Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-05-04
USE AND ABUSE OF WINE.


The Rev. Howard Crosby, Of New York, and
Archbishop Purcell, Of Cincinnati, having each
openly defended the moderate use of spirituous
liquors, tho total abstinence advocates have been |
not little agitated aud denunciative In conse
queuce, There is a determination on the part OF |
ultra temperance men to conccde no middle |
ground in this discussion The use of liquor as
"A beverage, i'll any FORM or to any extent, is i'll |
their Judgment, entirely pernicious; aud they
brand every drinker as Vicious, and the use, ex |
cefting tor strictly medicinal purposes, wicked.
The logic of this argument is of course, wholly I
wrong. Ii We applied it generally to affairs, We
should have to bansh from the world almost
everything that renders Lille agreeable In nnu-
meraba things use Is bcneiicence and abuse wick
edness; difierence of degree leads to II distinct
difference OF kind. To assert that no one must
take glass of WINE because some people drink
far too many glasses OF wine, is as logically fool
ish as to assert that all appetizns and agreeable
food must be banished from the table because
some people are tempted by hishlynavored
viands to make glultous OF themselves. 1t is as
logically absurd as 1t would be to declare that
because some persons are seli-indulgent readers.
all forms of Imaginative literature should be
abolished or, because some people are avaricous,
all honest desire to acquire wealth should be sup
pressed; or, because some people indulge In gos-
sip and scandal, conversation should he prohibit
Cd But there is one stronger parallel than either
OF the above There Is no passion 50 benehcent
| in its moderate sway rs loye--none SO hurtful
when permitted TO have disproportionate place
| III the emotional nature. All the evils SO COM
| monty pointed out as pertaining to the use OF n-
| toxicatng liquors are ihore than equulled By
those that come from indulgence Ill the passion OF
love; and when these two iudulgences are uni
| ted, find so often the case, some Of the most
| appalling tragedies OF Lille ensue thererom. lu
| love between the sexes We can only attempt to
mitigate evils 80 prevalent 10y nculcating wisdom
| and moderation; tor here moderation means fam
lily, home, affection, and all that makes lite dear,
| while the variation OF quantity converts that
| which is admirable and beautiful into that which
is appalling and destructive. The winds OF heav.
en- may fan our checks IN soft and refreshing
gales, or, tornado, uproot and destroy all thai
lies within their course. Analogy, therefore
teaches us emphaticaly that moderation al itscl
is WISDOM and excess IN itself crime, There
are lew vices, indeed, that are not virtues turned
away.
To this argument there Is a common re-
tort that use OF q thing, III order 10 lie bene'
ticent, must be serviceablo. Ordinarily
use in moderation confers lis benefits; but
| with Intoxicating liquors, moderate lndul
gence coniers no adv Antages whatever, W IL
1t is full of temptation and danger tn those
who use them aud those who are influenced
by the example.
, This position is logically sound one.
the moderate use OF anything is attended,
| with peculiar dangers, and Yet confers nc
advantages, then 1t ought to be abandoned
The essential reason for use is its useful
ness. Let it be shown that wine or liquor
drinking confcrs no good. renders no ser
vice, contributes In no way to the weliar
OF men-then very obviously no reason cal
hs advanced why 1t should DOT be retain ed
The comparison between wine drinking an,
| the other cases we have cited would IN thi
. case TAIL, because in those ot her things tn
; use Ia y boon, a distinct recognizable good
, The question, then. is this: Is the moderate
use OF alcoholic liquors of advantage 10 th
race?
In the usual discussion OF this topic NJ
attempt has been made to separate and con
ider apart two very distinct kinds OF mod
crate drinking, one Is, drinking ut the ba
or In saloons; the other drinking at tn
dinner.tabie
Il Drinking at the bars, at times when no
. taking foo !, merely for the purpose OF
stimulous or tor conviviality. we believe l.
be almost wholly pernicious. IN whateve
degree It may be indulged in. There ar
perhsps, some exceptions. ,rchbiahop Pur
cell tells the ladies' Of the liqaor- crusad
that he cannot preach or instruct that 10 |
sin for day -lsborer who has to carry tn
bod, on a broilng hot day In July or Au
pust. up steep ladder, 10 tho third o
fourth story OF u building, To restore his ex
0 hausted strength by glass or two OF beer
y There are some similar cases u this, |
. which It would be "A cruel ami intolerabl
q inlerposition Of authority tn forbid the ss
o | of a refreshing beverage. But there can Il
C no doubt that saloon drinking is general
. very hurtful. Alcoholic liquors, taken a
y rrevulsr hours, unaccompanled by food
0 are peculiarly infiamnlslory; they excite th
brain quickly, injure the stomach, an
5 | create disorder and unnatural craving. On
glass OF liquor day, drunk under sue
r conditions, is pretty sure To DO followed b
two; Two soon OK pand into four; and henC
the moderate drinker OF this class ia onl
| too prone to SOON become An inmodera,
, drinker. In these cases OF use, the use II
self is pernicious; tho vice lies in the fa,
aud not in the degree.
But there is quite another Kind of modera
drinking, one that is attended by different ci
. cumstances, and which does involve the SAN
d consequences. We refer to the use OF ale OF VIII
!. at tho dinner table. Here, We are profound
q convinced, wine is often really beneficial, use
Is under proper limitations. Wine is no doubt, n,
= required by all persons with some, under an
10 circun stances it does harm but with very man
r. people its use is highly favorable, and almost
ID cessary. Cold water ut u meal is q most acti'
promoter of dyspepsia, complaint more commc
in our water r-drinking country than In any 9TH
in the world. While cold water chills the stomaS
and arrests digestion, generous glass et viii
a pentlg stimulates the action OF The stomach, pI
r notes the assimilation of food, increases the app
tite and sets the whole natural machinery In
"a harmonious action. 1t Is repeatedly said lh
10 alcoholic liquors cannot confer any benefit upC
II the human ~ stem because they contain no uutr
ltjous qualities whatever. The facts are not acc
lrstely understood. The motive power of au e
SOipa ia the steam but, while the oil which al