New-York tribune., 1896-01-19
poyAL ABSTEMIOUSNESS..
nR1rNKENNEss CONDEMNED AS BAD

..,otaer the amount Of crime and insanity due
y. tho abuse Of stmulants shows any serious
tens Of decline. yet they are perfectly agreed
,,non one significant and gratifying fact. name
10 that drunkenness is each year becoming
more and more restricted to the ignorant and
novertv stricken masses. occupying the lowest
segrees of the social and intellectual scale
while this Is manfesty attributable, in the
main 10 the extraordinary progress and rapid
extension Of popular educa lion since the last
,bree or four decades. 1t Is likewise due, in no
email measure. to the example set by those
who. as sovereigns and as princes OF the blood
NAV be Justly regarded leading the fasn-
ions. influencing the manners, and acting as
arb,ters of society in monarchical countries.
Inebriety is no longer fashionable. it was
In the times OF their fathers and grandfathers
whom a man who went to bed sober was re-
garded with distrust a moral anomaly. and
the diner who could not put away at least his
three bottles Of port at a sitting as unworthy
Of the title of gentleman. To-day drunkenness
ia condemned as bad form and society, instead
of viewing IT with favor even with good
natured Indulgence, frowns upon ii with every
manifestation of disgust and even anger. For
this radical transformation of an old-time Gus
tom and fashion. Europe is indebted 10 those
who act as It's leaders in such matters namely,
the Anointed of the Lord
Abstemiousness constitutes to-day the pre-
dominant note at every one of the royal and
,mperial courts Of the Old World. and the
rulers who now occupy the thrones OF Eu-
rope are as distinguished for their tenn
perance alike in drinking and eating as
their predecessors were the reverse. 1hus
King Humbert restricts himself To wine
diluted with water. whereas his father King
Victor Emmanuel. the Re Gallant 'uomo
was wont to indulge in drunken carouses with
his morganatic wife the Samekeepers daugn-
ter Rosna whom he created Countess or Mira
fore and who used when nebriated TO respond
10 his blows by hurting the crockery at his
head Emperor Francis Joseph's favorite beV-
eraee is Pllscner beer which is served to him
even at the grandest Of State banquets, al the
court of Vienna He drinks but little wine al
though the Imperial cellars are the most cele-
brated in the world. Indeed it is TO his abb
stemiousness that he is chiefly indebted for
the remarkable preservation of his elasticity.
OF his physical as well as mental vigor and of
his health; this, too in spite of far heavier
succession Of nnisfortunes. national. as well as
domestic than fall to the share of most men
His predecessor on the throne, the semi-imbecile
Emperor Ferdinand. was renowned Tor MS
drunken habits. and it is no secret that the
APPALLING fits OF epilepsy which wrecked Ais
mind and rendered his abdication imperative
were in the most cases. the result or an eN-
cessive indulgence in what are described as
"the pleasures Of the table
AN IMPROVEMENT IN BAVARIA
The insanity that made necessary the removal
Of the late King Louis from the Bavaiian throne
and that resulted in his tragic death. was ac-
cording to the official diagnosis or the meuicai
authorities. superinduced by alcoholism ana
under the circumstances those who were his sub
jects may rejoice that they are now governed by
a Regent who in spite Of his deriving large
proportion Of his revenue, official as we'll as pri-
vate. from the brewing and sale Of beer is not
only temperate himself, but has also inculcated
this particular virtue to his sons and grandchil-
dren. In the adjoining kingdom of Wurten-
burg a young and brilliant cavalry officer who.
even when serving with his Hussar regiment.
was noted for his reluctance to participate in the
drinking bouts Of his fellow-offcers at mess. has
taken the place Of the gross. sensual and semi
demen:ed King Charles, who would have been
deposed over and over again by his disgusted
l,eees had it not been for the care OF his clever
Russian wife, who practically governed the coun-
try after he had become mentally lin balanced
through inebriety. The present Grand-duke OF
Baden succeeded TO brother who was deposed
for lunacy due to the same causes. while the
closing scenes Of the long life of old King John
of Saxony were sad diened for his relatives and
friends by the preparation Of number OF as
founding freaks that could only be attributed 70
an excessive indulgence in stimuants. Indeed,
the most extraordinary stories were current at
the court Of Dresden at the time OF his demise,
one foreign envoy leaving the Saxon capital at
q few hours notice in consequence of the gross
lob fha oh hol h.
iected the diplomats daughter at state ball.
while there are many who assert that the King
survived for several years what they allege TO
have been merely his mock funeral and that he
wes kept under restraint, incurable maniac.
in a monastery situated in the loneliest portion
O. the mountain region Of Saxon Switzerland
Those who have had the opportunity of glanc-
ing over the illustrated and comic papers of the
ffties may possibly recall to mind the cartoons
md caricatures which were published. especially
by Punch" at the time OF the international
congress held at Paris at the close OF the Crimean
war 10 Prussia allowed no share or rep
resentation in the proceedings on the ground that
she was not entitled to rank as one OF the Great
Powers Of Europe, and the cartoons represent
the Prussian King. Frederick William ~. clam
oring in vain for admission to the congress- IN
state Of manifest inebriety. with his crown
cooked on one side Of his head severai chaih-
payne bottles under his arm. his race unnamed
and his uniform unbuttoned. while the door
keeper Is urging him TO ''go home on the grouno
that he had been dining mot wisely, but 100
we'll" Sad to relate. this was no overdra"h
picture In 50 far as the habits OF the Prussia"
sovereign Of that day were concerned his eA-
cesses at the table were such that the most eH-
traordinary scenes and incidents would ehsue
during the receptions and balls that followed 'he
court dinners the King being subject 10 aii so'
Of drunken Authorizations. some OF which "e'e
ludicrous and others Of exceedingly painfui cha'
acter. 1t must be said, however. In excuse io'
this poor King who passed the last Two year.