The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1890-04-09
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
DEER AND WHISKY.
Conc.c5iva Demonstration Of the Error OF
Popular Notion.

AHc ocicHtinc AMERICAN, paper Oc-
voted entirely to scientific subjects and
eschewing politics. in a recent number
discusses the growing tendency in all
parts OF the country to abandon the use
of whisky and all distilled forms Of rum,
using beer in their stead. The change
is one that has frequently been spoken
of as a step in the direction of the stem
perate USE Of rum, and some have even
gone 80 far as to hail it as an indication
of an improvement of the drinking hab-
its of our people. This view is evident.
ly founded on the idea that beer acts as
a food-an opinion that is utterly
wrong; for all the nutriment there is in
an eight-gallon keg of beer does not
equal that contained in spoonful OF
wheat -four.
Those who hail a change from
whisky-drinking to beer-drinking as an
improvement also fall into the error of
assuming that beer is not so harmful as
are spirituous liquors. This mistake is
clearly demonstrated by the paper
referred to. 1t is to be remembered
that after all possible excuses have
been made for men who drink at all,
the naked fact can not be concealed
that they drink simply from the
stimulus there Is in rum; that this
stimulating principle resides in the
alcohol which all its forms contain,
and without which they would be
simply disgusting Stops, which nobody
would taste; that there are other sub.
stances in each form Of rum, peculiar to
that form, which gave it its distinctive
flavor, aside from the dominating fiery
one OF alcohol, and which substances
are Of themselves harmful, as we'll as is
the alcohol.
AS men drink for the EXPLANATION pro-
duced by the alcohol that any particu-
lar form of tipple they prefer may con-
tain, it follows, as is shown by the ex-
perience of every one, that beer.drink-
ers imbibe beer in immense quantities.
An ordinary glass of beer contains six
or eight times as much liquid as a glass
of whisky, and men drink great mary
more of these large glasses of beer
than they would of the much smaller
glasses Of whisky. As beer contains a
much smaller per cent of alcohol than
does spirits, they are obliged to swill ii
in bulky doses in order to attain the
same degree of excitement and stimu-
lus. They thus get, along with the al
cohol, a very large quantity of the other
chemical compounds which beer con-
tains, and which of themselves are del.
eterious to the human organism; and
the alcohol in the beer facilitates their
absorption into the circulation. As to
their effects upon the system, the jour
nal above quoted says:
'"The use of beer is found to produce a
species Of degeneration of all the organs; pro
found and deceptive fatty deposits. diminished
circulation, conditions Of congestion and per
version Of functional activities local inflamma
lions of both the liver and kidneys are con
stantly present.
k"In appearance the beer-drinker may be the
picture Of health, but in reality he il least cap
able Of resisting disease. A slight injury, Z
severe cold or shock to the body or mind vii
probably provoke acute disease ending fatally
Compared with inebriates who use dificren
kinds Of alcohol, he is more incurable and mor'
generally diseased. The constant use Of Doe
every day gives the system no recuperation
but steadily lowers the vital forces
"It is our observation that beer drinking II
this country produces the very lowest kind o
inebriety, closely allied to criminal insanity
The most dangerous class Of ru1,ans in GU
large cities are beer-drinkers. Recourse T.
beer as n substitute for other forms Of alcohC
merely increases the danger and fatality"
The last paragraph quoted above CON
tains grave fact too often overlooke'
by the general public. The most bruta
and revolving crimes and Offenses ar
those committed by beer-drunkards.
is truth known to all men that the lis
of crimes and brutalities given in tn
daily press is largely due to rum.
A few weeks ago man in Canad
killed his whole family, including tw
little children with an axe, LITERAL
chopping them to pieces. The new
story read: "He was drunk when he di
it." On almost the same day anothe
man in Brooklyn nearly murdered hi
wife and daughter with a huge knife
mangling the daughter frightfully. An
again the story ran: HE was drum
when he did it." 1t would tell star
ling tale of the dangers OF beer-int0!
ication to follow up the lists Of wifi
beatings, cruelty to little children, GU
RACES upon helpless females, and mu
ders in our cities, committed under Il
influence of the demon rum, and asce
tain in each case what the drink W;
that moved the human brute to his di
bolical work. 1t would undoubtedly
found that those who committed Il
most revolving and brutal Of these G
lenses are beer-drinkers.
There can be no distinction made
favor of beer as against other forms
rum. In point Of fact the diseased co
ditions of body and mind which are Il
self-imposcd fate of the beer-drunka
are worse, if that is possible, than tho
which make the penalty of the whisk
drinker. Certainly the effects upon Il
mind and the moral nature are wors
for the mental facilities are blunte
while the moral side is hopelcssly pt
verified. 1t will not do to say that on
men who are brutal by nature becor
the victims Of beer; tho brutality al
stupidity of tho chronic beer-drunka
must be due to the beer ITSELF T
friends of Temperance can make
greater mistake than to favor beer
an alternative for other kinds of ru
drinking. Blade.
AN EXCELLENT NOTION.
Horace Greelcy's First Temperance Me-