The Special Temperance Number of the Youth's Instructor
By Editor
May 14, 1907
The Youth's Instructor will issue a specially attractive temperance number, with appropriate cover, bearing date of May 14, 1907. Some conception of the nature of the contents of this special number may be obtained from the following partial outline of the topics to be treated:—
True Temperance; Why Condemn the Use of Alcoholic Drinks? A Scene that Appalled the Heathen; Crime and Liquor; Legalized Drunkard-making; Alcoholism and Degradation; Food or Poison—Which? Cause of Appetite for Alcohol; Our Reasons for Demanding the Close of the Saloons Every Day; Physiological Effects of Alcohol and Tobacco; Progress of Vegetarian Ideas; Dr. Wylie on a Vegetarian Diet; Tobacco and Liquor as Companions; Students and Tobacco Using; No Christian Should Use Tobacco; Boys and Tobacco Seen Through Other Eyes; License Laws; Appeal to Christians; Statistics; News Notes on the progress of the temperance work and general temperance information.
This special number of the Instructor will afford the children and the young people a chance to do some good remunerative missionary work along a line much needed in every community. The Instructor being itself an educator, the public mind can be reached and educated through it better than through many other publications. The youth of this age have an obligation resting upon them in connection with the temperance movement. This Special Temperance Number of the Instructor will place within their reach a means by which they may discharge this obligation.
“Intemperance lies at the foundation of the moral depravity of the world.” Both observation and statistics corroborate this statement, and it is the world's moral depravity that is fast hurrying it on to eternal destruction; it is depravity that blinds the eyes of the people to the life-saving truths of the Word of God in this time. Reasoning men everywhere acknowledge the fact that any evil is only successfully overcome by striking at the foundation or original cause of the evil; it follows, therefore, that in order to produce the world's needed reform, steady and effective blows must be struck at the liquor traffic.
“The honor of God, the stability of the nation, the well-being of the community, of the home, and of the individual, demand that every possible effort be made in arousing the people to the evils of intemperance. Soon we shall see the result of this terrible evil as we do not see it now. Who will put forth a determined effort to stay the work of destruction? There is no man whose interests the liquor traffic does not imperil; there is no man who, for his own safeguard, should not set himself to destroy it. We are all woven together in the web of humanity; the evil that befalls any part of the great human brotherhood brings peril to all. When a ship is wrecked in sight of the shore, people do not look idly on. They risk their lives in their efforts to rescue men and women from a watery grave. How much greater the demand to rescue them from the drunkard's fate!”—Mrs. E. G. White.
“There would soon be little necessity for temperance crusades if in the youth who form and fashion society, right principles in regard to temperance could be implanted.”—“Ministry of Healing.”
Our greatest hope lies in correctly educating the people on the principles of true temperance, and the Special Number of the Instructor is issued in the interest of this youth-education. But it must be carried to the people; thousands of carriers are wanted. If every reader of the Instructor should simply take an extra copy, costing 2½ cents, fifteen or twenty thousand persons could be supplied with this special number outside of those who receive it now. But there are none who would want to express their interest in this work by less than a five-cent offering. If every church and Young People's Society should send in an order amounting to not less than two copies for every person in attendance, a good beginning would be made. Some churches can and will do far more than this, but can not every one do at least this much?
This is the first time the Instructor has ever asked its friends for their co-operation in such a campaign, but we believe the plan will meet the approval of all, and enlist their support in making it a success. Many of the secretaries of the young people's work have pledged their heartiest co-operation. What are the young people themselves going to do?
The retail price of the Special Temperance Number of the Instructor will be 5 cents a copy; when 25 or more copies are ordered at one time to one address, the rate will be 2 cents a copy; when less than 25 copies are ordered at one time, the price will be 2½ cents a copy.
Send all orders for the Special Temperance Number through the regular channels, or to the—
