The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-03-26


| tunate community in that respect, let us look
| about for a better remedy. Any boy of fifteen
! even who is foolish enough to hunt after drink
| will laugh at you when you tell him that prohi-
bition prohibits in Portland; and there is no
| thoroughly honest man among us of any char
| acter and standing who has ever attempted to
obtain it during these twenty-six years, who
will not laugh in his sleeve at such statement
| for times present or past.
Were we to argue that the Spanards, French
and ItaliaDs, with wine drinking universal and
unlimited, had never been a drunken people,
we would be met with the reply that they were
of the Latin race, one that had been much lon
ger civilized than our own; that they had neith-
er the great hanger or thirst that distinguishes
| the northern races. They might quote the lam
guage OF Tacitus in respect to our torefathers of
1000 years ago; it was in substance-"of huge
white bodies, with great craving stomachs
| filed with meat, strong drink and cheese cold
and slow to love they pass whole days between
the hearth and the table,
There il, however a race Of as great if not
greater thirst and hunger tina IN ours; a cognate
race to our own who satisfy that craving with
out drunkenness. These are the Russians
Drinking their huge mugs of beer, bumper on
bumper; eating tae latest of sausage with gar
lie; the poor man not ashamed to go to the Spi-
gah, and thus get his glasses half penny less;
always with their wives and families; happy,
cOntented OF Sunday afternoon, in their beau
tiful groves and gardens which paternal gov
eminent prepares for them; listening to grand
and eleyatlng music, all the family together
What contrast to the English lab5rer stupe-
flying himself in gin hell of Sunday; squan-
dering the earnings of the week and then stag
gerng home to beat his wife and family; what
contrast to the hypocrite of New England,
with his bottle in his pocket, taking his furtive
drinks behind the door. These people above US
in bodily strength, in longevity; our superiors
i'll education, music art, philosophy, science
and the art of war; of vastly greater industry
were Wends and Brandenburg Doors and
Swineherds long after we were a civilized race,
Their women are so much beyond ours in
health, education and strength of intellect and
purpose that among the tradespeople the COM
mon course is for the widows to continue the
business successfully on the death of their hus-
bands A celebrated French scientist calls at
tention to the fact that liberal alcoholic stmu-
las has the greatest possible favorable effect on
the offspring: that those nations which have
used it the most largely, viz: the Eugllsh and
German races, have made more rapid strides
than the Latin. That of the Latin races, the
French, which have imhibed most largely have
progressed the most; that orientals with their
rice and other light vegetable food have been
the most stationary
Is it good, healthy hearty beer that in spite
OF less generous diet in other respects puts
tu6 0cIuldu WOuldu So lar dQ6aC OF the Amer
can in breadth and vigor, intellectual as we'll as
physical? Oar women. whatever we may say
OF our lien, are almost universally teetatalers
Likewise they are universally the most sckly,
unsound and nervous creatures on this foot
stool.
1t is one of the peculiarities of our as well as
English, morality, that that is dsgraceful
which is found out. Mr.. A takes his little nps
discreetly, out of sight with few select people.
He is worthy brother. Mr.. B steps into a sa-
1oon ,pIl IinIu oh tIa borr
an example to youth. When was youngster
it seemed to create more stir if lad was seen
entering bar room, than if he was somewhat
affected by liquor at party. The short sight
ed reformers OF that day were eternaly harplng
on example. The young man who entered
saloon had set an example even if he never
became in the slightest degree intoxicated. But
the youth who so far forgot himself as to be in
toxicated at party or ball became an object of
commiseration. He had had a bad example set
him by older men, they said had it offered him
by the host, etc, etc. These same young men
when they went where it wasn't to be had 9TH
erwise, had the very bad taste many of them
to bling pocket flask. To go up into the Or
chestra and refresh in that manner behind the
double bass, was popular custom twenty-five
years ago at Union Hall, and many a gentle
man whose hair is now tinged with gray, if he
reads this paper will smile as he recalls he in
MIGRATING pulls he then and there took
Should a young gentleman in any country,
in Continental Europe. so far forget him
self as to appear at ball or party intoxicated
the coolness from his male friends and the
cut direct from many of female friends would
soon convince him of his error, and this where
every one drinks wine as freely as water,
In my younger days in Portland, young la
dies in Portland were not so particular. Occa-
sionally getting tight and making an ass of
ones self seemed to be forgiven, and the walls
OF wrath were usually poured on the head of
the generous host, as if he were to blame for
| the beastly conduct of some friend, whose
| father, knowing his weakness should have
kept him at home.
