The Republican journal., 1872-10-24
The Argument of Acidity.

The Maine Farmer is having 4 ting with
those who are old fashioned enough to
believe hat good, homemade cider is a
hcathul drink and that the cider pro-
hibiting enactment of last winter is a hum
bug in its professed morality and oppres-
sive OF the farming interest in its opera
ton. II says
Now that the State election is over and ii is
known who are to be our rulers for the next
Year, the discussion Of the cldcr question is re-
NlNed. We cannot believe that our orcharCiSts
have any great interest in this discussion or
that they care Particularly what legislation may
b" had upon the subject. Indeed if all apple
growers would have due regard to their true
interest, rs many Of the more intelligent now
q" have. the cider question, which has 50 COM
pllcacd the passage and enforcement Of our
prohibory laws. would take care ofitself. with
ont the intervention of law or legislation.
We have often been surprised AT the great
haste exhibited by many orchartlists to dispose
OF their cider as soon rs it comes from the mill,
when there is no product of the farm that so in
creaSf> in value With age as cider. In the fall
of 1870 we bought barrel OF cider for three
dollars and put il into dry cellar with the bung
open. There ii lav a year, and on examining
1t. 1t proved 10 be good vinegar. and we sold it
to Il trader for ten dollars. Here was net
profit OF mole than three hundred per cent.
Hundreds OF barrels Of cider were sold from the
town that Yea" al ten cents per gallon all of
which WoCld have sold readily in Il wear at
thirty cents per gallon.
lie is poor creature who gets drunk on
cider. The Farmer has declared that such
men do exist, and we are bound to ac-
cept it. But they are in some way un-
fortunate in their make up, and legisla-
ton for 4 whole people should no more be
guide! by their cases, than a community
should be treated rs lunatic> because q
few are insane. No man of ordinary
nerves, stomach and brain need be more
afraid of cider than of sweetened water
The vinegar argument Of the Farmer is
not without its parallels Farmers in
Maine have from time immemorial sold
from their farms good wood in the rough
which if worked into shoe pegs would
have brought i good deal more Good
sound corn, when hulled, increases lis
bulk many times, and may be sold to be
eaten with milk at q greatly enhanced
price. Our friend who in general SO we'll
conducts the Farmer would doubtless be
IN the llnC of his mission to advertise his
patrons of these facts. and advise them I'M
der favorable conditions to become makers
AND vcnderS of shoe pegs and hulled corn.
But he would very far transcend the limits
OF his calling, should he demand law the
effect OF which would be to drive men into
these pursuits against their will and nat
ural adaptation. Ii should be at the OBJ
tion of every orchardist whether he will
sell his cider at once, or keep it longer
on shorter time An editor in his office is
but 4 poor Judge of the interests, wants
or necessities of his readers in their private
affairs. Each one can best Judge whether
he should take such advice as may lead
to a glut of the market in vinegar, shoe
pegs or hulled corn, and not have a statute
driving him and I'LL in his circumstances
TO that result. 1t would we governing
the world altogether too much, to provide
by statute that every orchartlist should
have "dry cellar with the bung open,'
for the making of vinegar, in order that
some poor idiots might not get drunk on
cider.