Los Angeles daily herald., 1884-11-14
TEMPERANCE AND PROHIBITION
opinion OF Charles A. wctmore.


Mr Charles A. wetmore, the Chief viii
cultural oaicer Of the California vitieuit
urai Association, In his semisnnuai address
before that association, devoies a portion OF
his address to the confederation OF the Pro
hibltIon question in the following sensible
reflections:
Present efforts Of those who aim 10 dimin-
ish the occasional evils Of intemperance
are conducted on the principle that the
many who are Innocent shall wear straight
| Jackets IN order that the foolish few may be
restrained. The mate disposition for The
preservation Of personal liberty compols the
many to assume In part the attitude OF de
Tending Intempcraiice. Wise regulations
for the prevention OF alcoholic
abuses. Without interfering with the per
sonal liberty Of those who require no legal
restraints would meet with the cordial sup
port of the great majority OF viticulturlsts
These latter would not be 80 foolish as to
anticipate any millennium, nor to imagine
that criminal indugences would be much
less marked In the general average Of the
people than they are now Ia the ranks OF
totil abstainers No real progress can be
nude In reforming Incorporate habits with
out curing. intemperance Itself which
IL habit Of undisclplined mind,
rather than any particular method OF
exposing the same Ihe so,called intem,
abuse Of alcoholic drinks, Is only one phase
Of Incorporate life; restraint Of one means
Of selfindulgence does not cure the com
piaint. The abuse Of alcoholic drinks in
deed often Is induced by disordered phys
icil aud nervous conditions Of health, due
either to oyerwOrk, periods OF abstinence
aud poor nutrition, continued and Irregular
ftsts of mind In respect TO social inter
course. Hedentnry occupations In badly
ventilated apartments, with long lasts he.
tween morning and evening meals, and
| their attendant conscquences-torpldity oi
| ntttril appetite, low spirits, hendaches,
| aud biliousness, enforced idleness for active
| minds, aud unrestrnined criminal desires.
| The evils In these cases lie deeper than In
| the occasional or habitual abuse OF alcoholic
| stimulants and the habit OF drinking sound
| dry wines at meals would cure most OF these,
or alleviate the mlsfOrtunes that arise from
unequal burdens OF life. III many cases an
uncomfortable tendency to alcoholic ex.
| cesses might be cured by the administration
| Of dose OF calomel and qninine, followed
| by the free use Of claret and water ut meals
and repetition Of the anti.bilious treatment
rs the tendency to intcmperance. recurs.
| II IL to the physicians and scientific stu
| dents OF life, who do not expect any millen-
| MUM that society should look for the reform
| OF alcoholic abuses; aud to the wholesome
restraints and discipline OF youth Ia homes
| that permanent progress In social growth
| and healthiulness must be traced.
As to criminal acts committed during al.
| cohOlic excesses, we may assume that lnten-
perance Is the result Of criminal conditions
| OF the mind, which sets no restraints upon
ambition and desire. As to insanity, who
can tell whether 1t Is not the insane disposi-
tion that leads to alcoholism
A society for the promotion OF temperance
from truly scientific standpoints, and from
the Incorporate desire to use political power
| contrary to the best interests Of the develop
ment Of Individual character should be or
gunized In this country. No better model
| for study could be found than the society
which now ilourlshes In France, while much
might be added to It's scope In the way of
disseminating public information, and re-
viving parental control aud discipline
our industry Is forced to consideration
of these questions, not only In self-defense
against erratlc and impractical reformers,
but also because our success largely depends
upon the general good and prosperity of the
people.