Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-11-14
LIGHT STIMULAETS.
An Experiment With the Native Wines
of California.

An Experiment with the Native Wines
of California.
st. Paul Pioneer Press.
An experiment now being tried in San
Francisco indicates one of the directions
which temperance reform for the future
will follow. 1t is reported that aome of
the liquor dealers of that city, mindful
of the cheapness of light wines on the
Pacific coast, have placed them on sale
at five cents glass. The wines them.
selves are excellent, the wholesale cost is
such rs to leave g handsome sum as
profit, while the substitution OF pure
native wine for adulterated importatlons,
and more particularly for the stronger
and more distinctly alcoholic beverages
comm only IN use, will be substantial
movement toward reform. Il is said
that the result so far, in saloons where
wines are on sale at these prices, is to
diminish the consumption of beer and
increase that of wine. 1t ls not, however,
with beer that good wine sold at such
prices would chiefly compete. Beer and
wine could effectively join as allies in
driving out the high stimulants whose
liberal consumption has been curse to
humanity. The increase of the beer
drinking habit has done much in this
direction already. Everybody knows
that less whisky is drank than few
years ago, and that beer has taken It's
place. The provision of pure, cheap
and wholesome native wine would go
immensely farther in promoting the
decrease of intemperance. It is the
alcohol habit that kills. 1t is this to
which natives OF the more rigorous
climates become easily addicted, and
which acts upon them with fatal effect.
people have legislated severely, and for
the suppression of which Switzerland
has just ammended her constitution IN
important particulars. 1t is this, in the
shape of addiction to gin and the coarser
alcoholic drinks, that has long debased
large classes OF people III England. 1t
is this which has wrought with fatal
effect upon the nervous constitution of
the typical American. Ii has 10 ce ac-
knowledged that people will drink more
or less OF stimulandts. There can be no
more practical reform than one which
consist in inducing them to resort to
such as are less harmful. The abund-
obSo VI oucaP auu Boou "lueS III france
has preserved that people from excess
in the vice of intemperance. The beer
of the German has stood between him
and the temptation of alcohol, to which
race of his kind are SO easily prey. AS
the greater prevalence of beer drinking
in this country has been accom-.
panied by relative diminutiou in the
constituency OF whisky and other more
powerful stimulants, so would larger
provision of wholesome native wines at
low prices do much to lessen intoxica.
tion and to weaken the habit of intem-
perate drinking. The future of this
country as wine producer is not ye,
appreciated. Many other states are
well fitted tor the production of COM
moner grades, as California is for that
of some brands that will stand compar
ison with anything except the higl
priced and famous fermenlations of old
world vineyards. Good, pure wine sci
dom makes drHnkards. It will be q
great gain when that shall be substitut
ed for large share of the stimulante
now consumed annually by our peopl.
| with such unhappy results.