Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-11-24
DR.. Holland on Wine Drinking.

lnduuldCtuTc anu uiluhihS VI 3WihO III
Switzerland:
A large amount of land in this Can
ton of Vaud is surrendered to the
of the grape; and, as the
wine of Switzerland is never heard
of out of Switzerland, it is plain that
it is drank here. Indeed, | have been
assured that the wine produced in
this Canton is drank mainly in the
Canton itself Now, from near Vile
neuve to Morges, a distance of twen-
ty-fve miles, as | guess somewhat at
random, the entire lakeside. aver
aging half a mile in width, is a vine
yard. One can say, almost with lite
raj truth, that throughout the entire
territory | describe to you no crop
but grapes is known. For the last
three weeks, the whole working pop
ulation men and women, have been in
these vineyards gathering the crop.
The teams are employed in transport
ing the immensely large casks OF new
wine from the presses to the cellars
Of their owners, to the vaults OF the
dealers who have purchased it, and to
the stOrehouses of SPECTATORS i'll otlI-
err quarters. There is az endeavor on
the part of these people to throw a
romantic interest around their vim
tage. The casks go through the
streets with gay boquets of flowers
in their bungholes, but from what L
have seen of the effect of wine here,
the show is all sorry farce. There
is no question that the people would
be better, healthier, happier and much
more prosperous, if there were not a
vineyard in the Canton. We have
all been told in America, and | fully
believed it, that, if a people could be
supplied with a cheap wine, they
would not get drunk,-that the natu-
raj desire for some sort OF stimulant
would be gratifed in a way that
would be not only harmless to morals,
but conducive to health.
| am thoroughly undeceived. The
people drink their cheap, white wine
here to drunkenness. A bOOZier set
than hang around the multitudinous
cafes here it would be hard to find in
any American city, even where they
enjoy the license of the Maine law
The grand difference in the drunken
ness of an American and Swiss city is
found in the fact that the man who
has wine in him is good natured, anC
the man who is equally charged will
whiskey is a demon. There is NJ
numbering, no fighting, no wrangling
The excitement is worked off in sing
ing, shouting and all sorts of insan,
jabber. Then the steady old white
wine topers come into blossom. If
you can imagine a caulihOwer of tn,
color of the ordinary red cabbage
you can achieve very adequate con
cepton of the faces that are not I'm
: common in all this wine growing re
giOn. So this question is settled, il
, my mind. Cheap wine is not thu
cure for intemperance. The peopl,
here are just as Incorporate as the.
are in America, and, what Is more
) there is no public sentiment tina
: checks intemperance in the least
; The wine is fed freely to children
and by all classes is regarded as
u perfectly legitimate drink. Failing t
S find the solution of the temperate
} question in the Maine law, failing t
O perceive it in the various modes an
q movements of reform, |. with man
= others, have looked with hope to fin
) it in a cheap and comparatively harm
'e less wine; but, for one, l can look
y this direction hopefully no longer.
rs firmly believe that the wines of Swi
, zerland are OF no use except to ket
-, out whiskey, and that the advantage
" of the wine over the whiskey are n
l. obvious. 1t is the testimony of tt
best men in Switzerland-those wi
er have the highest good of the Peep
w at heart-that the increased grow
=. of the grape has been steadily and &C
respondingly attended by the increa
10 of drunkenness.
es They lament the planting OF a ne
er vineyard as we, at home, regret t
he opening of a new grOg-shOp. TIL
m. expect no good Of it to anybody.
y They know and deeply feel, that t
~ whole wine-producing enterprise
al charged with degradation for tn,
country.
or To come back to the matter
cd wine, let me say word in regard
+. its use by travelling Americans.
80 was told before leaving America tt
1e- | should be obliged to drink wine
ost beer in Europe. One good cleri
hn friend assured me that | could l
get through Great Britain safely wi
od out drinking beer. AS [ did not L
beer the prospect was not pleasa
i'e Indeed, l felt about as badly disco
~ aged as Brigham Young declares
Ow did when the duty of polygamy v
the made known to INN by heavenly +
o citation. Well, | did not drink be
=: and l got through Great Britain "
'ni comfortably indeed. None of my r
lth ty drank beer, and all survived not
ne ly, but improved, upon cold water
Try the terribly poisonous cold water
w., Great Britain? In Paris, ] took
~ ordinary red wine. In Switzerl'
., l continued it with great moderate
ne until | was thoroughly satisfied
or every glass drank damaged not
hen ly my health but my comfort. N
i'm. | drink no wine at all, and that m
I'd Der of my family who has drank n