The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-10
COMPULSORY BEER DRINKING.
Novel Temperance Lecture BY the Rector q
the University of Bonn.

Novel Temperance Lecture BY the Rector Of
the University of Bonn.
Par CorrtsI Ondsnee OF the urrisr d,S Flats Unis.
1t is not in the United States alone that the
question Of alcoholism troubles those who think
seriously Of the welfare the health and the sreng
of the young population. Germany has now fallen
in line, and leader in the movement against ex-
is the rector of the University Of Bonn, Herr
Rooster. The following is an extract from an
address which he delivered recently 10 the stu
dents:
I'VE, your elders cannot remain Indifferent to
anything which concerns your welfare. 1t is re-
gard for the future which confers upon the rector
the right and the duty TO advise and eIhort tho
students who are beginning their academic life
ON former occasion | deemed il my duty to de-
fend the German students against the charge
that they were living dssolute lives To-day I
do the same thing, Notwithstanding the repeated
cries Of alarm in regard TO their drunkenness,
in which some people fancy they see the danger
Of the complete degeneration Of the educated
classes.
The drunkard's code or tank law (sautcommcnt
was not invented by the students That Ger
mans get drunk according TO established rules
is a historical fact which Obliged to admit
and which existed long before Tacitus referred
to it. But although Germans turned the habit
OF drinking into sort Of worship. the fact that
they have retained their vigor and their depth
OF thought clearly shows that this worship or
code is not in itself the cause of the moral intel
lectual and physical degeneracy which oozes
| through the walls Of our rcformatores and in
| sane asylums
IN my personal and sad experience have
! noticed that many students whom drink had COM
| petcly ruined were not the victims of the drink
ing code They were the victims Of the passion
for drink for which there is nolaw To the drink
! ing custom in the gay and joyous circles there
can be no objection because the rules for the
thing possess charms and poetry, just like bcauti
| full verses, music and the fine arts And. as in
poetry, rhythm and metre give movement to the
heavy verb so in the scansion of the habit Of
| drinking there is brought about a sort of intel
lectual mobilization in tho social life Of the narrow
| circles in which the students are confined
But during the last ten years there has been
| enacted in many associations Of students an
| ido,C beer code which all must obey and which
prcscribcs certain quantity for each man. The
thing is utterly devoid Of reason, sense and tho
spirit Of good fellowship that it seems to be the pro
duct Of irbcclty pure and simple II is dillcult
| u understand how the German student SO proud
! and jealous Of his acadcnical liberty, could become
| the slave ot such a stupid thing as compulsory
| drunkenness. lie not only sacrifices his profess
sional honor, but his physical and moral sanity
TO idiotic formulas which rob him of everything,
including even the taste for drinking. The whole
thing is nothing but fanfaronnade. You have
the right 10 enliven your reunions by everything
| that can bring To them innocent Raty
Drink is good for the vivGcation and the reno
vAton of the human organism 1t enlargrs
the heart and the soul, and it is beneficial when
IT tends 10 gladden. and strengthen the social
'TStcm. But its utility Ccas when through
Compulslun ii transforms the gatherings of stu
dents into contests in drunkenness where the now
Corners rapidly fall among the cadavr,s Of hccr
Il believe, gentlemen, that many associations
have abolished compulsory drinking during the
last few years and hope that their good exam
pie will be followed Our nation needs strong
men not feeble sots the slaves Of beer"