New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-07
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
u,,,r np1NK QUESTION.

NJ. .,, ho No doubt that the drink question Is
in''o ~" ,aarts of the thoughtful all over the
r.,rll as never before. The modern eh'nuS''N"
,s.orch which carries its inqucSts to the no,'o" ="
an obscure difficult and complex subjects Is mere III
eo-oucration with the quickencd modern cohNc""'o
w.ich cannot accept as necessary c'hu''o" -
any civilization worth the having the cN" a"" '"'
suffering which pcrmeatc society, anu are Tue "'"N'
consricnous manifestations IN its lower strata
The development of the present phase III '"o"N"'
on the ouestion has been gradual. y century ago
I,i,k uos reoorlcl rs an unmi- taxable good, oi
rl;,h thoro could hardly be too much From the
,t,,csn,n 20 the Iahorcr all drank and most drank
heavily Drunkenness was no disgrace even 10 'h'
rlrrrv. a few years farther back and nobody eN-
pcctcd their pastors to I've ahstaincrs. WIN inc
,prcal o( knowclee. the increase of comfort IN
living and the growth of higher ambitions. that
rross phase disappeared. During the last nan
century the feeling that there m sht he som''h'nS
In temperance has been Sp'cadng. " hrft the ao
w. aies of total abstinence were laughed at i"'"
tbcy ,,err sncrrod nj as fanatics Hut "a the years
rassn AMI the results of drinking became more ap
ra,,ni the laughter aud the tidirnlc ceased ana
nnt the drink italir. once sn dominant ana az
,nss,vp finds iisplf on the defensive. while more
sni mafp seriously the question - being rut -i7
There ANYTHING bat evil ~ this haliri
the ihouf, ai Ice necessity 81 stimulhnts WIS WV
iong time thr Stronghold ~ diinh fs, and neat W.
tho thunf, vt ms ipiatiaN supplied thrm Win ash
wenis Aud IL hast he admitted tia ia" M'h'a'
profession has much L. ansWaf ini IA lhi' "'hh''
ton f0r hy lutsoiildng alcoholic compounds h''
AMY have countless dunbards hoon made directly
but powerful backing has hcen gwen ia the s'lhn
LIANT theory. Hut the temperance positions nave
steadily advanced as tho growing popular en-
Ighteument peunttel, and now they nave
reached the bold proposition that alc1hol Is III
all cases poison: that 1t never does anything "ut
harm that il is neither a real food nor sllo
stmulant: and that since its action and ihlnehce
are wholly mischievous il ought to be eliminated
from civilization completely. The advocates OF
drink on their part have no new argument, ana INC
old ones have long since been torn to pieces.
Medical science has gone to temperance. The
exhibition of alcohol a medicine is no longer APP
proved by the highest authorities, and IN England
hundreds OF Physicians have publicly declared
their condemnation of alcoholic prescriptions, ana
pledged themselves not to resort to them in Their
practice.
These however are but comparatively unimpOr-
tant matters The drink traffic is far too strongly
established. far too firmly intrcnched behind popn-
lar habit and appetite, far too well supplied WIN
the means of resistance to yield when the hrst sum
mons to surrender comes. 1t requires all the in
fluence that can be derived from illustration ana
ANALYSIS all the force that can he gathered from IN
tellectual sources all the myriad proofs of alcoholic
blight which communicable furnishes TO encounter
this formidable and deeply rooted vice The pass
age from sensualism to higher modes of living Is
fierce and terrible struggle and all the more desper
ate when the effort Is being made to elevate masses
having no experience and therefore only the vaguest
conceptions of the common dcccncics OF civilized
existence 1t is easy for such lie softly and feed
daintily to appreciate the degrading influence of
drink but for those who know only squalor and
hanger foul air and fouler company. the perception
of the evil is very difficult To many thousands OF
these in all cities the saloon Is the cheeriues,
cleanest. most comfortable place they ever enter
and the drink they get there seems to help them ont
of their sOrlid cares and troubles But though this
large class may not easily be led to realize the evil OF
drink the fac. remains that ii is evil and an evil
which has specially ruinOus consequences for then
Aud if they are so bemused by drink that they can
not recognize what /; is doing to RUN them, ii does
not follow argue the advocates of temperance that
they should he left alone to drce their own weird
For il is largely through these unfoitunatcs that
in the United States the drink question has become
one Of politics; that the saloon is an Important
factor in government; that II IL far more power
full factor than the church; and that in this way.
through the medumshp of the most ignorant class
OF the community and the most destroying and de-
grading wee with wi ch humanity ~ afflicted. great
cities are governed thieves are maintained in
power the voice of religion and good morals Is over
borne and stiCd, and all the machinery OF govern
mcnt which was intended to subseryc the cause of
enlightened progress. is perverted and prostitutcd
to the shameful advantage of the worst elements of
the community.
Thus il g ina, all questions of reform, whether
social. moral or political are seen more and more
clearly t. be connected VITA this fundamental prob
lem. and that the best AMI rpe>t Thought OF the
time Is coming TO recognize the necessity Of clearing
the way for permanent elevation of the race by
removing an evil which intrrfcres at every point
with the advance of civIlling agencies. For it Is
clear that all profitable discussion of tn sufcrngs
which result from poverty and oyer-crowdng and
excessive competition and ignorance and the lack of
moral prime piles. must be abortye so long as the
majority Of men give themselves over to an appetite
which at the best Injuries health and wastes money,
and at the worst paralyzes all capacity for advance
meat destroys natural affection. ruins the domestic
relation blasts every prospect in life, incites to
crime ana immortality. Kills the conscience, and
spreads calamity and disgrace everywhere IL is Of
little use to talk of the misery Of the poor while
they are yearly squandering upon drink sums which
If saved would go far to eXtincush pauperism. 1t
Is of little to talk of purer mode, of life while
those whose elevation is sought continue to make
theIn,clyes incapable OF approaching or desiring
such a change by their drinking habits. And It Is
OF nrtc to devise means of reform while govern
uents endure. sustain and encourage the drink
TRACE bv making it an indispensable aad important
sOU zee e revenue
Bal Il il not because an evil is apparent couspcu-
Gus and great that it easily got rid OF. does
oven a general recognition Of its magnitude ncceS-
sarily facilitate its removal The work which
forms the text for this review is the most thorough
and careful study OF the drink question that has APP
pearol. The literature of the question is extensive,
o. Is shown in the fact that this author examined
three thousand works in the of his labors.