The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-23
TEMPERANCE REFORM.

Mr.. Charles Francis Adams, in his new
book on New England history. makes 1t
clear that intemperance pervaded all
classes of New England people in the
colonial period, from the clergy to the
pauper. In the earliest days beer brewed
from barley malt was the usual table bev.
erage, the ordinary free use of which had
been brought over from England. Cider
afterwards became the table beverage and
as early as 1886 Increase Mather in a SER
mon bewailed the fact that in slater years
a kind of strong drink called rum has
been common among us which the poorer
sort of people, both in town and country,
can make themselves drunk with. They
that are poor and wicked, too, can for a
penny or two-pence make themselves
drunk; l wish to the Lord some remedy
may be thought of for the prevention OF
this evil"
For a century and half rum was the
bane of New England. John Adams. as
early as 1900. declares that the public
houses, frequented as they were by
"tippling, nasty, vicious crew." had be-
there were many who could ''pe induced
by dip and rum to vote for any man what
ever" For seventy years after in the
town in which John Adams lived in every
store in which West India goods were
sold, and no other kind Of atore existed,
casks of Jamaica and New England rum,
gin and brandy stood behind the counter.
Their contents were sold by the gallon,
the bottle or the glass. They were carried
away or drunk on the spot. "Among
laboring men rum was served out as a
regular ration, and during the earlier
years of the present century a gallon OF it
a month was considered q fair allowance
for each field hand. 1t was used especially
during the haying season and at hog kill
ing: for the latter it was mixed with
molasses and known as 'black strap"
while compounded for the former with
cider the product was called "stonewali."
Rum seems, indeed, to have been an
essential ingredient in every form of rural
festivity rs well as labor.
Even as late as 1888 it was voted in
Quincy town meeting that "the paupers
be allowed temperate use of ardent
spirits when they work on the road or
farm" while about the same time dis
tinguished Massachusetts, divine gave as
his reason for joining actively in the tenn
perance movement then among his breth-
rem in the ministry, "he knew forty-four
who drank so much as 10 affect their
brains, and he had assisted in putting
four to bed on occasions ike ordinations.
Men broke down in middle life, dying of
kidney and bladder troubles, or living
with running sore. which could not be
closed. Mr.. Adams has found that it was
common for fathers or mothers to die at
| an age between 10 and so Referring to
the frequent cases of Bught's disease
brought to his notice during the latter
part Of his life. the last and shrewdest
medical practitioner in Quincy of the old
country doctor school was won't to remark
/ fifty years: but, lie added, they used 10
call it dropsy and the patients died"
We are only fifty years distant from the
dsy when the use Of alcohol was almost
universal in New England; when il was
everywhere for sale; when the clergy
were not ashamed 10 get drunk; when in
toxication in the pulpit was not violently
denounced by the congregation. when the
service Of liquor st funerals Was uuiver-
sal. The. cause OF temperance reform has
made enormous strides during the last
atty years, and today II IS not true that M
temperance IS increasing.