The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-01-01


ratio is higher or lower, there is too
much drinking in Salt Lake, as there
is everywhere in the republic and in
the world. According TO statistics
j the consumption of distilled and fer
mented liquors has increased in Eng
laud since 1850 at the annual rate Of
81 per cent; in France. at 2 per cent. I;
in Germany, Including Alsace-Lor-
raine and Saxony, since 1865, at the
rate of 100 per cent; in the United
States, more than 20 per cent,
making allowance for the rapid in
crease OF population. 1t is said that
in Norway, Poland and the Danubian
principalities the manufacture of dis
titled liquors Is the only branch OF in
dustry that ia growing. Nearly nine
tenths of the internal revenue
of the United States is derived
from the tax on intoxicating
beverages. Again, the deplorsble
waste of grain in the manufacture Of
liquor is something truly shocking,
taken in connection with the want
and hunger that prevails in different
parts OF the globe. In 1879 there
were famines in Ireland, in Brazil, in
Persia, in Syria, and in several of the
Asiatic and east European princi.
palities; these caused much euferins,
bat many thousands OF people starved
to death, and the starvation is still
going on in some districts. Yet since
the harvest OF 1879, 100000, 600
bushels OF grain has been converted
into Intoxicants. Russia is noted for
its vast grain yield, it being the only
formidable competitor in the field
with America for the bread trade, but
enormous as are the Russian harvests,
one-fourth of them are used for
strong drink. The same is true OF
Denmark and Australia. Stringent
laws are enacted against the rum
traffic, the preachers denounce it
from the pulpit, temperance lee
lures are travelling about the
country painting in bright colors the
evils OF drunkenness, and eloquentIy
pleading with the drunkaId and the
moderate tippler, the newspapers
TEEN with accounts of murders and
other crimes directly trsceable to
drinking, and notwithstanding ell
this, intemperance steadily and rap
idly grows. In Salt Lake, where
there are ten drunksrds to-day, there
vas but one ten years ago. Laws
will not prevent drunkenness. Maine,
Massachusetts ana other states have
gone as far in prohibitory legislation
as reason would permit, but they
have drunksrds and drunkenness in
those states. Religion does lot save
the man, for church members drink
and get drunk. 1t sometimes eeems
as II intemperanoe we're a disease
with which the race had been
afflicted almost from the be-
ginning. There Was drunkenness
in earliest times and these has been
drunkenness ever since. II it be q
disease. it has been transmitted from
father to son for centuries, and be-
come bred in the nature OF man; and
this may account for the difficulty in
graduating it and affecting a cure.
But whether the disease be inherited
by the race or simply developed in
the individual it is apparent that
more vigorous efforts looking towards
a cure, should be taken, and We be-
lleve parents may do more in this
matter than all other agencies COM
bined. In the first place they can
teach their children that it is wrong
to imbibe intoxicants. They fiud 10
difficulty in making children under
stand that it is wrong to lie or steal,
and with equal facility the little ones
may be shown the evils of intern
perance. But it will not 30 for
mothers and fathers TO say it is bad
to drink, and at the same time iipple.
It would be hard to make the child
zee how it was wrong to drink whisky
when bis father drinks before bis
eyes. Parents may not be able TO
make the world temperate, but by
we'll directed effort they can lessen
the consumption of rum, and i'm
prove the present and succeeding
generations. They can DO more than
strict laws and vigilant poles may |
accomplish. We believe that much |
Of the drinking by young men and |
ads in this city could be stopped by |
If each parent will do bis !
whole duty, there will be marked !
decrease in intemperance, and tbs |