Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-11-10
TURKS AS DRINKERS.
Growth of the Use of Intoxicants Among
the Mohammedans.

the 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. The faith was propagated by the
sword, and the conquering armies OF
the Saraeen caliphs were composed en-
tIrely of temperance men. Their
physical powers were not sapped by the
drink habit: their bodies were not ener.
waited by being liquor-soal1ed. Then
fatalistic creed inculeates 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 Reeklessly
brave from this belief, capable of ire
mendous endurance because OF their
abstemious habits, they entered upon a
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
~. \
rather than Christ.
But the burning zeal of those days
has vanished. The Mohammedan OF
to-day does not feel the fanatic fervor
of his forefathers. He complies with
the forms of his religion because he
was born in them, rather than from
conviction. His religion is mere form
alism and hence he falls a ready
prey TO temptation. II 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 moro 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,
probably, only to the wild tribes of
northern Germany to extend to all in,
toxicating liquors, the Journalist Turk
says the koran only prohibits wine, and
therefore he may drink all other liquors.
A newspaper paragraph has this:
Rev DIR. English states; "The drunkenness
Is rapidly spreading among every class OF PEG.
pie, poor and rich and yet officials are the vic.
Tins OF the giant raki a gentleman who lived
twenty-five years in Turkey says: "Dr. English
tells the truth when he states that officials are
habitual drunxards Pious and learned classes
drink; moi in public but in secret II Is hard ic
see group OF Turks in a house or outside pub
lie places without rali That fiery alcoholic
liquor gives more wildness to their savage
character, and ends the pleasant gathering with
ounrrels and many times with blood. II is
horrible scene 10 see them in the streets sing
ing, cursing, hurrahing and insulting and beat
ing the Christians unfortunately coming across
them. have seen them many times, while
under the effect Of raki, enter Christian houses
and demand more rald Drinking has no limit
FOR them. they drink until they become horri-
bly, and perfectly stupefied. There is no police
10 arrest them or prevent their insults II is a
positive fact that Turks are going so far as to
slider the Turks the most temperate people in
the world. Il was truth many years ago, but
not for the present and future
Raki is fiery brandy. originally
made in Russia. 1t has spread over
the east and the Turks have learned
the method of making it. Perhaps ral1i
may yet be the proximate cause OF the
fan of European Turkey. and through
its means Russia may plant herself on
the shores of the Bosphorus. and fix the !
seat of her empire in the imperial city
of Constantine. As total abstinence
from intoxicants was one of the factors [
which made the Turkish empire one
OF the mightiest nations in the world. 1
among her people may |
well become factor in her decline /
and fall. and the eventual Punishment /
Of the ''unspeakable Turk" from Eu- 4
rope. The history of the world is fun 4
OF examples of a hardy. abstemious I
people. of warlike proclivities, extend (
ing their boundaries. and becoming the 4
founders of a mighty empire. only to
have it overthrown because their de- /
seendants, grown rich and mighty 4
yielded to the great vices of mankind,
among which intemperance is not the
least and fell before the victorious
arms of some enemy. Turkey has been
declining in power for the last century,
and more. and the growth of intemper-
ance among her people means that her
decline viii be still more rapid IN the
future. We of America should take
warning by the example of history, and
tanish from among our people the one