Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-06-22
THE HERALD
Beer-Drinking and Temperance.
A. Intelligent Americans Observations an
Conclusions.

Conclusions.
Charles Dudley warren's Munich Letter to Hartford
Courant.
Perhaps the temperance question
is not exactly solved in Munich; |
don't know If it was ever raised; in
deed the intemperance question has
made so little progress that the other
has probably not been reached. They
wouldn't say that the Muniehers are
moderate in the use of beer. | have
seen people at homeland raging
thirst seems to be our national BIRTH
right-drink water just as recklessly,
deluging tho pale and drenched stom-
ach with the cold, icy cold fluid
Probably the German would exoati~
ate eloquently upon the horrors of
er-drinking-if he had any expe-
rience in that line.
The Municher is content not to try
hazardous experiments; having struck
the medium way of beer he deviates
neither to water on one hand nor
wine on the other. And it was not
he but O Prussian, and an officer,
whose opinion and experience gave
his remarks some weight. who said
to me, the other day: CAS- for me,
when L can get good water, pure,
fresh water, | let the beer stand ono
side, and drink wine." 1t makes all
the difference in the world with ones
temperance principles whether he
lives on the Rhine or on the Iser.-
There is saying here that Munich
man is q beer cask in the morning.,
and cask of beer at night; the epi-
gram needs no explanation here, but
it might be misunderstood elsewhere.
Ii one were disposed philosophic-
ally to study the temperance prob
lem, Munich would be good field
for it; for one can zee here exactly
what is tho effect of unrestrained
liberty; though in applying what one
learned there to our own country
you would have to allow for the diff.
ference of climate and of the temper
ament of people. 1t don't at all fol-
low that what would do for Munich
would do for Hartford.
Probably you could not End in the
whole city man or woman who has
ever thought OF what we call total
abstinence, and they could not COM
prehond the idea. But there are
plenty of temperance people-that is,
people who drink beer regularly, and
never overstep the bounds of moder-
alton. The observation that one
makes in Munich is that drunkenness
is rare exception. In a residence
here of many months | have never
seen but one or two intoxicated peo-
pie in the streets, and they were not
marked by the wildness or vicious
ness of our strong-liquor inebriety,
but seemed to be rather good-hum-
ored carls who had lost their way,
and didn't seem to care whether they
ever found it, But this seems very
remarkable, when there is beer
house every half block, and you can
not select residence in any part of
the town that il not as handy TO
Keller as it is to public school or a
CuuEOu. Anu l. CdIuOb SEQ tuut luC
freedom of beer tends to any habit of
over-drinking. | have known stran-
gers to indulge freely in beer here the
whole season, and be just as good
temperance people ct the end as they
were at the beginning.
Whether the Germans, especially
the men, do not waste good deal OF
;ime in beer halls, afternoon after af,
ternoon, and night after night, swig-
ging endless mugs, is another ques.
ton. Aud it is fair one to raise:
What must be the final effect upon
the intellect of u people who so many
hours day soak in this mild but dis
tending fnid, and in an atmosphere
of smoke? The ques len is, however,
mere speculative enc, so long as
the Germans continue 10 produce 50
many sch 1Iars, philosophers, mtn Of
inca cul ,hln cru iitlDn, wo"det fully
energetic travellers and explorers,
and c>Aqaeriag soldiers.