, 1873-06-10
THE BEER QUESTION.

forth Homo interesting fact8 concerning tho !
manufacture aud consumption OF lagor-bcor, fs |
likely to draw additional attention to tho prac-
tico a1roat]y quito genoral among tho Intelligent
people Of this country, Of making distinction
betwoon malt drinks mud alcoholic liquors. This |
distinction obtains almoht universally in Eu- |
ropcan countries. Evon In England, whore tho |
habit Of taking strong drink prevails moro largo
ly than on tho Continent, 1t Ia customary to in
oludo daily allowance Of boor In tho compon-
sation of servants and laborers. In Germany |
tho beverage is nn!ional, and tho dovorn-
mont has frequently had to contend |
with popular uprisings whom 1t has
tamporcd with tho exoiso dutios, Just as 1t would
incur tho indignation Of tho people by legisla:-
tion calculated to increnso tic price Of broad.
Everywhere In Europe there is, nnd has boon
for q worry long timo, strong disposition to on
courage tho manufacture and consumption Of
boor as IN agent OF temperance among tho peo-
plo. Tho loading chemists Of Europe, including
tho late Daron Liobig, have taken IN aotive In
terest in improving ito nutritious olemonts and
preserving the purity Of Its manufacture.
Tho statistics which Mr.. schado presented at
Cleveland show thnt boor is lkoly to securo as
strong foothold in this country aB in Germany
There is reason to hope that this condition will
he attended by equally good results, md that
thcre will bo ae small q proportion OF drunken
noBs among tho American people as q whole
as thero ia among tho Gornnns either ut homo
Or in this country. hlr. schado tolls us that tho
consumption Of boor In tho North German Con-
federation In 1860 WAS 2123 quarts per head,
and tho tux waa 8.02 conts per head. Tho con-
sumption of beer In this country in 1879 wan
25.47 qunrts, md the tax q conta per head It
is probable that tho increase Of consumption in
Germany during tho past three yeara will hayo
made tho consumption In North Germany last
yoar somowhat greator than in this country, but
tho tax in this country Is vory much larger and
tho revenue propor.ionatoy creator. Tho brew
ing interest iu tho United States ia represented
as twico as large as TINT OF tho dIHtiIlerioB.
Tho broworios and mals-houBos aro worth $751;
790, 0,Gs3; they pay s7,d59,226 annually, in
wagcs; their materials cost $37, 7,180,778 year,
and thoro is an annual product of 1928, 158.
The browors employ 14,oss hands, and tho Gov
ornmont enjoys yearly rovenue Of botweon
eight and nino millions OF dollars from tho
manufacture Of bcor. On moral grounds, the
amount Of Tovonuo which tho Government re-
coiyos tho number Of men who find employ
mont, md tho consumption Of home products
at good prices, cannot justify tho encourage
mont Of IN industry that is huftful to tho NOR
als Of tho people; but it, as many thinking poo
ple aro coming to bolioye tho more general In
PRODUCTION Of boor. ia calculated to improve tho
habits Of the people by rendering tho practice Of
drinking a1colloc liquors loss common. then those
| circumstances become m important atinulaut
| for tho encouragement Of tho manufacturo. On
| tho other hand, the Temperance, or rathor tho
total-abstinence, pooplo Gun mover hope to
achiavo their universal reform unloss they begin
ut tho manufacture and prohibit 1t altogether.
WLcnevcr thoy shall undertake to do this, thoy
will DO mot by tho producers Of tho materials
consumed in such large quantities, by the largo
numbora who find employment directly and in
directly In their manufacture, and by oil those
who favor tho policy Of mixing tho so~callod
|
sarios OF life, pay tho bulk Of taxntion. On
this worry ground, tho prohibitory law Of Dlassa-
chuHetts IL now, condemned by tho farmers and
dairymon, who helped to pass 1t, because they
find that their business is suffering from the do
cline Of tho brewing buainoBs.~
| Mr. schado also gives IN estimate Of what im-
| migration has dono to Amorica, which Ia val
uablo in toaching tho importance Of concessions
to tho social aud Sunday customs Of those who
como from other countrios. The population Of
tho United States in 1900 was 8, ,oso. Mr.
Bchade ostimates that, il tho increase from i'm
migration Ind boen cut OF, mud tho increnso had
only boon from tho surplus OF births over deaths,
tho population In the United stateo in 1870
would have boon only o,450,8a5 instead Of s4.-
$4,000, which waa tho actual white population
according to tho lust oensuB. According to this
statement, which allows moro liberal
increase from births than In tho most pros-
porous and progressive nations OF Europe,
a,450. 1856 Of tho people inhabiting tho United
States aro omigrantB mud tho descendants Of onl-
igranta. OF theso tho Germans, French, and
bcaAatnhVlanb, ann PoIAaph poFtlon OF tAo
Irish not 30 far removed from foreign ancestry
as to hayo abandoned tho customs Of tholr fore
5athors, are Of dfforent way OF thinking In
regard to drinking beer and keeping Sunday
from that olass OF posaopa who aro called Puri-
tanH by Mr. schado in tho presont controversy.
It IL, therefore, fair to oonHdor in how far tho
emigration from European countries has boon
encouraged by tho idca Of tho fullest personal
lborty In this country, aud how much tho doc
trinos of prohibition and strictly religious oh.
aoryanco Of Sunday would atroct emigration Ii
tho future. If they woro adopted generally, 0,
tho growth Of particular cities and localltlot
where theuo doctrines should bo applied.
All those things aro Of consequence In tht
consideration Of tho boer and tue Sunday queH