The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-03-24
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE
JlMMYs FIRST WHISKY.

Not many mothers count that day
happy on which they learn that
Jimmy, aged seventeen. has taken his
first whisky. To stop her tears
Jimmy argues that 1T is not sin
to take drink; that he is mot
going to abuse liquor; that he
knows when to stop" Alas, poor,
inexperienced Jimmy! He does not
know that every man who has ended
by preferring drink to his wife, his
children, his family, his country, his
honor, and his God, began with the
same old excuses. J1mmys pro-
testations ring hollow. He is not
making man of himself, as he
fondly thinks, but only setting him.
self a large and liberal handicap in
life. Jimmy looks at the red of the
rye and laughs. Mother looks at
Jimmy and weeps. Through the.
glow of the glass, Jimmy sees moth
| ing but happiness. Mother sees one
of many broad ways leading to sin
and disgrace. Mother is right.
| Mothers usually are.
OF course, Jimmy may never fill Il
drunkard's grave. He may only emu
late that New York brute who on
Christmas Eve in the year of grace,
1916, came home drunk and threw
| his wife and little children into the
frozen streets. With due care and
attention from our best distillers and
most capable FOUNDERS" he may
some day measure up to the stature
of that other eminent brute, who
after a registering night with royal
good fellows, came home to murder
the unfortunate mother of his I'M
| fortunate children. There is no end
to the possibilities of the course
which Jimmy inaugurates SO joyfully
with his first whisky. After he has
gone the limit" he may straighten
up. and become useful, even not
able, member of society. But one
cannot help feeling that the chances
are against him.
After some generations of too
patient tolerance, it ought to be fair
ly clear that the liquor traffic in this
country needs q thorough house
cleaning The official heads of the
business admit this statement, and
are endeavoring, sincerely, it is to be
hoped, to turn the cleansing stream
through the nOisome stables of the
trade. In the meantime, some of the
underlings are adopting tactics of a
different kind. In Minnesota, a dis
tillery sOlicitS from rural mail
carriers lists of boys likely to be-
come patrons" certain company
advocates thoroughly vile whisky
IS "a wonderful youth and health
preserver, valuable for nervous, run.
down women and undeyeloped chill
dren," which is about as black q lie
as was ever put in print. The SIMS
ter suggestion which it conveys is dc.
veloped by another company which
recommends its product for hard
playing, growing boys" and urges
the trade to stimulate taste for al
cohol among women.
No doubt, those who assert that
alcohol is essentially evil are lineal
descendants of the Manicheans, and
have no home in the Catholic Church.
Only the abuse of liquor is sinful,
and it is quite conceivable that man
may glorify God by partaking of His
creature, wine, with a thankful heart.
; Yet for few persons, alcohol leads
by tortuous route to tender piety,
while the endeaVor to spread a taste
for whisky among "hard-playing,
growing boys" and nervous women
is little less than diabolical. Per-
haps it appeals to poor foolish Jimmy,
but what of Jinlmys mother? Who
is right? Jimmy may turn out to be
great saint. But considering the
histories of other Jimmies, it seems
probable that Jimmy's chances of Il
halo were considerably 1essened when
|, he took his first whisky.
America.