The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-22
The Evil of Beer-Drinking.

The following extract calling attention
to the insiduous power of the beer
drinking habit is timely: There are
many well meaning and professedly
Christian men who see no danger in the
feeders and rather advocate the use of a
beverage which is found to be the great
est of all appetizera for rum and gin.
We speak of beer. The reason many
indirectly advocate its use is obvious, as
we have learned in many ways since our
last two articles on hop growing. One
editor whose subscription list is increased
somewhat by the space devoted to the
hop market, has taken US to task, and
in one breath says he would like to
make the paper a temperance organ, but
it would not receive the proper support,
and in the next proceeds to speak elo-
quently OF pure beer,' etc. Another
friend urges that 'as hops in no way
injure the quality of beer" therefore,
the business, as carried on, is perfectly
legitimate. Another says that if men
drank beer the traffic in rum would de-
crease.
This, perhaps too lengthy article, Is
not penned for the purpose of censure
nor debate, burt to eorrec:, if possible,
an erroneous view taken in regard to
the use OF beer. Our friends may be
sincere but the facts will not bear them
outsin their oft-repeated statements.
The rum-seller does not go out into
the streets inviting young men to take
of his soul-destroying beverage. Very
few beginners could be induced to burn
their throats with the stronger drinks.
They must be educated to it by degrees.
/ The vast traffic in alcohol has been
chiefly built up by the brewers. Tens
of thousands who never think of slipping
brandy will drink beer, for it is thought
| to be mild and comparatively harmless.
| Every rumseller knows these men are
deceived. They know alcohol is in beer
/ and they put it in there purposely.
They want young men to believe that
beer is harmless, but they are particular
/ 10 make it otherwise. With just enough
of alcohol in it to create an appetite for
something stronger, they know when q
man begins its use he is their victim.
They have gone about this wicked busi-
ness Systematically and physiologically,
and with beer gardens and beer saloons
at every corner and even stretching out
into the woods for the benefit of nearly
every Sunday y-schooi picnic, their work
is complete With beer in every bill
lard hail, skating rink, and dance room,
with beer in nearly every city grocery
and in ten thousand country stores, of
fered a. premium to their customers,
the rumsellers know that for every sixty
thousand they kill annually, there will
be many more than that number of new
recruits
Statistics will show that the increased
use of beer has corresp ponding increase
in The use OF rum. Beer-venders begin
the work of desolation and rum-sellers
complete it.
We said rum-sellers do not go out
soliciting customers, but beer-sellers
do, and are very successful Having
captured their bird they hand him ovei
to the rum seller with a hellish smile
!, that is full of meaning.
4 Fathers, mothers, beware of the mar
who offers your boy beer or tells him i
is harmless. He is either ignorant or .
well-paid emissarv of the rum demon.-
HI. ID. Clarke, in Sabbath Recorder.