The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-01-01
SPECIOUS ARGUMENTS.

| am greatly interested in the bravo and
noble stand you have taken to "Pulverize the
Rum Power" but as this Temperance move
ment presses on towards its final triumph
new obstacles will be continually thrown in
its way. Here are two questions which have
been propounded, and l would be pleased il
you would discuss them through the Blades
columns.
They say: "How does it come if strong
drinks nre so destructive, that the Germans,
who drink more beer and distilled liquors
than any other nation, are tho healthicst
people? In olden times, when people drank
moro beer and whisky (this was in Norway
and Swcdcn), the men were giants in strength,
and the people were stouter and healthier
than now?'
We infer that there is n general cir
culation Of the statement embodied
in these questions throughout Iowa,
Kansas and Nebraska, as they have
been made to us before. 1t is
hard to say whether those who cir
culate them believe them or not.
Those to whom they are propounded
should at once pose the Questioncr
by asking for the proof, as to
the first question, that tho Germans
are "the healthiest people'-a state
ment untrue in fact; and regarding
the second, by asking Tor the proof
that the Scandinavians of ancient
times drank either whisky or beer
similar to the beer OF the present; for
proof that the mass of that people
were either stouter or healthier than
now; and that there ever was agiant
in strength among them. You will
be surprised to find that they can
give no proof OF any one of these
things. The reason is this: They
are not true in the specific sense in
which they are asserted in these
questions. We challenge any one to
produce the proof of the truth OF the
assertions in the questions submit
ted by our correspondent.
Some general discussion of facts
that are often lost sight of by both
the advocates of Temperance and
their opponents will be found useful
in this connection. First, with re-
gard to the drinking habits of the
people of Germany The Germans
imbihe but comparatively very little
of distilled liquors; their drinks are
beer and light wines. They Use them
as we use tea and coffee-drinking
them with their meals, and not
taking them on an empty stomach.
They do not drink as Americans do
-swill down glass after glass within
O few minutes. The drinking is mod
crate compared with that to which
we are accustomed in America.
AS to the Scandinavians 1.-THE peo-
pie OF Norway and Sweden), it is abb
surd to quote the legendary stories
of their heroes OF emi-historic
period as sober truths. The early
history of all nations shows the
idealization that seems inevitable in
the process of handing down stories
of the prowess and courage of an
cestors. Such stories always in
crease in the telling, and never di.
minish. The doings OF q brave man
are magnified in the course of gen
erations until they become impossi-
bic to a man of ordinary strength
and stature; and then the enlarge
ment goes on by representing the he
70 as giant in size and strength.
Again, the old Scandinavians knew
nothing of whiskey or any other dis
titled liquors. They drank II rude
kind of beer, of which but two things
are certain: One, that it must have
been n horrid slop, and the other.
that it could not, from its mode of
manufacture, have contained nearly
as great u per cent. of alcohol as
modern malt liquors.
The fact must never be lost sight
OF, in estimating the value of facts
bearing on the Temperance question,
that the climate OF the country, the
mode of life, the occupations and
surroundings of the people all have
an important bearing on the effect
of alcoholic liquors upon them. The
people of u country with a cold,
damp climate like that of Great Brit
ain, Scandinavia and Northern Ger
many, can drink with less harmful
results than can the inhabitants of
dry climate (such as ours) or of
any hot country. AS regards occu-
patton, the backwoodsman, whose
lille is passed in the open air, can
drink for years n quantity of liquor
that would kill a city resident. His
example is no rule for the dvspeptic
clerk whose whole life. practically. is
spent in-doors-the day in the store
or office, the night in his room-with
lack OF fresh air and active exer-
tcie.
The point is settled beyond debate
shat the use of rum in any form is.
sooner or later, harmful to the drink
er; that the harm in any liquor is in di-
rect proportion to the quantity of al
cohol contained in it, and to the
amount drank; and that the steady
drinking OF any alcoholic drink is
even worse than periodical drinking;
THAT is, the man who puts alcohol
into his system every day by drink
ing beer, wines or any other form of
rum, does more harm to himself each
year than the man who goes on
periodical "sprees," with intervals in
which he drinks nothing. The testi-
mony of the highest medical author.
tiles of Europe and America is unan-
imous on these points, and they NAV
be justly considered as so thorough
~ established that controversy over
them is out OF the question.
This being the fact. our correspond
ent, and any one else to whom such
silly arguments are advanced, need