The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-04-29
Beer a Temperance Drink.
RI HON. NEAL DOW.

A great many respectable people, some
OF them friends OF temperance in their
way, insist that the adoption of beer in
this country, in its various forms as a
common beverage, would be a help to
the temperance cause. Some promi-
nent pulpits speak out boldly aud de-
cldedly In this way. One of them in
New York, very prominent one, not
long ago insisted that no one was fit to
be worker In the temperance cause,
"unless he knows the difference be-
tween fiery liquors and mild beer -
lndulging in the latter and In kindred
upples, while eschewing the former.
Inc brewing business In this country
10 comparatively of recent origin, but
II has already reached immense propor.
tons, and Is growing rapidly In every
part OF the northern states, except in
Maine and Kansas, where 1t is forbid
9en Dy law, and has been suppressed
by the strong hand. This trade is
enormously profitable; moro 30 than
any other business in this country, As
Or. johnson puts 1t, it has the power of
producing wealth beyond the dreams
OF avarice." The brewers hold a "con-
gress" annually to consider the interests
OF the trade, and al all of them they Law
special stress upon the assertion thai
peer 10 temperance drink, and that
brewers are great workers in the tenn
perance cause.
nave been surprised TO hear intellI-
gent men, some Of them educated men,
insisting upon what they say Is the pro-
verbal temperance of the people In
Deer drinking countries, and that in
dnlgence In beer Is really good thing.
Ihey forget, or perhaps they do not
know, that drink taken properly. is
merely help to digestion, that for this
purpose only q small quantity is re-
quired, and that all beyond this. even
OF water, is an interruption of the pro-
chief. '"i'-
II is not true that the people of beer
drinking countries are temperate. the
exact opposite Is the fact. England is
the most drunken country i'm the
world, az Englishmen ACKNOWLEDGE.
ana Its shocking, brutal drupkeness is
chiefly produced by beer, of which
tney consume enormous Quantities.
Beer drinking In England as q national
habit, goes back only TO 1888, when the
Deer bill gave encouragement to brew.
ers to extend their trade, and 10 The
people TO consume its products. With
In the first year of its enactment. Sid
ney smith, speaking Of its effects. said
"Ine Nation is staggering drunk D
Under the operation Of that bin, il was
supposed that the malt LIQUORS wonld |
take the place Of distilled liquors and
sgpplant them In the market: but the
elect really was, not TO diminish the
quantity of whisky, brandy and fin
but to supplement- Il with
enormous products of the breweries.
The original Maine law had sweer-
Ing prohibition of the sale of "intoxics-
ting liquors." without specifying any oil
them. At the first prosecution Of n
beer seller, he denied that beer was in
toxicating within the meaning of the
law, and II was necessary 10 prove that
L was Intoxicating. For this purpose.
ZONE reformed drunkards were called
- witnesses, and they testified that
malt liquors were not only intoxicafingI
but that the drunkenness produced bvJ
hat was worse than that produced ~
distilled liquors; that 1t was more bru.
al, continued for q longer time, and
was much worse 10 recover fiOn AL
hey knew by long aud bitter expert
'nce. ~tft .al'f -
Advocates Of beer drinking refer to
be fact that those addicted TO the habit
onsume great quantities OF their favor
e beverage, without apparent intoxi-
alton. 1t Is true that beer drinkers
re always thirsty. One of them said
me not long ago, as he was praising
eer, and insisting that 1t ought to be
xempt from the prohibition of the
Aw: 81 would give quarter of q dol
" now, for glass Of good lager"