News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-02-01
ABOLISHING THE GROG TUB.
The Damage Rum Has Done in the Brit
ish Navy.

During the whole of last century, and
a considerable part of the present, says
the New York Hour, drink was tho
curse Of the British Navy, and in tho
contracts for supplying it there were few
Admiralty officials who were not more
or less interested. The consumption of
rum on board a Iine-Of-battle ship, if
Southey's figures may be accepted, would
have astOmded FaIstaff himself. It was,
then, a matter of no small Importance
when Admiral Vernon, an officer as pop
uIar as he was manly and brave, ordered
water to be served out with their rum
to his sailors. Before and after Vernon
there had been Admirals who deemed
that hard drinking and hard fighting
went together, and who winked at the
prodigiOus consumption of liquor on
board the vessels under their charge so
long as their tars were sober enough to
man the guns with a will when the pinch
came. Among our temperate Admirals,
Vernon, Nelson and Collingwood were
always nObly conspicuous, and much
would 1t have gladdened their hearts to
hear that "a very large quantity of
rum, sent out to Egypt for consump-
ton by the British fleet has come back
to Portsmouth because it could not be
used in the Mediterranean. Time was
when liquor when sent out from
England to foreign station would never
have come back, but would have found
some customers ready either to drink or
to purchase it 'for a consideration, )"
whether consigned to the Tropics or to
Nova Scotia, to torid Brisbane or to
Zembla's frost
There are many evidences that q
strong reaction against the use of alco-
hoI has set i'll, and it is to soldier more
than to a sailor that the incipient change
III British national habits is mainly due.
1t Is notorious that, ever since the COM
mencement of his career General Lord
WOlseley has been a determined oppon-
ent to the issue of spirit rations to ar
mics engaged in active service. "The
Soldiers Pocket-Book" abounds with
evidences that its author holds alcohol
in adherence. GIVE your men," he
eXclaims, ''as little spirits as possible;
tea and coffee ale much more sustaining
and more portable. The old superstition
that 'grog' is a good thing for men be
fore, during, or after a march has been
proved by the scientific men of all ma
lions to be a fallacy, and is only main
tanned by those who mistake the cray
ings of habit for the promptings of Ma
tUre herself. 1t IS the cOmmOnest thing
to see men taking brandy to keep them
warm. 1t is an ascertained fact that al
cohol of any sort reduces instead of in
creasing the temperature of the body"
Lord Wolseley proceeds to explain that
the medical officers who have accompan-
led Polar expeditions are unanimous in
condemning spirits as preventatives
against cold. No men, he observes,
stand i'll need Of greater endurance and
undergo larger physical toll than the
lumbermen of British North America.
and yet tea is their constant beverage.
AS a rule, no spirits have ever been is
sued to soldiers il South Africa, the re-
suit being that the men were singularIv
free from sickness. During the Indian
Mutiny British soldiers were very often
cut off from fermented liquor for months
together, and they were healthier than
subsequently wien it was issued to
to them as a ration.
Lord Wolse1cy shows that it rests with
the officers, and with them alone. to
reconcile their men to the discOntinuance
of the custom of using rum. "It is
humbug for an officer to lecture his men
about drinking, anc- then to go TO his
tent and be merry over bottle of sherry.
Wine with the officer holds the place of
rum with the private, and, although the
bottle of wine may do the former no
harm, he ought chterfully to go without
his luxury when he compeis those under
his orders to forego theirs. Feeling that
his conduct is for the good of the service
should amply compensate him for the
prlVatlOn.
1t is satisfactory to observe that the
crusade against alcohol is extending
beyond the limits of the Army and Navy,
and that employers Of labor are begin
ming to recognize the advantages Of total
abstinence for men exposed to hardships
aud trials of an abnormal kind Mr..
John Burns, the chairman of the Cunard
Steamship Company, has announced that
"on and after the LIST Of December no
grog or other alcoholic drink Will be
served out to the company's crews, but
that coffee will be substituted"