The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-05-11
THE SENTIMENT AGAINST RUM.
Indications of Improved Social Conditions
in America.

in America.
While tie annual drink bill of the
United States is appallingly large, it
does not represent such a great degree
of addiction to intoXicants as the annual
rum expenditure of some other coun.
tries. Great Britain is far worse in this
respect than ourselves. The population
of the United Kingdom, by the census
of 1891, was 37,SsS, 1853; ours, in 1S9O,was
CAGES, $50. Our annual drink bill is, in
round numbers, 5000, 000,0 900; the tota
sum spent for beer and spirits in the
United Kingdom, during the year 1891,
was S706, $50. 900 - or about SIG per
head, including women and children.
Hence, bad as our case s,Great Britain's
is worse.
There was an increase during 1891 OF
about $4,000 900 in the total amount
spent for intoxicants; but the friends OF
temperance over there find ground for
hope in the fact that there has been
decided decrease in the amount Of dis
titled liquors used, and ~ mere Hsc in
the quantity of beer. They are hopeful,
also, because they find decrease in the
extent of violent drunkenne.s. The
total amount spent for beer alune last
year was 97S,000, 000-nearly SS9t ,O00,'
900. In commenting upon this, the Lou
don Times says:
1t must be confessed that thost SIS, 600 0)0 fCr
beer are figure that it is hard 10 be proud OF,
1t means that down the national throat thers
flows enough to provide the country with two
navies and two armies, with the civil service
thrown in-or very nearly so. 1t means that the
beer drunk in one year would pay the interest
on the national debt for three, or il funded for
nine years, it would pay the whole debt and
leave us with no more interest or annuities to
pay.
The most hopeful sign, however, OF
an amelioration of the drink evil in
Great Britain is the fact that heavy
drinking is becoming questionable in
that country. This may seem faint
hope to some, but it is more than that.
A century or so ago heavy drinking was
common in the best American society.
We all know the vast change for tho
better that has been worked in this
matter among our own people. Great
Britain is little slower than we are,
that is all. Then fashion is most POI
tent leader. When her decree is given
against drinking, it is very apt to be
obeyed--far more so than the mandate
of the law. Within the past fifteen or
twenty years, it has frequently been re.
marked, there has been an enormous
improvement in habits regarding drink
at the national capital, especially in Of.
fetal life, A similar change has been
going on in all our large cities.
In point of fact, the signs of tho
times all go to show that intemperancs
is steadily being excluded from the
educated and refined portion of our
complex American social life, except
among citizens of foreign birth. The
time is rapidly coming when the habit
of intemperance in the United States
will be confined to the igr orant and un-
educated classes. All hagher in the
social scale will avoid H. The social
ban will be upon the drinking man
not as mere within of fashion, but as a
decree founded on knowledge of the
evils of drink, and on q recognition OF
VIC ldCu tudl VIC man wiz y lcllS w biS
appetite is weak and unworthy OF
recognition as a social equal by men
controlled by reason and Intelligence.
Then will remain fhe problem:
what shall be done 10 save the *.
norant and uneducated lass from this
vice?' This, however, j. but part o!
the problem that is bc'Src MS as re.
public, and in whose Sc ution the con
tiuuance of our government of the
people by the people for the people
must depend. No for'l of popular
government can exist in serpetuity un.
less the voters have reasonable
amount of education and intel igence;
and here is the point to which we wish
to invite special attentiou-thc degree
of educated intelligence needed t.
maintain free government is up to the
plane on which men become their owr
masters, and can be led to see the evils
of the drink habit. SO the problem d
saving the ignorant classes from run
becomes but part of the much wider
problem of the perpetuatlon of free III
StitutiouS-roledo Blade.
hOTEC az TAT MAN