The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-04
GFRMAN-AMERICANS AND DRINKING
HABITS


hope for good results from the discussion.
! The present position of the Tribune is at
least simple, logical, and consistent. It is
that alcohol is essentially poison, and,
| therefore, that its traffic should be placed
| under the same restraints rs that of all other
| pOisops; that accordingly, the distinction
| between different kinds of alcoholic
drinks is only distinction between
more and less of poison, and of no
account to the true reforner; and that all
sale or partsking of this poison is a wrong
and sin. Such position is perfectly
compreheEsible, and, allowing its premise,
capable of defense. But on the question o.
alcohol being poison the best ph, sioogical
authorities are against the Tribune and the
experience of mankind shsws that if it is a
poison, it is a very slow one, millions of
men having reached the most advanced age.
in the highest condition of
mind and body, who had h4bitually par
taken of it. In fact, the number who never
take alcohol into the System is an exceed
ingly small fraction of mankind, and mainly
TO be found in New England and the Middle
States, and, so far as we have heard, Is in
no way distinguished from the rest of
humanity, either by longer lives greater
physical power superior intellects. On
the contrary, our strong impression is that,
as q class, the total abstinence party of
this country (for whom morally VS. have
the highest respsct) solely distinguished
from the rest of mankind, in physical
view, by o greater proneness to dyspepsia
| and nervousness.
Even if alcohol were proved to be in itself
poison, it might entirely lose this charac-
ter when combined with the fruity elements
| of wine, or the large dilution of water in
lager beer. A very slight chemical change
in sugar makes it poison. 1t is certainly
possible that combination of other ele-
nta iii hi IL
| not furious but beneficial to the human
stomach. Apart, however, frem the science
of the matter, We rest on the broad exps-
| rience that to most persons who are over
worked, or unauly strained or otherwise
weakened, the psrtalIRg of a light wine or
mild fermentsd driak at their meals is
heAltbful and useful; willis to the young
and vigorous, though there may be no neoes
| sity for such beverages, moderate use of
light wines at a social gathering is promotve
of sociaity, and is not in furious. In this view
| (Which we cannot hope, of course, that the
Tribune will share we think there is a vast
practical difference to the reformer, the lsgis-
lator and the Christian, between the social
and moderate beer aud wine drinking habits
of the Germans, and the whisky and rum and
| brandy drinking of some Americans and
almost all the Irish. The former has no per-
eeptible bad effect on the general order and
morality of the community; on the contrary,
it promotes innocent sociality. The latter is
the source of nine-tenths of the crime and
pauperism of the city.
Let any investigator 60 to the Tombs prison
and examine the records for the month of
murders, burglaries, abuse, and quarrels, aud
he will find that ninety nine out of the hun
dred are caused by brandy, rum, or whisky,
while the otfenses under the influences of
lager or Rhine wine are trihng and compare
lively innocent. Let him visit tha wretched
drunkards' homes in this city, where every
thing is sold for liquor, and wife aud chill
dren are beggared and driven to the street,
and in ninety cases out of the hundred they
will be among the Irish and American aud
English drinkers of whisky and strong drinks.
No, these are facts which are known to every
one. We assert that they ought
to be recognized by legislation. We
urged them under our old License law; aud
we believe, had not the reforners, like tbs
Tribune, taken their ultra position of ''driak
, ing as q sin, and ''aleohol as a paison," We
should have effected a. compromise which
would have put the Germans on the Americas
, side in this question, and check ID the traffic
in strong drinks, and thus immensely dimn
ishsd intemperanee and all its evils. But the
reformers would have all or nothing. Alcoho
8 was a poison, and lager and ''gunpOwde
5 whisky" were alike curses. The results wer,
, the Democracy restored to power, an uure
days, and crime and drunkenness are rampan
through the city. ....
a The compromise whish the Tribune nov
3 suggssts-that the traffic in liquor should
be regulated by each city and township fo
{ | itsslf-is not new. We have always sup
r ported it. Every Republican member of th
: | Legislature voted for it in the recent session
q Every Democrat voted against it. 1t is
v reasonable measure. But for ence we fiat
4 the Tribune not sufficiently radical for us
q Such a law would immensely benefit tn
! rural districts, but would do nsthing for thi
I city. We discover that of the $4,000 pri
0 soners in our city prisons last year, 27,00
were habitusl drunkards, and of the re
f mainder a large proportion were under tn
influence of liquor when committing thei
i crimes. We also find that of the Y, 90
Q arrests by the police last year, 80, 900 were
O directly for intoXicatiou, aud some 20, OO
v more for offenses under the influence o
Q liquor. We also discover that of all thos
9 arrested "a, 900 were Irish-born, and Onl
: 1000 were Germans. Now, we desire to con
IS troll this horrible revel of crime and drunken
v ness, especially among tho Irish drinkers @
g strong drink. We think that the million @
dollars which the II raffiokers in these drink
O used to pay to the Board of Excise ought t
q go towards the healing of the wounds the
Q have made With fifty thousand Germa
n votes drawn to our ranks, these reforms ca
q be accomplished. And this can only be don
Q by q reasonable compromise on our par
Il What shall that compromise be?
/ THE PRESIDENTIAL DIFFICULTY o
70 THEDEMOORATS SSOLVED-GENERA
B GHERAfAN THE MAN