Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-08-04
THE HERALD.
Artificial Drinks.


For nearly Lalf a century, an or
ganized, persistent, intelligent effort
has been made, in this and other
countries, that the use of all kind Of
distilled and fremented liquors as a
beverage is ruinous to mind as well
as body. The whole land has been
divided into districts, committed to
the evangellizing influences OF a soci>
ETY. Of patent, energetic, well-posted
enthusiastic reformers. Lecturers
have travelled from town to town,
presenting an alarming array of
facts and figures, and imploring the
people to surrender habit that was
conducting them to destruction. =
Science, with its diseeting knife, re-
torts, experiments and distractions,
came to the assistance OF the move
ment. Even the majesty of the law
was invoked, and prohibition
sought to drive the people into that
abstinence from alchoholic stimulants
which they would not voluntarily
practice. But all in vain. After so
many years devoted to agitation at
ter such a formidable accumulation
of startling information, the teeto-
talers are constrained 10 admit that
intoxicating beverages are consumed
by larger number of persons, and
throughout mere extensive area
than ever. There must be some
adequate reason for this signal failure
in the face of such jealous and WELL
meant efforts, backed up by such an
army of convincing facts.
In the current number of the At
fantic Monthly, we find an article by.
James Parton, summing up the re-
suits of the long struggle, Ind arriy-
ing at the conclusion that ''the thing
for us 10 do is to strike at the causes
of drinking, to cease the bad breath
ing, and bad thinking, which, in u
sense, necessitatc bad drinking. For
some of the teototal organizations
might be substituted Physical Well
fare Societies y In this suggestion
Mr.. Parton has hit the nail on the
head. Our temperance reformers
have not gone to the root OF the evil
While they have been using their ut
most endeavors to keep their fellow
creatures from guzzling alchoholic
stimuIants, they have permitted the
indictments to this depraved appe-
tite TO run riot unrecognized. Men
drink-women drink-not because
they love the taste of brandy, whis-
ky, wine or malt liquors, but because
the body is tagged out, either by
mental or corporal ovorwork, and
the unabating drain upon the vital
powers affords reliefto the jaded and
languid powers. Hence the resort to
opium, morphine, and tobacco hence
the use OF distilled and fermented
fluids. There is no intention of
forming habit of self-stimulation
The idea is to add new impetus and
strength to the overrated and over
tasked frame-the tired muscles or
tagging brain the gorged stomach
Or debilitated constitution. For one
man who learns to drink without
such impelling motive-from the
force of example or Inherited appe-
tite--hundreds gradually lapse into
the habit from the sheer demand de-
mands OF constantly occurring
emergency. It will therefore be
found that those whose daily occu-
pations, either mental or physical,
require that brain or body be driv-
en- up to the verge of endurance,
embrace the larger portion of drink
ers. That class which adds unusual
hours, in number or lateness at
nivht, TO the cumulative extent Of
the regular strain upon the sustasD-
ing powers, win be found most ad>
dicted to the use Of alchoholic bev-
erages. 1t exemplifies the truth of
the Scripture adage, sGive strong
drink to them that are wearied." 1t
is plain, then, tha at the reason why
tetotalers have not been able. with
all their exertions, to accomplish
their proposed reform, is because
they have skirmished on the outer
lines OK the enemy, while he lay in-
trenched in his citadels laughing the
siege to scorn.