straight
may be not merely running one life,
but several lives.
AS VIZ Sd1u d 4uOu1SnL dSO, VIC uIu
not begin these observations with
any thought of delivering temper
ance lecture, but merely to observe
that the man or woman who deliber-
ately ensnares a young man who does
not know the taste Of strong drink,
or fears it as he would deadly ser
pent or beast of prey, is creature
to be both pitied and despised among
the sons of men.
''If you must have company when
you drink seek it among those who
have been initiated. Never offer the
wine cup to young man who has
never tasted strong drink, and never
ridicule him because he is afraid Of
whiskey.' His fear does him
credit"