The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-02-11
Pastor Proves
Evils Of Drink
Presbyterian Divine Cites Few
OF Examples Taken From
Scientific Experiments

DO practically all our people adj
NIT that liquor is damnlng and
damnable, as one of our great edi-
tors recently asserted they do, and
do they practically all agree with
Governor Hoey that it is Public Enc
my No. II" asked DR.. Charles M.
Boyd in his sermon at Westminster
Presbyterian church in Charlotte
Sunday He answered his own ques-
ton:
''They do not When we read that
the Charlotte brewery is to be great
ly enlarged and when we hear of
the cocktail parties that are being
thrown, we can come only to some
one or more conclusions. Either
many people do not believe that al
cohol is a poison that grips, or they
are too hopelessly weak to stand
against currents, or they are just
plain nitwits. am inclined to think
many are in all three classes. They
do not believe it poisons, they are
too weak to resist what they are
told is smart, and they are nitwit
enough to think they can get away
with it.
C1C0S EAdIlpACS
''But alcohol does weaken life and
shortens it. A large amount of alco-
ho1 certainly puts the brain out of
business. Scientific experiments
show that typists, for example, write
more slowly and make more mis-
takes after very small amounts are
taken. Beer and wine are allowed
children in school in certain Euro
pean countries. Those that take beer
and wine always rate below those
who do not.
"a drink or two usually makes a
person very talkative, and some
have thought it sharpened wit. We
are told there are the higher and
lower centers of the brain, the high
er being the seat of the reasoning
powers and tending to make one
quiet and modest 1t is that which
differentiates man from the animal.
The dog will caper and be noisy in
any presence. Alcohol attacks the
higher centers first of all. We need
not be astonished that man with a
drink or two ahead will be noisy
and caper like the dog, but I apollo
gize to the dog for making the COM
pariSOn.
''And it does affect the senses. It
affects seeing had carpenter to
come to my house last summer. He
missed every nail and finally said
he would have to go, since he had
sense enough left to know he could
not hit the nail. It takes away the
sense of feeling. Before the days of
ether, men were sometimes made
drunk so that leg could be cut off
without their knowing it.
'And alcohol shortens life. 1t is
true that somebody has heard Of a
man who took his toddy every day |
and lived to be hundred years old,
but that is not the way to find facts
in the scientific study. The life in
surance tables should be studied.
They are reliable. They have made
many tests and all to the same con-
clusion. One of these tests was the
dividing Of the whole number of in
sured into four groups. They found
the number which would die in a
given year and, or convenience, call
ed that number 100. Group No. 2
took two glasses of beer day. Their
death rate was as lib. Group No. 8
was composed of those who had
been drinkers, but had quit. Their
death rate was $780, Group No. 4
comprised those who drank whiskey
daily in substantial amounts. Their
death rate was 1856.
''No, people in great numbers do
not believe these facts. A generation
ago, we quit educating on the deadly
effects of alcohol, we quit telling
people that it is 'damnable and
damning,' and that is one reason we
are where we are today. It is high
time to call the people to their
senses again. The individual cannot
afford to touch it. The State cannot
afford to put the stamp of respect
ability on the traffic by making it