Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-10-29
THE scoURoE OF FRANCE.


Life.
Tho fol1o,,,;nor ;s q +r.,,sl.+;o,, ~ an
arllcie "hich aPPeareo IN Le fels
journal, which is the most largely cir
culated of Partisan da w newspapers.
its saias avarag;no somathing life nina
80, .,,,I,,s.,5 rs,.sos ~. -, A.,
unuiSu en'u9anu SoPies Po. uaS,
article IN SO widely circulated journal
certainly must tell the truth:
II has heen said with tuth that ~ ALI
the dangers menacino our agricuItnral nonula.
tion AZ the present dav the gravest and The
most dtfienlt l., aght against ia alcoholism.
No one can have been a resident Of a country
district without being struck with the devei
onment Of this seourge during the last thirty
wears the deniorable effects of which are every
where visible
The habit Of saving that was 40 long the
strength and the glory Of our tillers Of the
soil h graduallv dissnnear,ng the money
box Of the liquor seller swallows up. sous bv
sous the wages that formerly in the form OF
silver nieces were hidden away IN some corner
OF the clothes press TO be brought out when
enough was accumulated TO buy a little piece
OF ground.
The peace and harmony OF families "a se-
riouslv iinnnired. In the villages the women
are reduced. like the wives of worlxmen In the
towns to haunt the doors of the drink shop
in order 10 rescue the bread Of their children
from the alcoholic gulf. In most OF our ham
let's the drunkard. who was formerly the ex-
ception, has multiplied by contagion.
Once the peasant never entered the cabaret
exeep. on q Sanuay 70 lelsurely SIP rev h'res
ha,vIs Sar the scot Tosdsy when Iais .nd
when going to work, whether It IS holiday or
not, the rural lsborer never meets a eomrade
without inviting nm 70 take agiass-a glass
o :, s LAS - means y ua ,wo sor !.
civility TO call for another. and IL as often
happens, friends drop in. each one treats
IN ms turn; until the man, who came In Just TO
@e a, mp y ss o a,s Win napins
ated This euzzling of spirts fand what
spirits for the country tavern-keepers do
not hesitate TO sell the most fright
ial mlx.Srss LOT gam Is not rare occurrence.
last extreme.
When young man begins drinking, only 10
do like the rest, habit soon makes 1t a neces-
sity' ana rapidly ne becomes lmoruted- The
"a ,~oOrsn = Saiy wlns 70 work ior
rousals. Deprived Of liquor. he is stupid and
brutal; when drunk he is transformed into
savage beast Tied TO this animal, who covers
nsr WIN lows anu even refuses 70 give her
times tass ~ rn in har turn 81 ,a,,oS ~,
worse for the children They viii follow the
example OF their parents.
+, No more terrible picture was ever
drawn from actual life than the above.
1t seems that a revolution is going on in
Franee-a revolution which is de-
stroying the one class of her people
who have been her stability and the
foundation stone on which she has
r,arrpf kaAnt ~ III
mighty nation,
The agricultural class referred to
above are the ones who, going to their
secret boards, poured into the lap Of
the nation those milliards Of francs
which were required not only to meet
the expenses of the war with Germany
until the capitslation of Paris but
then to pay the unexampled war in
demnity which that country exacted as
the price of peace. Great as was the
rapidity with which the United States
recuperated after the civil war. and
paid off the larger portion of her inn
mense war debt. it was but child's play
in comparison with what France did
after the Franco Prussian war No
other country ever had rural popula-
ton who could respond to such enor-
nous demands by pouring into the ma
tons purse their accumulated savings. |
If the article above quoted from lie |
Petit Journal be true-and we have.
unfortunately. no doubt but that it is |
correct-the rum curse has fallen upon
this industrious aud saving class. From |
a nation of thrifty and frugal and hard |
working men. they have become drunk |
en- and debauched: working only to OBJ |
tain money wherewith to continue |
their potations. and even starv- /
ing their wives and children
In order to do so. In place of |
the peasants wife having laid up.
in some snug corner, a bulky accumu- /
lation of silver coins. saved piece bv
piece. wherewith to purchase a bit Of /
land and become an independent free
holder. she is obliged to 90 and wait at
the door of the VILLAGE wineshou in or