The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-03-29
TURNED Away HUNDREDS
Coliseum Gould Not Hold the Thousands
Who Jostled to Hear American
Navy Hero Tell Truths Of
Alcohol's Effects.

F'The chances are five to one under
PRESENT conditions here in Kenosha,
chat liquor will get your boy" was
one Of the sensationally startling state
ments made by Capt Richmond Pearson
Hobson in dramatically delivered, in
cisive, scientific and intensely interest
inc address which last night held in
absolute silence an audience of over
three thousand people which filled every
seat in the Coliseum and left large
group standing in the rear of the hall
after more than five hundred had
been turned away for lack of room.
Must Teach Boys Drinking to Make
Adult Drunkards
Another statement that went I'M
challenged was that it is rare
occurrence for man over twenty-one
years who has not previously acquired
taste for alcohol ever to acquire the
habit IN excess. The foundation for
a drunkard' Is character, he said, is usu-
ally laid during the age Of adolescence.
Proves Statements by Statistics.
Captain Hobson, who spoke for
nearly two hours, was careful to sub
stantiate his statements with statis-
ties CLEANED from insurance companies,
medical society S reports, federal re-
ports and other authoritative sources.
His assertions were tempered with a
moderation which made them even more
convincing and compelling.
A Drunkard at Seven Years.
Mr.. Hobson IS most earnest plea was
made for the protection of the child
and he quoted statistics to show that
sixty per cent of all habitual drunk
ards had the habit fastened upon them
before the age of twenty, forty
per cent before the age of sixteen, and
seven per cent before the age of
twelve years.
Drunkards Don't Teach Drinking,
Don It deceive yourselves, friends, -
the speaker said. "It $ not the old
drinkers who teach our boys to follow
in their footsteps. They have repug-
nance to the idea of to drinking--they
don't want their boys to suffer from
the habit from which they cannot
free themselves.
emo, it is the saloon that tutors the
boy to drink Tt is in the speak
easies and the back rooms in candy
aud ice cream shops where he takes
the first drink.
Saloons Foster Blind Pigs.
Z" And these places exist most fre-
quently in communities that have their
bars and saloons and it is the saloons
that furnish liquor to them. These
places and the saloons and bars create
an atmosphere where they boy $ charac-
ter is unconsciously moulded to
these ideas.
Parents Don't Suspect,
''Boys learn to drink often before
their parents know it.
Parents, you may drink, yourselves,
but if you are good men you don t
want your children to grow up drinking.
The saloon is the cause of the de-
bauching Of the boy, and through that
boy society is to be renewed.
Saloonists Unreasonable.
Lieut.. Hobson dwelt upon what he
called the unreasonableness of allow
ing FIVE million confirmed drinkers
(Which statistics show there are today
in this country to exist for the sup
port Of one-third of one per cent of
our entire population, which he says is
the proportion engaged in the produc-
ton and sale of liquor.
Let Few Prey on Many.
Will you, he asked, "allow one
third Of one per cent of our people 10
60 out and capture enough boys to
continue an army Of FIVE million
drunkards9
How about your boys, the future
drinkers9 Will you make no effort
to protect them7 Will you sit still
: here in Kenosha when the truths come
Rhome to you2 When you know what
this slavery to drink isl"
Tells How Alcohol Poisons,
Capt. Hobson went briefly into the
poison qualities of alcohol. He show
ed that it is closely allied with ether
carbolic acid chloroform and several
other Of the most potent poisons, to
produce each of which when given al