Akin to this sort of weakness and false reas.
0ning was the habit Of picking out the viIest
and lowest OF gutter drunkards, to 90 about
| occurring as reformed drunkards. How the
| wretches chewed the cud of their late vileness
| to gaping crowd of Sunday school children. at
% cents head. Thus these children were
early taught that the best way to distinction
was to be vile, roll in the gutter break pledges,
beat your wife and children, consort with the
vilest of COTS earth, and then some society
would pick you up reform you, whether you
would or no, aud exhibit you as a model to
| Sunday School children at % cents head
1t was with a rare spirit of humor that the
late Rev. DIR. Leonard Woods that most de-
lightful gentleman and profound scholar, when
| publicly asked by quaint Presdentress of one
| of the Washingtonian societies in tones of
| thunder, President Woods, are you Wash
| ingtonian? replied, !edging away from this
reformatory Gorgon. Of you mean by that,
| madam, reformed drunkard, 1 am not"
Why they should have called these societies
"WashngtOn;aD," after that worthy, high
| minded, high tempered Virginan gentleman,
| who always took his wine at dinner. don't
| know. George Washington took his wine at
dinner but would he have gnlped down whis-
key at bar? We think not. This same bar is
peculiarly American invention and is respon-
sbe for vast amount of our drunkenness. See
! Frenchman, at Public Garden, take his lit
| tie glass of brandy, and listen to music; smoke
| two or three cigarettes, stroll up and down,
| leaving it and converse wi h acquaintauces,
taking half the evening to finish it. Then
| watch the American gulp it down, round after
| round, in quick succession at one of our infer
nal bars, and you are at no loss to account for
| the prevalence of drunkenness among our peo-
| pie, many of whom do not drink at all. and the
! sobriety Of other nations among whom drinking
| is universal; very dtferentikind of drinking
however, from ours. Apropos of our habits L
think any close observer who has spent some
| French cannot fail to have noticed that the
| French police allow Americans to wander
| about Paris in a more drunken condition than
their own people. The Parisians look upon the
| average American as a semi-savage whose re-
markable form of government makes rich They
naturally like man who doesn't know a good
dinner from poor one and who pays for vim
ordlnairie as if it were LATTE of 14S and they
indulge him in his barbaric pastimes.
aas THE the prohlbitoSy law done anything for
L u.s. UUIuly dSS6TG mo
| 1t has in most instances forced the trade into
l the hands of the worst class of the community
Men who earn precarious living by it,-who
| would sell it to boy till he dropped down dead
| drunk. He sells tue vlest and cheapest be
can obtain because he has to stand the chance
of seizure and fines. Ales and beers, the best
dsmost nourishing of drinks, are thrown aside
the seller cannot handle such bulky liquids,
and the buyer wants the stuff fiery enough to
sting him and last him.
When that law first came out many young
| men, temperate and otherwise, disguised with
it formed clubs, thus evading it; and this %
wears ago. These clubs and their injurious
work exist to-day. 1t is astonishing what a
| per centage of these men became drunkards.
One of the most distinguished men in this
state, old in years and wisdom, strict tee
totaler, said in my hearing to gentleman who
took prominent part in the Maine law OF
1857, Snow W you're going to Augusta to
l get up Maine law that will stick. - is
ignorant of human nature; his law shut off the
| entire supply. Now you've got to frame your
law 50 that little will trickle through for the
moral men who are bound to have their droI
behind the door. the clergyman who thinks he,
got bronchial trouble, &C., &C.; but don
| want to buy his bottle at the Agency, and al
L such. Shut if all off and we'll lose YOUR law