Smyrna times., 1872-07-24
The Wine Question in Society.

In the city and in the country-NOrth, East,
South and West-thert a men ana women who
cannot be trusted with wine IN their hands
men and women who are CONSCIOUS, too, that
they are going to destruction, and who have
ceased to fight an appetite that has the power
to transform every soul aud every home 1t oc-
cupieS into a hell.
Society bids us furnish wine at cur teasts,
and We furnish it just as generously as 1t we
did not know that certain percentage OF all
the men WHO drink it will die miserable drunk
ards aud infict lives Of pittul suffering upon
those who are closely associated with them.
There are literally hundreds of thousands Of
pc pic in polite life in America who would not
dare to give a dinner, or party, without wine,
notwithstanding the fact that IN many instan
ces they can select the very guests who will I
| drink too much on every occasion that gives
them an opportunity. There are old men and
women who invite young men to their feasts,
whom they know cannot drink the wine they
propose TO furnish without danger to them
selves and disgrace to their companions aud
| friends. They do this sadly, often, but under
the compulsions of social usage. Now we
know the power Of this influence; and every
sensitive man must feel it keeny. Wine has
stood so long as an emblem aud representative
of cool cheer and generous hospitality, that it
seems stingy to shut it away from our testivl-
ties, and deny 1t to our guests. Then again 1t
is so generally offered at the tables of our
friends, and it is so difficult, apparently, for
those who are accustomed to it to make din
ner without it, that we hesitate to offer water
to them. 1t has niggardly- almost an un
frrndly-seeming; yet what shall man do
who wishes to throw what influence he has on
the side of temperance?
The question l. not new. 1t has been up for
, an answer every year and every moment since
men thought or lked about Temperance at all.
lie
debasing himself, fight in public thAt which he
tolerates in private. We have heard of such
, things as writing temperance addresses with a
= demlj j0hn under the table; and society has
learned by heart the old tilk against drinking
! too much the excess of the thing, you
= know by those who have the power of
drinking a little, but who would sooner part
= with their right eye than with that little. A
man who talks temperance with a wine glass
in his hand is simply trying to brace himself
. 50 that he can hold it without shame. We DO
!. not deny that many men have lfcnntrol, or
"" "" that they can drink wine through life without
suffering, to themselves or others it may
y. seem hard that they should be deprived of a
;, comfort or a pleasure because others are less
;, fortunate in their temperament or their power
&c Of will But the question is whether a man i;
- willing to sell his power to do good to a great
multitude for glass of wine at diuner. Thai
- is the question in its plainest terms. If he is
= then he has very little benevolence, or very
= inadequate apprehension OF the evils of in
= temperance.
What we need in our metropolitan society i,
a declaration of independence. There are {
y great many good men aud women in New Yorl
who lament the drinking habits of society
most sincerely. Let these all declare that they
- will minister no longer at the social altars o
70 the great destroyer The habit of wine drink
- ing at dinner Is quite prevalent already. Euro
~ pean travel is doing much to make it universal
y and if We go on extending it at the presen
~ u rate, we shall soou arrive at the European in
:, difference to the whole subject. There ar
many ccrgymen In New Iork who have win
- upon their tables and who furnish it TO thei
" ."e guests. We keep no mans conscience but W
&c are compelled to say that they sell influence a
, a shamefully cheap rate. What can they d
d. in the great fight with this tremendous evil
1g They can do nothing, and are counted upon t
lis do nothing.
1t the men and women of good society wis
Ve to have less drinking to excess, let them sto
y. drinking moderately If they are not wllin
nd to break off the indulgence of feeble appc
n tite for the sake Of doing great good to
~, great many people. how can they expect
ur poor, broken down wretch to deny an appetIt
ut that is stronger than the love of wife and chile
ren. and even life itself? The punishment ft
I'm the failure to do duty in this business is scker
,rd ing to contemplate. The sacrifice of lille an
it peace and wealth will go on. Every year youn
men will rush wildly to the devil, middle-age
men will booze away into apopexy, and oil
men will swell up with the sweet poi on an
become disgusting idiots. What will becou
rid Of the women? We should think they ha
are suffered enough from this evil to hold it und,
NV everlasting ban. yet there are drunken wome
yi as well as drinking clergymen. Society, hov
bv ever, has great advantage in the fact that
A.. L..
liy Is vulgar lor Wemah 10 urlhK' lhers al
mt some things that woman may not do, an
ZEN maintain her social standing. Let her n,
is quarrel with the fact that society demand
of more of her than it does Of men. 1t is h,
n safeguard in many ways.-Dr. j. e. H0iLdnt
er IN Scri6ner'S for August.