The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-08-28

think that such society as the PrOtec-
tive Liquor Dealers Association should
voluntarily tax itself for such scheme.
But then they have felt the indignities
of their lot in this country. They have
suffered much from social martyrdom
they are never invited to take seats on
the platform at public meetings-even
political ones; they do not lead in church
or State, or even in social life, and the
iron has entered their souls. Their
brethren in Europe, they affirm, are at
the head and front of society, and they
are willing to tax themselves literally,
even extravagantly, that they may be-
come so in this country. Just how they
are to effect this great reformation, we
are not told. Probably they will begin
by all signing the pledge-this of itself
would go long way then they will
join the White Cross Society in body,
publicly, and what a boom this will
give that society! Probably the church
will next receive their attention then
the Society for the prevention of cruel
ty; and possibly they will end by pat
ronizing even the Audubon Societies.
Anyway they are after the complete
respect of their fellow-men, and these
things are all aids in that direction.
But as this large, new scheme is still
in it's infancy and no great things can
be hoped from it at once, it will per-
haps be well to consider what the duty
of other portions of the community is
in regard to this most important mat
ter, as it will hardly do to trust the
whole matter of temperance work to
this class, large and influential as it is.
And in reading reports from the cOun-
tries of Europe spoken of by these liq
uOr dealers, one does not get a great
deal of encouragement for the temper
aDce cause, even though the dealers
there are at the very head and front of
society and have the unbounded respect
| of the communities. IL Switzerland
| these same righteous dealers seem to
have brought things to such pass that
very radical measures have been forced
upon the government to check the fear
ful decentralization of the people, aris-
! ing from almost universal drunken
ness. a commission, appointed by the
| government to investigate the causes
| Of ftlf or q Of T.
. That in some districts of Switzerland
wherein the peasantry were formerly
noted for their energy and thrift, large
numbers of the people have become
| lazy, shiftless and besotted, and great
numbers of completeness have been
| dissipated away, leaving behind uni
versal degree of poverty of kind which
! has engendered crimes of violence, COM
paratively unknown in the districts for
| merly." They also aver "that most of
| the unusual poverty, which has of late
been driving the young generation by
| thousands to America, is directly trace
! able to the decay brought about by the
! common habit of drunkenness, intro
duced among the heads of families af-
! ter the inauguration Ct the era Of cheap
rum" The commission cites scores of
cases in which entire estates have been
squandered away by intemperance, leav
ing the children nothing but debt, pau
perism or flight" They recommended, ,
and the Federal Council at once de-
creed, 4" SO high duty on imported
brandies as to ea3solutly prohibitory. >,
As most of the drunkenness in Swift
zerland has been caused by the use of
! the cheap French hrandies with which
! the country has been flooded in recent
years, hopes are entertained that some
check will be placed upon the evil by
their virtual exclusion from the coun-
try. 1t is really too bad that such re-
spectacle dealers should cause such
havoc in a country, but the facts seem
TO be indisputable in this case. Then
there is Russia, a country in a complete
ferment over this question of drunken
ness, which is an almost universal vice
there, Even the Gar has been forced
to set up as temperance reformer and
inaugurate a crusade against drunken
ness in his dominions. He also has had
a commission, who recommended ''that
there be but one clearinghouse in
any village, and councils of several viii
lagos may agree to have but one in two
or more villages that are near together.
In every public clearinghouse, tea,
coffee, and other temperance drinks,
shall be kept for sale, and liberal sup
ply of cCid water kept for the free use
of VISITORS The recommendations
which follow these are certainly of a
commendable character, and might well
be adopted by other countries than Rus
sia. ANY person found drunk about a
drinking-hOuse shall be arrested and
punished and any keeper of a house,
found guilty of selling liquor to a per-
son intoxicated, or one who is habitu-
ated to drunkenness, shall be liable to
discharge. fine and Imprisonment. If
disOrderly scenes occur in any village
on account Of drinking, it shall be the
duty of the provincial government to