The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-07-10
The Moral Qualities OF Beer-SOme
Important Statements.

The New York Observer, relig-
ious weekly, gives attention to the
brewers convention which met in
that city last week. The Observer
SAYS: 1t was their twelfth annual
meeting to take sweet cousel and Bit
ter beer together Their hall is in
Turtle Bar Brewery, on Forty-fifth
street, and was tastefully decorated.
Delegates from New York, Newark,
Morrisania, New Rochelle, Staten Is
land, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and
other cities were present. The
President of the National association,
Henry Clausen, in his opening adj
dress referred to the rapid increase of
the brewing interest in the United
States, the revenue from which had
increased from 81 500, 900 in 1868, to
81, 600, 900 in 1870, and $500, 600 in
I171, with fair prospect that the
brewers will hereafter pay the great
est part of the current expenses of the
government The breweries in the
United States number now over three
thousand, with capital of 500, ,000,-
OQ0 giving employment to thousands
of people, and consuming over TWEEN
tv-thrce millions of bushels of barley
with eighteen million pounds of hops
which require for their cultivation
over a million of acres and give work
to thousands of farmers. This branch
of trade should, therefore, be encour-
aged by the government, and all laws
tending to Obstruct it should be re-
pealed. From small beginning,
contempOraneous with the advent of
the English settlers, the use of malt
liquors has become familiar with our
native born as well as foreign citizens,
and lager beer has, in a measure, sup
planted strong beer and spirituous
liquors The consumption of ardent
spirits has decreased from 1900 to
1867, asproven by temperance sources,
nearly 37s per cent; for though the
amount of sales has been doubled,
the price has been increased three
times. This result is not the conse-
quence of temperance efforts.
The speaker then went back to the
history of the ancient Egyptians and
Persians, showing that as long ago
as nineteen hundred and sixty wears
before the Christian era, barley wine
was mentioned; and following the
history of brewing up to the present
day, claimed that the use of beer had
become a necessity for the people in
all the northern and middle portions
Of the globe. The only way to di-
minish intemperance, was to encour-
age the use of malt liquors. Deliri-
um tremens had become more fire.
quent in New England, where the
use of beer is a crime, than in Bavar-
ia, where it was fostered by the gov
ernment. The advocates of prohibit
ton have acted like irrational men,
for they advocated laws tending to-
wards the old fcudal system, and in
stead of preventing crime, encourag-
ed it in great measure by hypocracy.
Aside from this aspect, the attempt
to ruin 4 prosperous branch of in
dustry in which large capital is in
vested, should be discouraged by
every thinking man and lover of lib
erty, for the principle of free trade
and manufacture would be impaired.
During last year Pennsylvania had
passed local option law" after the
Supreme Court of Iowa had declared
such a law unconstitutional. Wis
,onsin has passed prohibitory act,
while in Missouri and New Jersey
Ocal option bills were defeated. New /
York has passed an amended local
option bill, and in Illinois the Ohio |
bill has passed. In Mas
'achusetts the question of permitting
he sale Of malt liquors was submit
ed to the people, and sale was per-
nitted by vote Of one hundred and /
line townships against ffty-three.-I
These acts, he said must necessarily
lemoralizc the people, and the trade
should adopt measures TO stay the
Progress of fanaticism in this coun-
nv. The influence of the brewers,
belonging to both political parties,
vas great, and they should use it in
he right direction. The issue, in a
Measure, had become a political one,
md should he treated as such.
The statistics here presented by the
Brewers President are interesting
nd important, but we are not of
hose who believe that beer promotes
The use of light wines
n warm climates is undoubtedly ia
'orable, as it is the substitute for
stronger, but in such
Innate as ours, beer is the foretaste
+ brandy; and then comes the other
ier, which takes the victim to the
grave. L
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