Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-12-19
zinc Law of Tnteemperamce,

4 =
< Dr.. Bowditcs. in the Report Of tn,
S6dfs Board of Health of Massachusetts
proposed a ..'cosmic law w'of fnte1n per
ance:1 He ststesit in these terms -
=, Ihseinperance prevails the world
over, but 1t is very rare at the equator
I The tendency increases according to
Latitude, Becoming more frequent and
more brutal and disastrous in its effects
on man and society as we.appreaeh the
northern regioils.n tlff slifos q ca 49,
1t viii be perceived non this that
the foundation of Or. BowditchIs q theory
in regardto intemperanceiis, that il
| depends upon climate chiefly, for we
can ,gafely assume tbgP he means isoth-
ernal panlleIs from the equator. - =
His position haso beens,impug in
aniable thesis by DR.. GeorgeAr. Beard,
entitled The Cosn1ic ] "a F6f Iutemper
ance. a contribution to the scientific
study of the temperance question: He
concludes hisstudysRith the following
epitome 80 q ~ i-9ii;i ~ =
T. Whether nation is to be temperate
fOr intemperate depends Or the follow
ing conditions, which / name in the
or1ier.of their relative Importance =
5 Ti;rns4 Tfsii;n4Jbs q ,h9anrlq .sw sir -
8. Social position tfnci1ding religion,
education and government, and ffnan-
cial status.) '-
4. Kind of liquor employed. Z
Given these factors, bold, energetic
races, trying and disagreeable climate,
gross IL giorance and poverty, and adult
Grated distilled liquors, and we have
intemperahee. Given, tin1id and indo-
lent races, mild and eguable climates,
high Intelligence and education, and
wealth, and pure native wines, or mild
ferInented liquors, and We have tenn
Defance. ~ 70 sI.i1fIffp. ~ r.ss e 81 So.
With all the'exeeptions cthat may be
brought, these laws hold true as gener-
ally and logically. as any laws Of cause e
and effect that are known to science.
IaIis dearthat the two most impor-
tangfactors here mentioned, race and
climate, are beyond human. control.
Hence We feel SONS. anxiety about the
lesson TO be drawn from the position
here takeng DIR. Beard briefly puts it
as foilows IL lafTaqgH s:'.a.a5 lsaE
4 1 The means for ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
,ainee which are at all under human
control are the following, which /
present in the order Of their relative
iIifijortatice !AA t0iss 70 nO' "a !la- iilss sa.
1cEaueati6n, literary, technical sci
H.
: 2.9Diffqsion of material lcOmforts.A
3.pPopularization Of pure wines and
mild beers en- 10 Ha 2g9sC1 H4.t.f i-,t
4: RESTRICTION of the sale of strong and
adti3terated liquors. gan i'-nDi.s = rad
OF These -four methods of attacking
the evil 6fihtempetanee, through uni-
yefsaf education, through diffusion of
material comforts, through populariza-
tion of pure wines and mild beers, and
through restriction of the sale ofstrongI
and adulterated Liquors, the first mem
ffpned is netonlyi more important than
all the Others combined; il is the meth
cd that demands first and chief con sid
erati6n, even to the neglect of all the
rest :, The second method, through, the
diffusion of material comforts, is closely
related to the first, and indeed becomes
a part of it; while, the third, and fourth
methods are but little. avail unless pre-
ceded and reinforced byi the first and
second. ,.-
These views ! 5g5ss off. ffD DR.. Boards are not
new2o Weremernher in a little work
ofhis we reviewed year ago, we di-
rected attention to them, and pointed
out wherein lies their greatest falIacy;
and we add that it is just as apparent
in the .ls.lawn of DR.. Bowditch. This
fallacy is that it reduces man too much
to mere creature of circumstances, of
race and surroundings, allowing too
little play to his free will, his moral
power, bis ethicalautonomy.
3, Race, and climate do not influence
men 50 much i'm this matteras has, been
claimed. F." ''''ii9t'
DIR. Lumber, of France, has collected
some sad and startling statistics, show
ing how rapidly the French peasantry
are degenerating in their temperance
traits. Liquors distilled from beet root
and grain are being substituted all over
France for beer and cider. Some of his
results are as follows -
Spirits falcohols d'iudustrie,) which
at hrst were only consumed in some
of the north, have, during
tina last twenty years, gradually passed
into use. throughout the whole of
France. We. ,s..-s,.a.