The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1869-05-20
Randem ThOughts---NO. 20.
BY THE EDITOR.

ivublish on the first page of the Standard thii
week an interesting Communication from Dr.
Hoffman ofI Iowa. want him to write again
and often. He is welcome. The Dr. takes me
to task on the cider question He misappre-
hcnds what l said. Here is how @y article
started out:
'On Wednesday night Of last week DR.. Got
Mald, of Dayton, lectured at the Good Templars
Hall III this place. did not like his lecture.
DO not think it did anything for the cause OF
Temperance. The Drift of bis argument was in
tended to prove that all drinks containing the
least particle OF alcoh d. utterly destroy dlges-
tiUn. and much time was taken IN All attack D.
on sweet cider, blackberry and currant wine &c.
Now every PLY siOlogist knows that 1t Is tobacco,
and not alcohol which destroys digestion, by
poisoning the sallVary secretion, and thus des-
troying its proper function in The process OF d.
gestion." E
Does DR.. Hoffman claim thata drink Of fresh
cider totally destroys digestionl If he does, ev.
cry far mcr who ever tasted cider, or ate an ap-
pie, knows that he is mistaken. But why this
won derful effort on Tie part of tho Good Tem-
plars against cider have not drunk quart
efcider in ten years. 1t Is never kept for sale In
the dogger les here. On public days the farmers
occasionally bring in keg of cider. Drunk
ards do not drink 1t. | sometimes drink lemoD-
ode, when cannot get pure cold water. Is this
as the juice of good ripe apple. But lido think
that beer is the greatest foe to the cause of tenn
perance with which we have to contend. But
why go to such extremes as 10 be troubled about
tasting cideri 1t may lie nice in theory but it
is foolish in practice. 1t reminds me Of Mr..
Greeley's theory about meat. In his Recollec-
tions of Busy Life he feelingly speaks about
his children. He had seven, and five Of them
are dead One lived to be six or seven years
of age, and he says 1t had never tasted meat, aud
never knew that any animal had lost its life to
give food to man. But this child died. Now many
poor man has raised dozen children, who ate
little but fat pork and corn bread, and these chill
dren grew up robust, and some lived to the age
OF seventy or eighty years. Mr.. Greeley may
argue till he Is bald to pro We that pork is poison
but every man Of observation knows that his
theory will not work out in practice. Just SO
with those who are putting Gig ars and fretLing
their souls about cider lH.
Now let me give my theory about the cause OF
drunkenness Go out on the Streets of Jackson
any night between dark and midnight. You
will meet boys from fourup to fifteen, nearly all
of them with cigars in their mouths The sa-
looms are full ofmen and older boys, all smoking
and drinking. Billiards, chess, cards, and other
games are being played The room is blue with
tobacco smoke. Con slant smoking, and breath
Ing tobacco smoke, creates an unnatural thirst
To quench this, beer seems peculiarly adapted.
Large quantities are drunk, and soon ardent
spirits are added. Did DR.. Hoffman ever, while
in Jackson hear one man or boy in such place
ask for cider? Never. The little boys, who all
smoke, also become thirsty They slip in when
ever they can get dime. aud buy gass Of
beer Never cider. calm that smoking, by
the unnatural thirst which 1t creates is the very
foundation of drunkenness. Not one man ten
thousand who drinks, but that first smoked
lfyou want to send drunkenness to hell, send
tobacco there first, and YOU need not trouble
yourself about cider. D. NJ.