Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-05-18
Some Facts about 1ntemperance.

oODIS acGS ABOUT incompetence
The State Board of Health of Massa-
chusetts have embodied in their second
annual report some curious facts about
-intemperance. 1t seems that drunken
ness has been greatly on the increase
in France for some time past, and has
been productive of much crime and
suffering Doubtless many of the
mad deeds which are now being COM
mitted in Paris, are due to the Demon
of wine, or some more powerful al
coholic stimulant Yet drinking does
not always seem to produce intemper-
ance; for in Italy every man drinks
wine, and some take brandy, rum and
beer, yet intemperance is not promi-
nent evil there. Consul Rose, of
Ancona, Italy, reports that crime COM
mitted under the influence of liquoris
unknown there. So in Athens,
Greece, a city of some $4,000 inhab-
itants, only 42 deaths from intempef4
ance have occurred in 10 years. In
Switzerland they drink beer and wine
without evil effects, though the
schnapps and potato brandy the peas.
ants drink, often get diem into trouble.
At Bremen, too, wine and beer are
used in unlimited quantities without
evil effects but in Cologne, rs per
cent of the crime is traceable to hard
drinking.
In Ireland, in 1868, 10000 persons
were arrested for drunkenness; and
the cost of the domestic and foreign
spirits consumed was over forty mil
lion dollars, or an average of sS37. SO
| for every family. In 1869, nearly
pihe hundred millions of gallons of
bser and ale were consumed in Eng
lanH and Scotland, besides fifteen mil
lion gallons of foreign wine and thirty
million gallons of spirits. This i'm
mense consumption of liquor causes
three-fourtis' of the crime in these
countries.
The constituencies of crimes COM
mitted under the influence of liquor
has led to the intreduction of new
licensing law in England, with a view
of restricting the sale of liquor by re-
ducing the number of public houses,
which now average one to every 182
Epersons-to say nothing of the whole
sale stores, or those where LIQUOR is
sold not to be drank on the premises.
There is quite an extensive Total Ab-
stinence party in Great Britain; but
the most it has ever attempted, in the
way of legislation. was to try to have q
law passed granting to a certain maiori-
ty of the taxpayers of a community
power to prohibit the sale of liquor
within its limits. In the course of the
debate on this licensing bill, reference
was made to the plan adopted in Wur-
temburg, where the Government owns
all the liquor stores, placing them in
charge of q Government officer. 1t is
made tie interest of this official to sell
, as little liquor, and as much tea and
coffee as possible, since he is allowed
f a percentage on all sales of these mil
der beverages. Such a plan would
hardly work. well either in England OF
this country, but is said TO be valua-
BILE auxiliary in promoting sobriety
among the. ..Vsurtemburgers.
} 1t is notewerthy IN this connection
s that at a4recenE meeting of Superinten
j, dents and-Diretors of Inebriate AsS
: lums, held in Philadelphia, an Associa
/ ton for the Cure of Inebriates wa
+ formed. In the declaration of princi
: pies of this Association, it was Sc
e forth that '.intemperance is q diseas,
It curable in the same sense that othe
S diseases are," and that "every larg
y city should have its local or temporarl
# home for inebriates," and that 9TH
g law should recognize intemperance a
e a disease" This view of the cas-
G seems to be gaining ground with til
} public; but it will take many years +
/ work it out in all its practical beal
It ings Inebriate Homes are eertainl
h springing up all over the country, an
IS many who entered them as patients ar
n retained as officers and managers, Q
e become connected with similar refoI
e matory institutions. It is also a sig
lie niicant fact that bill has been intro
n duced in the Pennsylvania Legislature
d proposing to grant permission to Pc
e sons to record before a magistrate
r pledge to abstain from drinking intox
u eating liquors, and punishing a breac
IN of the pledge so recorded by imprisoI
J. ment The plan of treating inebriate
10 as diseased persons at once raises thel
d from the condition of abandone
wretches, and entities them to the san
nj consideration we extend to the insant
is 1t would seem, therefore, that viii
of intemperance is still the cause of mo-
Mt than half the crimes committed in Il
ia world, the unfortunates who have n
of quired thirst for Intoxicating driT
n have better chance for reformatiC
rs now than ever before, which. is graf
st flying and decided step in. advance
of Hearth and Home.