Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-04-04
INTEMPERANCE IN GERMANY.
Discussion Of the Subject in the Ger
man Parliament-SpiFit Of the
German Press.


Special Berlin letter translated for the
JoUHSAL from the Deutsche AllRemeine
Zeitung of Chicago.
So many have tried to find plausi-
BILE excuses for the intemperanee
prevailing IN Germany, but this
question is one of such Importance
that the German parliament has
taken it under consideration. 1t IL
possible that during the present.
session a law for the suppression of
intemperance will be earnestly CON
sidered. Much preliminary WORT
; had to be doue to prepare a bill
suitable for the important wgrk.
As early as February, 1883, large
number of petitions were presented
TO the Reichstug praying for the
prevention of the damaging conso
quences which spring from the in
temperate use of ofiRtoxicating liquor.
The petitions were accepted and
considered, and finally were referred
to the chancellor as material from
which he could work ont the proper
legislation.
The question WIS placed before
the grand committee Of the German
confederation, and this committee
put it into the hands of its chair
man, who at once opened an inVes
legation with the different states of
Germany, to consider and make
suggestions as to what might he
done. In January, 1889, these nego-
tiations were completed, but The
ultimate framing of a law was
fraught with much difficulty, be-
cause the ways and means suggested
by the commissaries were of mani
fold variations. Once more negotia-
tions were opened, and only after
this, it became possible to commence
the working out Of this important
law. Recently a very interesting
debate took place In the reichstag,
when the following facts were sub
5tantiated by Herr Kendell, the once
most intimate advisor of Chancellor
Bismarck, He spoke as fQllowsI
According TO the statistics Of DR..
Baer, there are at present 1l,600
persons in hospitals and insane asy-
lums who are suffering with delirium
iremens. There are $4,000 persons
in jails and state prisons, 14,000 of
whom were arrested for crimes COM
mitted under the influence of jntoxi-
eating drink. That means 43 per
cent of all prisoners. Crimes COM
nitted under the influence of liquor
range as followsi Murder In the
first degree, 43, in the second degree,
SO; arsop, AT; larceny, 81; highway
and other robbery, 6S; bodily in
jnries, "a per cent If we add to the
H. 900 and $4,000, 500 more annually
who under the influence of liquor
commit suicide, or are accidentally
800 persons. Before these persons
< have reached the lowest stage OF
dissipation they worry themselves
through long and miserable exist
ence. They ruin wife or hus'
0 band, and give life to children who
a are cursed with desire for strong
n drink and taint of insanity, and
II this is the most terrible side of this
$ destructive habit. BY experience
t we have learned that in hospitals fol
}, the inebriates original cases may he
# cured without much trouble, bul
: persons whose parents have beer
t habitual drunkards will generally
s fall back again even after they haYC
been healed. Drunkenness has
taken a dangerous hold on our peo
Pile. Experience from other coun
tries, where war against intemper
ance is carried Oh, teaches us tha
u only there, where the strong hanC
af the state assists private efforts
U notable results can be achieved.
{ In Sweden and Norway the con
sumption of alcoholic liquor was
reduced to one-siXth part. England,
' several states of Nerth America,
Switzerland and Holland show sim.
liar results. For Germany "a special
: reason exists for giving this question
the closest investigation. All men
who are personally interested IN our
great social political laws, the whole
people, and even the eXchecquer of
the nation, are calling for u reduc-
tion of the number of incorporate
persons. Indeed, the office of the
interior has taken this question into
earnest consideration, and long and
extended correspondence have been
kept up with the different states of
Germany. Several weeks ago the
news circulated in the papers that
the bill for the suppression of intem-
perance had been completed, and
the speaker, Mr.. Kendell, made in-
/ quiry If this rumor WAS true, aud
If such blll would be introduced
at this session of the reiohstag. lap
, plause,
! In answer thereto the secretary of
state Won Boetticher then gave a
comprehensive explanation, assur-
ing the speaker that the bill in ques-
ton will soon be laid before the
reichstag for consideration.
"Because the different state gov
, ernments were consulted in the