Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-11-21
TEMPERANCE SCRAPS.

The consumption of alcoholic beverages
used to average ten gallons per head OF the
population in Sweden. hat under jGdcious
excise laws they have reduced it TO exactly that
of Scotland, which i two gallons each forey-
cry man, woman and child.
DR.. Charles Jewett says that Fifty years
ago, when cider was the common drink OF
farmers, as many A. every third person above
sixty exhibited the fallen and intlamed eye
lids caused by drinking hard cider
There are travelling through Vermont day
after day, at least fifty agents of large liquor
stores. located in some Of onr large cities.
Hon. james \. Pollard, Superintendent Of
the State Prison. SAYS he has made careful
inquiries of all the prisoners come under his
charge. and he found that fully cight-tenths
If not nine-tenths, came there through the
influence Of liquor.
Rev. P. y. Granger in a recent address at
Rutland stated that in n town not far from
that village, he advised the young ladies to
have nothing To do with Young men who
drank intoxicating liquors. After the lee
ture, several Young ladies visited him. and
asked him if be was in earnest. On his re
plying in the affirmative, they said they
would be entirely deharred from the society
Of the young men Of the town, and 10 prove
their words. proceeded 10 count up, and
came to the conclusion, that Of al the Young
men in that town above eighteen years Old,
there were only seven who did not use strong
drink
Fifteen ont q every forty-oue men who
died in Connecticut during the Ta-t FIVE
years were drunkards.
One of the most remarkable it not i'm
parta9t of the changes wrought in the Con
~titution of Michigan by the convention
which ha, recently been in session to amend
the organic law. is the adoption of provi-
sion legalzing the sale Of liquor. fixing the
license fee at $500, and deyotins the pro
ceeds Of this tax to the poor fund.
Now that cold snaps are near at hand the
male portion of the community should re
member that hot Schnapps are neithera pre-
yentiyc nor a cure.
What ~ishswas witnessed on the Eastern
nrameuade Yesterday forenoon Three young
girls. fair 10 look upon and well dres ed,
reeling along in a state of almost helpless
drunleuuc>s. First one would fall down.
and she would with difficulty be helped up,
only to see one ofhercompanions 20 through
the same performance. But they were hap
uy in their debau1h They had come out
i5ir q good time. they said, anl they were
going 10 have it-Poulan3 iryuS, OF. 20.
There are few peopienowalays who wouid
advocate free trade in intoxicating liquors
but under oar prohibitory laws practical
frce-trade in these dangerous commodities
prevails in most large cities. But many res
pectable people advocate a license system,
and their arguments have found noticeable
support in the success which attended that
system in sweden Forty wears ago there
were l73 900 stills in that country, sending
forth an annual deluge of alcoholic stimu-
lants estimated at ten gallons Per head OF the
whole population. rhe effects Of this enor-
nous consumption Of intoNicaut- became 50
deporable that the Diet in 1871 established
a system of licenses, granting 10 local au-
| thorities the power of fixing the number IN
each district. the price thereof determined
/ by auction, to 20 to the relief OF local take
| This effected a great reform hut ten years
! later the people of Gothenburg "a place of
about . 900 inhahilants) resolved upon an
other step forward, and prohibited all mi
yate gain from the retail sale Of spirits by
putting the public houses ''under charge
Of managers on the joint-stock limitel liahi-
| litv principles. and the effect of this change
was So satisfactory that the police cases Of
! drunkenness. which in 1851 were 6-lo per
cent. decreased to 2.52 per cent in $50 In
a financial aspect the system Is no les sue
/ ceS-lul, for in the last named year the profits
| handed over to the town treasury amounted
/ To nearly 500 900. besides which the town
-ald to grocer- and vine-merchants retail
licenses for one year for So ,oo0. To-day the
quantity of Intoxicating liquors consumed
annually in Sweden is rather less than one
fifth of the consumption of 1851.
J. ". Price, Grand Master Of the Masonic
Order in Kansas. has decided that "a Master
Mason who keeps q dram-shop should be- -1--
pended or expelled, and saloon keeper is
not suitable person for the degrees.
The seizures of liquors on the part Of the
State from depots and express offices in y er-
mont. do not amount to he a great deal the
verdict generally being in this form The
court ordered the liquor released 90 tine
claimant.