The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-11-02
TURKS AS DRINKERS.
Growth of the Use of Intoxicants Among
She Mohammedans.

Growth of the Use of Intoxicants Among
She Mohammedans.
1t is probably known to all that the
koran-the Bible of the Mohammedan
world-prohibits strictly the use of
wine (which is held to include all other
intoxicants); and that no faithful fol-
lower of the prophet can indulge in
intemperance. The fact that the camel
driver of Mecca was shrewd enough to
impose this condition upon the faithful
accounts to some extent for the tremen-
dous power of the Mohammedan en-
pire Tie faith was propagated by the
sword, and the conquering armies of
the Saracen caliphs were composed en-
tirely of temperance men. Their
physical powers were not Slapped by the
drink habit; their bodies were not ener-
waited by being liquor-soaked. Their
fatalistic creed inculcates the doctrine
that no man can die until the time
arrives which Allah has decreed; and
hence they marched into battle in the
full belief that no man could be killed
unless that was his death hour, so de-
creed from the beginning. Recklessly
brave from this belief, capable of tre-
mendous endurance because of their
abstemious habits, they entered upon
career of conquest that came near over
whelming all Europe. Had not the
Christian hosts under Charles Martel
stayed the wave of Saracen incursion
under the walls of Vienna, the cross
would probably have gone down before
the crescent, and the civilized world
yielded allegiance to Mona amed
rather than Christ.
But the burning zeal Of those days
has vanished. The Mohammedai of
to-day does not feel the fanatic feyvor
of his forefathers. He complies with
the forms of his religion because he
was born in them, rather than from
conviction. His religion is a mere form
alism; and hence he falls a ready
prey to temptation. 1t has for years
been the testimony of travellers that
Mohammedans do not hesitate to drink
intoxicants whenever they have oppor-
tunity. Now it is said that the Turks
are yielding more and more to the
pleasures of drink. Though the mol
labs interpret the prohibition of the
koran against wine distilled liquors
had not been invented when the koran
was written, and beer was known,
orohab,v only IN the wild tribes of
-, a. ..a III -
tor;c,t;ng liouors tie Journalist Turk
saws tho Iora n onlv nrobib;ts wine. and
.harofora ha NOV dr;rl, oil otber Iiouors
ns,vsnaner n,r,rr,nb has this.
Pow Dr Fne,ish states. .srbe arunr.nress
is rapidly spreading among every class Of PEG.
pie poor and rich, and yet oficials are the VIC
tins OF the giant rakL' A gentleman VINO llved
.wenty,hve Years IN h s'y ,So .rcais
bahitnaI drnnlards Pious and learned classes
drink; not in public but in secret 1t is hard to
see group OF Turks in house or outside pub
nc places wi.nous raks Ina. ness ,u aiconoilo
character, and end, the pleasant gathering with
quarrels and many times with blood 1t is q
horrible scene to see them in the streets sing
ing eursing hurranlng anu lnsul'lng ana peat
them the ,' have seen them many times whils
under the effect of raki, enter Christian houses
and demand more rakt Drinking has no limit
Tor them; they drink untli they become horri'
TO Arrest them or nreyent their insults It s
positive fact that Turks are going so far as to
surprise Europeans and Americans, who con
slider the Turks the most temperate people IN
no, ,or the rrssent and tu,nrs ''''' "s' ou'
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