The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-03-22
All Use OF Wine Condemned.

To the Editor: Sir-A writer who styles
herself "a temperance woman, but not
teetotaler," recently filled two-thirds Of q
column on the Woman's Page in the New
York Tribune with suggestions as to tho
kinds Of wine and the manner Of serving
the same.
Growing enthusiastic with her subject,
she arabes qued 1t with the sparkle OF Gilt
and cut glass, Bohemian and Roman, and
lntil the reader Is reminded OF descriptions
Of bacchanalian feasts In the history Of the
lead nations.
Her advice Is decidedly belated; It does
1ot fit the intelligence Of our times. Chem
lstry shows that the "o1e" wine, red or
white" which this writer says should ba
1sed "straight through" a home dinner
contains varying percentage OF alcohol.
Whether there be In this wine much or IT.
tie alcohol, the character o. that alcohol Is
the same. It is an .irritant, narcotic pol
son. It's best friends cannot deny that Il
has the power, when taken even in small
Quantities, to create progressive. uncon-
trollable and destructive appetite for more.
This appetite grows stealthily upon the
drinker. The ability to resist 1t varies with
the individual, and Is dependent upon
physical conditions, in which hereidity is
powerful factor. John B. Cough said,
"My father could be moderate drinker.
but can be only total abstalner or q
gutter drunkard."
The qualification OF this appetite ends In
Drunkenness, crime, poverty, misery and
madness. Therefore, the family or indi-
vldual who is drinking the rad or white
wine which this so-calleh temperance
woman recommends for tie daily home
dinner Is trying very dangerous expert
ment. Eighty-fouI per cent. OF our GRIM
lnals, seventy-hve per cent. Of our paupers,
fifty per cent. OF the inmates OF our insane
asylums began their careers with so-called
moderate drinking. No human being can
toresee when he begins where such tippling
will lald him. He IS dealing In futures,
with no knowledge OF his chances beyond
the factthat the drink he Is imblblng has
an enticlng power for destruction; but this
Tact he generally ignores. a
Modern chemistry shows that the four
kinds OF wine this writer would have
served with more formal course dinner
are the came sort Of liquors. differing only
In flavor and ths amount OF alcohol they
contain. Providing for guests four differ
ant kinds OF poisonous drinks which have
the power for harm that alcohol has Is, to
say the least,,'a barbarian sort Of hospital.
lty, relic OF the days that had not the
light OF modern science.
Through 1tS action : ON SA8 nerves anu
Drain, alcohol, Of all agents,ts the most
powerful for the destruction Of those quail
ties OF mind and character that make =
people capable OF self-government. It ts,
therefore, the most dangerous Of all foes
to our free institutions. which rast upon
the capacity Of our people for self.govern,
ment.
To follow this wine-bibbing advice is an
Invitation to disaster to that which We hold
most dear-liberty under law. The ca
pacity for government OF the American
people will stand the strain or the colonial
expansion has thrust upon US, II alcohol fs
abolished from our habits. Commenting
on this probability, Adolph Flick. professor
Of physiology in Wurtzburg University,
Germany, In public lecture said:
"There Is good reason for asserting that
The Anglo-Saxon race at no very distant
day will free itself from the yoke OF alco.
..hol. Whether 1t will then fbs possible for
those races still submittingFto its use to
compete with the Anglo-sexoi IN their
economical pursuits Is question to &c
thoughtfuRy considered"
MARY q. HUNT.