The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-02-10

W AOLVl1, NAAA~4"
that. It is true that the peasants OF
Spain, Italy and France are generally
temperate. This is accounted for as
d. suggests: They take their wine as
a daily food instead Of a daily bererage'
an onion or bunch of grapes with
piece of barley bread furnishing them
an excellent meal, and so it is in all
nations whenever men take the fruits
of the earth and use them as nature
prepared them, health and happiness
is the result; but when men attempt
to improre on natures handiwork, and
ferment and distill her products to
develop thing that is nowhere found
in nature, then, and then only, is the
usage disasterious. The Chinese are
a temperate nation, but wine does not
form any part of their daily food.
The Hindoos are temperate nation,
without wine to teach them temper.
ance. And so were the native races
of this continent, till the art of wine
and whiskey making and drinking
was taught them by their conquerers.
On the other hand, there are ma.
tions who have for generations used
some form of alcoholic beverage,
who to-day are struggling against the
wide spread and growing vice of in
temperance. Switzerland, from
which only last month came such
fearful reports of vice, insanity and
crime through drinking. Russia,
Germany, Great Britain, and our own
country, all have for generations used
in some form, alcoholic drinks, with
the same universal result, for more
and more, the intemperance has be-
come deep-seated vice. ID. had bet
ter study the question of social econ
omy little closer, before he advises
people to ''take a hair of the dog that
bit them" The next proposition,
viz: "'Total abstinence, is not tenn
perance, is about as near-sighted as
anything else he has stated. But d.
! must know that putting few words
in capital letters, does not make them
true. Total abstinence is temperance
and the only true temperance, in re-
spect to the use Of Intoxicating liq.
! uors as beverage. He does not at.
tempt to give us 4 definition of the
word temperate. which I take to
mean, the proper use of what is good.
and the abstinence from what is bad
for instance, temperance in Ian.
guage, is the proper use of words that
are good and true, and abstaining
from oaths and from lying. Who
ever heard of a temperate swearer, or
temperate liar! Temperate conduct
is to do those things that are right
in themselves, in proper manner, and
to abstain entirely from doing what
is wrong in itself; such as stealing,
murder, etc. Who ever heard of
temperate murder or theft? Temper
ance in eating, is to eat moderately
what is good, and to abstain from
what is injurious. Who ever heard
Of II temperate opium eater, or a
temperate arsenic eater. So it is in
drinking-temperance is the proper
use of drinks that are In themselves
good, and tho abstinence from what
is injurious, and with all due defer
ence to DIS. opinion, alcoholic drinks
used as daily beverage are injuri.
Gus. In respect to his treatment of
lady, who seeing the fearful results
of the licensed trafc in these drinks,
had the courage to speak out boldly
against them. Awill leave the peo-
pie to Judge, merely remarking that I
entertain. Is high an opinion of his
good taste rs / do of his good logic.
Would like to say something on the
:spadlock'; proposition, and the cru.
saders, but this letter has already as
snned a formidable length, and is in
danger Of the waste basket, so will
leave them for future reference.
WIS. H.
Reading Farmers.