The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-28

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NJ 90 eoulaf GoWA - - Ds1n 1l6hssy
Cnnersss, IN. Tks otAsg lHbls siasss ~
Aegfegats value II ~ hoesssy mulss milch
cows. oxen, stssrs, sheep. and swine IN the
United States In January. lisa at upward Of
nineteen hundred millions Of dollars.
A Hopeful Temperance Reform.
Il 10 very obvious that quiet but per-
suasive Temperance reform 10 going on ct
present both In this country and England.
Intelligent people are becoming moro ab-
stemious In the matter Of alcoholic drinks,
not on any moral grounds, and not In re-
Spouse to any Temperance agitation OF the
0ouoH and MURPHY sort, but because they
have learned that prudent regard for their
health requires them to DO careful In the use
Of such stimulants.
We observe, and We are glad to observe It,
that our young mon Of fashion nowadays
arc rarely addicted to hard drinking. It is
not considered In good form by them.
Moreover, the tendency to indulge In out
door sports and to develop bodily strength,
which Ii 30 marked at this time among young
men. and young women too. 10 enoour-
aging temperance In tho use Of alcohol.
Free drinking is not compatible with the
attainment of the end they desire The use
OF distilled liquors. or spirits, both In clubs
and private houses, IL not nearly so general
or 80 indiscriminate as 1t once was. The less
harmful fermented liquors. light wines and
beers, are now popular; besides, men are no
longer ashamed to declare that they are total
disclaimers because Of their experiences Of
the Ill effects OF alcoholic stimulation upon
them. Nor is there any more reason for
shame about that than about acknowledging
their inability to partake Of certain articles
OF food. or lose their Sleep without suffering
damage which they do not care to sustain.
Business men are also learning the danger
Of casual drinking during their active hours.
and moderation with respect to alcohol Is
getting to be usual among them. Very many
Of them have grown to be shy OF cocktails,
which have done thousand times more
harm to the brokers Of Wall street and the
frequenters Of tho mercantile exchanges than
all the excitemcnts Of their occupations.
There was time when drunkenness was
considered very pardonable.. and perhaps
amusing frailty or accident, even In tho most
respectable society. Nowadays 1t is looked
on as 1t should be, as an offence against de-
cency intolerable In man who frcQuents the
society Of enlightened people, or manlfes-
tatiOn OF physical disorder which should
keep Its victim away from temptation, or
perforce induce him to exercise proper self
restraint, instead Of imposing his weakness
on his nelghbOrs.
Tho temperance reform has been the re-
suit of more refined social customs and
standards; but 1t L. also very largely due to
recent discussions by mon like DR.. CARPEN-
TER, Of the evil effects Of alcohol on the human
constitution, especially when 1t Is taken In q
concentrated form and In quantities which
are not much smaller than those to which
most wine and beer drinkers even have been
accustomed. It is therefore . reform brought
about by the head rather than the heart. It
has been effected by the judgment, not by
the sentiments, to which tho old temperance
agitatOrs almost solely appealed. Nor has
prohibitory legislation. or legislation Of any
sort, contributed to its progress People
have grown more sensible about drinking,
and that Is all.
The progress Of temperance In England Is
even more remarkable than that which Is so
obvious here, for In England the total absti-
nence movement was never 30 active a. It
has been In the United States. Whole re-
liRious denominations with US have con-
demned drinking IS positive sin. and COM
paratively few clergymen dared to touch Q
drop OF liquor, unless secretly. In some
communities. at certain periods not remote,
any man who INDUCED his appetite for alco-
hol to q moderate extent merely has been
regarded with pretty general disapproval.
And as to the native women. they generally
abstained. But In England no social and
religious war has been made on drinking.
Gergymen and women have taken their wine
there like other people. as matter OF course.
Drunkenness, however, II 1t Is among "the
lower classes" has always been a sorrow to
the moral folk In better circumstances.
Now we find that even among the upper
classes " OF England total abstinence once
almost unknown, has become frequent. " En-
thusiastic supporters Of the movement" the
London Daily NeWs tells us. have been dis
posing Of their wine cellars" The statistics
OF the consumption Of both distilled and fer
mented liquors show that the total amount
OF them drunk has declined very considers-
bly, during the last few years. The consump.
ton OF imported vino was nearly eight per
cent. less In 1882 than In 1881, and nino per
cent. less than In 1880. OF imported spirits
the consumption was less In 1882 than In 1881
by one and onc-half per cent, and Of do.
nestle spirits by one per cent. Slightly
more beer was drunk In 1882 than in 1881. Al
the same time thore has been . remarkable
growth Of the consumption OF tea and Of
cocoa. Three per cent. more tea and eight
per cent. more COCOA were drunk In 1882 than
In 1881, and the increase for the last year a.
compared with 1880 was large.
Yet during that time England has been
prosperous, the people have been expanding
money with perhaps rather more than aver
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