Daily Republican., 1881-07-01
How About Beer?

How About Beer?
Not being consumer we know
nothing aoout the merits Of the beer
manufactured at the present time, and
therefore can only reflect the opinions
of other papers like the New York Sun,
the Philadelphia Times, the Cincinnati
Gazette and the Reading Dispatch The
latter paper, published in the very heart
of beer drinking population, says
there is a growing disrelish for the
beer of the PERIOD" and further says
that the passage of law by the Penn
sylvania Legislature during the past
winter, imposing heavy fine and
imprisonment on brewers for using
chemicals deleterious to health is a step
in the right direction, and may work
outa long needed reform. These words
have an om;nous meaning that will not
strike the beer drinkers pleasantly, for
they neal nothing more nor less than
that the beer that has, become such a
popular American beverage is poisoned
with drugs. and after all the we'll formed
rotltndity and obesity generally Of beer
drinkers are more the results of the poi
sonous drugs in the beer than of its
health giving qualities. The Cincinna-
ii Gazette, however, boards the lion in
its den and carries its attack into the
very heart of beer drinking popula-
tion. 1t declares that there is no such
thing as pure beer manufactured in
that city; that poisonous ingredients
enter into every gallon of it, and that
no Cincinnati brewer dares tell the pub
lie out of what he makes his beer.
These are plainly spoken words, but
the Gazette warming up with the sub
,ject further says, that Life Insurance
companies will Eot issue policies on
habitual beer drinkers, aud it charges
that the wealthy brewers of Cincinnati
import beer for their own consumption
because they know it to be pure. As
millions of capital are invested in beer
brewing in Cincinnati it will be seen
that the Gazette is striking a savage
blow at one Of the greatest industries o f
that city.
The Philadelphia Times is not so
savage as the Cincinnati Gazette, but it |
is evident from its tone that there is a
very big screw loose somewhere in the
of beer 1t says, that
when beer was first manufactured and
begun its liquid career as n beverage in
this country it was found to be whole
some and pure, but that the enormous
demand for it at once set the makers to
work TO devise cheapeniug process
he result of ga beverage of more
oiIuant flavor, hut the effects of which
ire baleful." 1t further says: "Lager
lerives its name from 1se practice
neces saTyt u its proper fermentation, of
keeping it III sto"f3 The beer of
to-day is not thus pyerareI and the re-
suit is destructive chemicals are added
TO give it flavor" This is evidence of
the poisonous qualities of beer piled up
from the cities of Reading, Cincinnati
and Philadelphia, but the most crush
ing evidence of all of the impurities of
beer comes from the New York Sun,
which has been publishing some Stats
tics showing the extent to which the
adulteration OF beer is carried in thai
city. 1t says, the old fashioned bever-
age Of Gambrinus is no longer brewed
from malt and hops and allowed to rest
as its name iinplies, but is forced into
existence By artificial means and COM
posed OF the mo- f. "rious chemicals
obtainabls GiuIool plays such an i'm
portant part in its production now.a-
days that the suggestion to change its
name to glucose beer does not seem at
all inappropriate. The Sun says, that
one factory in the West uses no less
than five million bushels of corn for the
of glucose in which sui
phuric acid is such an important ele-
,nent Much of this is used in the
of sugar, but It's principal
Use is in brewing beer. The testimony
of experts is that the beer produced III
this way poisons the system and is es-
pecially prolific in producing diseases of
the kidneys.
OF all that has been said we have
given the authors who are probably
better booked up in regard to the good
and evil effects of beer drinking than
we are and they know of what they
speak. For the manufacturers Of beer
in Wilmington we cannot speak ard
we do not know whether their beer is
pure or impure, but whether pure or
IMPURE there are hundreds who would
drink il if it was the rankest poison.
1t has been claimed all along in view ri
the fact that spirituous liquors We're so
fearfully drUgged that malt liquors
were at least pure and beneficial to
health, but if what the papers say we
have quoted frc n be true, the lager beer
of the day is as poisonous and impure as
the veri.able old Jersey lightning tlIat
kills at forty rods.
AND NOW wo have no PHILADELPHIA,
Wilmington and Baltimore nailroad
any moro, thru,' no doubt What was
formerly .hat 'rporation vii. be called
by that name for some time to come
yet. IT is gratifying to know that the
oh a nnn Is or y in name the SnrVicna of