"Men even contract the dirty, filthy habit of chewing tobacco, and when the habit gets a good hold upon them they are never satisfied except when they have a wad of the stuff in their mouth. So with drinking. It is largely a habit"

Thomas Jordan Jarvis is alerting against the threats of forming bad routines, particularly those of drinking and chewing tobacco. He recommends that these habits can become so ingrained in an individual that they are never satisfied without them. Jarvis is highlighting the power of practice and how it can take control of an individual's life. He is cautioning that these practices can be challenging to break and can have an unfavorable influence on an individual's life. He is motivating people to be mindful of the practices they form and to be aware of the potential effects of forming bad habits. He is also recommending that it is better to prevent forming bad routines in the very first place, instead of attempting to break them later.