Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-01-16
Decrease Of Intemperaaee in the United
States.

Recent English travellers in this country
express freely their surprise at the small
amount of drinking and intemperancc-es-
pcci,lly rs compared with their own coun-
try. Sir George Campbell, NJ. F., an intel
ligent English baronet, who travelled through
our country in 1878, and wrote very candid
and interesting book on the United States,
could say of us as a people:
The first thing noticed in travelling was
the remarkable feature in the American
meals, that people drink no alcoholic liquors
at all. 1t seems to be contrary to their habits
and | may almost say to good morals and good
manners to do so, in public at least. In a
great American hotel where you meet hun
dreds of people you will probably not see
one who takes anything stronger than tea
or coffee with his meals; or II you do he Is
foreigner They drink a great deal OF milk
and such innocent things; but neither beer,
nor wine, nor spirits.
Il know it is said all that is very well,
but the men go and drink afterwards at the
bars Some of them do so, but l am bound
to saw that | was exceedingly surprised to
find how little frcquented these bars are. In
some parts of the country ii is common
a drink" and there are mems evening par
ties at which wine is introduced but one
does not see much of this kind of thing. The
public and evident drinking is less than with
us, and If good deal is after all consumed 1t
is done in more decent way. great deal
of whiskey. no doubt, is drunk; but the
revenue from alcoholic drinks is not as large
as in England; and it is certainly the case
that one secs much less drunkenness
Hon. Thomas Bayley Potter, on his recent
return to England from America, said the
first thing which struck him in travelling in
America was the sobriety of the people. 1t
was evident drunkenness had no hold here.
lie saw but four drunken men in his extend
ed tour in the United States Another trait
in the character of the Americans was their
extreme cleanliness He also paid high
compliment TO the orderly manner in which
the Americans conducted themselves in rail
wav carriages and other means OF commit
nication.
Mr.. G.. A. Sala, the English writer, ROW in
this country, says that he can vouch Tor
the strict accuracy Of Dr. George NJ. Boards
tribute in the Worth American Recif'r to the
comparative Temperance of Americans OF the
higher class. In the restaurant OF the hotel
where dine, continues Mr.. Sala, at not
one of dozen tables have | seen any wine
or beer served With grief and shame also
do note DR.. Boards structures on English
intempcrance. -. There need be no beat
ing about the bush, and no payingof fulsomc
compliments in saying that the yonng me-"
of New York are an cminently good-looking
race. One reason for this general come
illness may be the abstcmousuess of the mo-
dern American
These are impartial tributes to the sener-
ally temperate character of our people.
While there is still a terrible amount OF IN
temperance, especially in the cities and larger
towns in our land, there can be no doubt
that the Temperance effort Of the last gene
ration has greatly modified the habits OF
society. as regards alcoholic drinks and
that the consumption Of strong liquors, as
beverages, has largely decreased. And the
true and faithful lahorcrs in this great re-
form have every reason 10 thank God anu
take courage.