The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-07-21
TEMPERANCE.
The Drink PTObieIE.


The North American snd European
statistics of intemperance, which arc
periodically given TO the public by the
press of both hemispheres, show con
clusivoly that at the average yearly
rate Of increase Of followers in the
train of Baoehus, his mmnads viii
soon constitute a majority of the worid's
population. Or. Felix l. Oswald.
who has made intemporance a special
study, says that in Great Britain the
Consumption Of fermented and distilled
liquors his increased since 1850, at the
yearly rate Of 81 per cent, aud in
France, 2 per cent. In the United
States the consumption of intoxicat ting
drinks Of all kinds has advanced AT L.
rate which exceeds that Of cur rapid
growth il. population by one-fiftll.
lie also asserts Chat siuce TIC harvest
time Of 1879, while ireland and Eas-
tern Brazil were struggling with fam
Inc. and G.oasan,lSof oar ieiiow-men
IN Persia, Armenia, Syria, and Cash
mere actually died for Taut Of bread,
between $50, ,090, 900 and 400, geo, 900
tons Of brcadstuf haYo bsen converted
into stimulante In England and
Scotland alone, the production Of alco-
holic beverages has consumed half u
billion bushels Of cereals.
Tho question which is now agitatiDg
the learned toxicologists of the world
is, to what can possibly be attributed
this inzatiato desire for alcohol or stimu-
lants ofany kind2 The seeds Of disease
and misery which are the hoirloorus Of
this unnatural appetite, are ripening
50 fast, filling our hospitals and poni-
tentiaries 50 rapidly and even supply ing
subjects to the executioner, that there
seems to be Il serious tendency by sci
entists and philantbropists to find some
means Of checking the ingrowing evil
which is sapping the national founda-
tions. Temperance reYiTa and lee
ture5, pledges and total abstinence So
eiotioa may be al very good in their
way, but these are incompetent means
for wrestling with the demon drink
Hydra headed and Dsiarean-like, he
makes but short work Of his opponents
and members Of temperance organiza-
tions have often been seen returning
home drunk after celebrations of their
societies.
The truth Of the matter seems to be
that the road 10 ruin Is paved with
milder stimulants. Some writers main
tain, and among them DIR. Oswald,
that this extemporaneous propagation
Of the alcohol mania is to be laid to the
door of fathers aud motboTs, who are
in the habit Of dosing theiF young chill
dren with stimulants ct Il very early
age.
81 hundred kids arc daily fuddled
with tea, coffee, paregoFic, slspice and
tobacco fumes; they imbibc stimhIan:s
IN the literal sense, with their mothers
milk, and inebriety marks them "a
their own before they haTe tasted 8
drop Of alcohol" In this country and
in England, millions OK children are
confirmed tea-drinkers and even beer
is forced upon some 10 improve their
avoirdupois. They take 10 both reluc-
tantly, but in after years the stimulus
Of the China leaf and the fermented
hops fails 70 have the desired effect
\ stronger one Is required, and step
by step they 90 through the nomencIa-
ture OF stimulaRts until sbsInthe, OPT
um, and hasheesh are reachcd-insau
ity and the grave.
How 70 check this rapid growth and
universal prevalence Of dipsomania,
Is the next and important question?
How2 Hundreds of remedies have
been suggested, scores have been tried
but ri 10 10 avail, and the epidemic
still spreads over the world, It's victims
failing helplezs 10 the contngion. We