The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-11-15

the use of wine is interiicted by oxtrava-
gnrt duties. tho consumption Of spirits In
crease in nm alarming degree. England,
with population of 34,OcO,0OO, consumes
2S,OO0,000 gallons of spirits exclusive Of
porter. ale and beer,) Will, France, with
population Of $4,000 900 consumes but l5,
100000 Of her own brandies, and Of these
largo proportion il used in manufactures,
in fortifying wines for shipment, and in tho
preparation Of fruits and confections, made
only in her own territories. We have seen
that the manufacture OF whisky, spirits, and
ale, for home consumption in the United
States, amounts to S6OO0,00o Of gallons.
This is exclusive Of exports! A pretty
formidable nut tu b, cracked by the Car
son League, or any other. Our extrava-
giant duties 0H s::a..s heretofore. have done
moreto encourage inten,peran, than tho
most canning device that could bc invented
by the Father of Mischief. In regard TO
the high duties of England, Rcdding says |:
The enormity OF the duty is the cause
Of the diminished consumption of winc.-
A gallon Of foreign brandy will be diluted
in drinking with three gallons of water, in
all four gallons, paying los. duty, worth,
with the cost Of the article, about 20s.-
Four gallons of wine pay 23s. I'D. duty,
worth, Mt prime cost, from 3s. Cd. TO 2us.
the gallon, as the case may be. Now the
inc of the highest price will not contain
more than ten or twelve per cent. OF bran
dy, nor any wine Of more than sixteen or
seventeen. The stimulant powers Of the
spirit al,d water are, therefore, much greater,
nj rate vastly cheaper, oven with the enor-
nous duty on foreign brandy. How much
more is this the case with whisky and home-
made spirit, at half the duty of the foreign!
An nd valorcm duty on wine is not possible
in practice, therefore the duty should be
reduced one. half mt Ienst We profess n
high regard for public morals, we talk about
improving the circumstances Of the people /;
yet in typhus, which ravages England SO
fearfully, wine, the main remedy, Is shut
out from the poor, while its liberal admins
tration is necessary. So with the fevers OF
our narshy districts w'ne and bark arr The
sole dependence, yet the last is forbidden
b. the price, which is positive cruelty
The people are encouraged 10 drink ardeut
spirits in consequence-but then the reve-
nue. profits!
"It is clear the people Of England drank
in 100 three times as much wine in pr"por-
ton as they do now. The natural conse-
quence has been the increased consumption
OF spirits. From 1880 to 1880, the con-
sumpti. n Of British made spirits Increased
from 4 3,6D gallons 10 7,732, ,lOl 4, keeping
pace W. b th increase of crime rs IL not
only the temperature Of the atmosphere, but
the amount of misery, poverty, aud crime,
were TO be- guaged by alcohol. Ireland, m
1921, paid duty only on 2,649,l70 imperial
gallons Of home made spirits, but IN 1898
on no less than 9,004,539 imperial gallons.
In lSl9 the amount was reduced to 6,973,-
333 imperial gallons. Scotland, in 1854,
distilled but 26S SOB common gallons OF
spirit in 1888, 5,sSS,556. Thus there Were
made in England. in the year ending Janu-
ary b, 1857, 9,O53 ,676 imperial gallons;
6,935,O03 ireland. 6,973r 3r33s.-
The total being 23,992,0l2 gallons. Ii Is
therefore, u Fact, however much OF an ano-
maly il may appear, that inebriety in this
country has Increased with the diminution
Of the wine consumption. and morals as
well as health have suifered by the same de-
rrease, and the augmented use OF ardent
spirit"
Il scent to Us the great error with the advo-
Gates Of temperance, has been fanaiicism. AL
virtue, goodness even christianity itself h com
prised In the one idea Of total abstinence from
ardent spirit- AZ a ennfsmrn---y ~ . '-s''s:.
become one idea men," A Boston paper uses
the following language:
ut has come to be true that n Temperance
man, an anti-slavery or pro- o-slavery man,
is nothing else. He makes the sum total
Of human virtue consist in an adherence ~
his creed. A man that does not worship
his god, is nothing at ali. With him Christ
died for the salvation of 'niggers' and drnn-
kards, and the gospel has only one idea,
which is his peculiar hobby"
There Is truth in this. Temperance reform
ers woull place sobyiety, total abstinence, in
the scale, paramount to all other virtues COM
bined. In their opinion, other virtues are in.
significant, when considered with this. Ii Is
needless to say such opinion or action, not only
Injuries the very cause intended to
prosper, hut sows the seeds Of hypocracy and
many other kindred vices.
Let Us review some Of the effects arising fiOm
the diffusion Of such fanatical dogmas. Twenty
years ago, men drank spirits without restraint.
We viii not deny, but many were victims to
It's use. In modern days, men are said after
tueif oOHcs rest h the Btb'o yefus w nave
been the victims OF intemperance, yet it was
unknown before, these men used spirits. Using
a common phrase, men now days "drink be-
hind the door" Il Is notpopalar TO drink pub
licly, and when they do ge. behind the door,
they make the best Of the opportunity, and
most always take too much. Il seems 20 U.s.
and many who read this, win come 70 the same
conclusion-that men Of ten and fifteen years
ago. used spirits with less restraint than they DO
now, and yet there was not as much drunken-
ness. In those days, gentleman asked his
friend to drink, brandy, whisky, gin, wine, all
were before him, the drink was taken, perhaps
bu, there was no Drunkenness. How
Is the case nowi Il is not popular 10 hand out
the spirits when friends call, but let two or more
kindred spirits meet in the street, and they arc
at once on ''bust." Sometimes three gallons
are bought In cahoot, and one Is 80 fearful an
other may get more than his rightfal share,
they all get drunk together.
No doubt the greatest curse upon earth Is in-
as NE read once, "he who drinks
...> n. a,,l.t..o d.l,.L. ,ha taars rf hia vrff,