More money was lost by it than was spent to educate and
Christianize the world, and it cost more precious lives than war and
pestilence combined. Being a crime utterly selfish and debasing, as well
as extremely tenacious of its hold upon the individual life, it was almost
the greatest enemy to the spread of the gospel.
"Was there anything in the way of good to be said of the drinking habit to
offset all this harm? Men drank to be sociable and companionable and to
please their friends, and when the habit was fastened on them found they
had lost every friend of value. They took to their cups to drown their
sorrow, and found a sorrow more poignant among the dregs. They began the
moderate use of stimulants to give strength to the body or activity to the
brain, and discovered when too late that their abuse had brought down in
common ruin both body and mind. No, it is impossible that anyone should
ever attempt to make an argument in favor of drunkenness.
"The more active the age the more prevalent was this evil, but the
greater, also, was the determination to overthrow it.
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