The morning times., 1896-12-29
Our Too Tonic Element.

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Our Too Tonic Element.
Intending celebrants of the day which
Is to mark the advent of the year of
grace, 1897, are affectionately cautioned
TO be mindful of the days after. Wth
many, perhaps too many, it is an an
nuaIy recurring occasion Of pain and
sorrow, and its lessons are easily for
gotten; therefore this warning in advance.
In the American calendar, the second
day of January is the festival of those
sad-vlSaged saints, Remorse and Reform.
The latter is not to be confoundcd with
the starEyed Goddess OF the same maine,
the property OF Mr. Henry Wattrrson: that
pure and radiant being with the whisky
ring on her wedding finger. These lie
saints OF a totally different plumage. VINO
Jointly and severally preside over the
confessions and penances and register
the temporarily honest resolutions OF all
who fifty observe the day; a large but
diminishing number, with qualification he
A. said. So true is this that the time even
may come when these saints VIII have
to spout their halos and retire from the
business. Many excellent and enthusiastic
persons believe that this will happen when
universal prohibitory laws are passed 10y
the national and all other legislatures.
There are others who predict that the
same end Will be accomplished ''0u The
thirty y-second day OF the thirteenth month,
and the eighth day OF the week"
While waiting patiently to see who IS
faction In remembering that the Country
has scored a notable advance in the di-
rection of practical temperance during the
past five and twenty years. For some
time after the close OF the civil war Il
was not as unusual as it ought 10 have
been for gentlemen to provide themselves
with hats OF different sizes 70 suit vary
fng circumstances and conditions. But d
rapid change from that state of things
began TO be observed years ago. At the
present time snakes have considerably
Ioosened their hold on bootlegS; jaguars
do not so much prowl around bachelor
apartments; while the amusing but sug-
gestiye monkey OF azure hue mostly has
retired to his native solitudes.
The altered conditions are not to be ct
tributed to an abatement # temptation.
TIE same number OF Kentucky Kernels
are represented in each drop Of Bourbon
as of yore, and sugar is cheaper; but taste
and fashion apparently have changed
Ever since $50 a diminuendo movement
may be noted in the use of spirituous
liquors in the United states. In that
year the consumption OF distilled spirits
amounted to 2.O7 proof gallons per
capita of the total population; in ] Ss5, it
had fallen to 1.l2 proof gallons. II the
10 900 600 population OF today drank
as much whisky per capita as was inn
bibed twenty->even years ago, the govern
ment might realize sixty odd millions
more OF revenuc for the current year than
Il is likely to from that source.
1t should be statedin this sconnectionthat
while the best government the world ever
saw has been thus suffering in its whisky
interests, the consumption of malt liquors.
which was only 5.31 per capita in 1870,
had grown to l 8 gallons in 1895 1t wa,
as high as 6 gallons in 1SS3, just before
the panic.
The foregoing data may suggest the
reason why the Treasury for some time
has shown a disposition to impose new
burdens upon beer, which appears to have
become the national beverage. The gov
ernment must have revenue. and if the
people stop drinking whisky, taxation will
doubtless follow what they do drink. in
the last extreme, possibly down to soda
water. 1t is impossible 10 say what queer
results might ensue upon q heavy beer
price 10 the consumer, or any material
degradation Of quality at the old price
might perchance send the american peopI.
back to their first love In that case the
dIstilling friends of the Star Eyed wouI.
be opento congratulation, but Virtue woul1
hide her head and mayhap look witt
sorrow upon the American Eagle, as being
not much better than a little Old Crow
While the marked revolution in our drinks
as represented in the transition from spirits
90 beer, does not clearly indicate a wave
OF total abstinence, it would seem to show
q temperance tendency. American beer Of
today is without superior, and nearly with
out rival, abroad. The art Of brewing ha,
made wonderful progress in this country
during the last two decades, and the brew
cries OF the United States lead the worlc
in equipment and scientific appliances
The use Of beer, whether as beverage or
medicinally-deIivered at the house in Ln
lettered wagons-is SO great as to appear
nearly universal
It might be objected, OF course, by ex.
trernists, that cutting in half the whisky
Ner canita while trehJin0 fbat of al