The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-20
A NATION OF ORUNKARDS.
Enormous Increase of Alcoholism Among
the French People.

From the London Leader.
II is not easy to write on the subi5cy o.
the terrible increase Of drunkenness in
France without seeming to be guilty Of
gross eXaggeTatiOn. ] will. therefore, at
once state that al the data OF this aTti-
cl- are drawn from the daily press, chief
" from articles that have appeared this
year IN lie Figaro and in lie Matin.
have not taken any statement simply on
the authority Of temperance paper, o.
from V i.dt might be considered an cX-
parte opinion. There is, unfortunately. -
says d recent writer. "one thing but too
true: our people are becoming q nation
of drunkards. While some thirty on forty
years age We were considered one of the
sObeTeSt Of nations We are running hard
those who are the most drunken This
Is perfectly correct, as recent statistics
have shown that France IS now on a 'evcl
with Belgium in the amount of alcohol
absorbed annually by the population. ana
Belgium is the first among the European
nations,
Putting aside the wine ana beer that
are consumed the chief Cause of the in
crease of drunkenness is the enormous
quantity of absinthe and similar alcOnOlic
drinks now universally useu: fer not only
e
drink to excess, but in every part Of The
country, in the villages and hamlets far
away from the main routes, this same
passion Is developed. Last summer in
beautiful valley IN the SaVOie We found
the same sad state OF Things. men and
women the slaves Of alcohol. Dr. L.
grain. the chief doctor of the great aSy-
lum at Nille-Evrard has taken up the
subject with great energy. driven 20 il
Dy what daily comes under his obserya-
ton among the insane, 10 per cent of
whom. he says, are directly or Indirectly
there through drink. The authorities are
building a new wing to hold ! .3J0 more
patients, 50 great is the number that are
always seeking admittanCp
To quote from lie Figaro of May !. the
writer says: The French wOrkingman
who used to be so intelligent and canabIe
and who was indeed one of the ornaments
OF France, Is in danger of entirely losing
his worth, from an industrial point of
view, IN those parts where drunkenness
prevails. Ambition and strength of will
are going. He falls from being foreman
to mere labOTer, never seeming 10 try
and resist with anything like perS,vcr-
ance. II is well known that Normandy
ls one OF the provinces in which alcohol
ism is the most rampant. A manufactur-
er of muslin said lately to DT Brunon. III
ROuen. that he has now great difficulty
IN fndlng young men willing to learn the
more difficult parts of the manufacture
They are incapable of the slightest initia-
tive said he. The least responsibility is
too great for them; they prefer wheeling
a barrow in the yard to working with a
tool. The intellectual level is being rs
rapidly lowered as is the physical
This factory has had for several gen
eTdtiOnS d family at work which was
formerly composed OF men Of great stat
ure. The third generation is now COM
posed OF dW4TfS and sickly boys. IL was
tried TO urge them 10 take up good pay
g.aTH a.. II
fused, for they would have had to applH
themselves To learn. They preferred 10 be
simply labOrcrS, earning only Onc-third of
what they ought to have gained. Alcohol
had made them useless for work.
Throughout all Normandy the people
drink-men. women. and children. The
babies are given brandy in the cradle. il
Is put into the bottle, and the soup IS
made with brandy Says Dr. BrUnOu.
You should see the people coming away
from the drinking shops on a Monday
evening. Father mother. children. friends.
holding each other up and Teeling along
together"
The universal custom has been greatly
developed by the fact that since 1852 there
l. practically no obstacle 10 the sale of
alcohol in France. Any one can retail H.
ana thus grOcerS. coal sellers, cream
shops, and dry-gOodS shops all sell IL free
" There is said 10 be a drinking shop
for every tWenty-One electors throughout
whole population. In some parts as in
Normandy, every other house sells drink.
and in Lille, IN a certain quarter, in every
house il can be purchased
/ conclude this shot article by the fol-
lowing sentences taken from lie Figaro
OF the 3Jth instant:
There j. no other choice given US in
France. whether We like il OF no. We
must 90 ahead and fight this matter. or
We shall disappear as nation. These
ar NO inn. lion.
speech. Ask Dr. le Gendre and Dr. De
bCVe, ana inquire Of any doctors. and
they VIII all say II is simply a matter OF
4 few generations more.
"Dr- BTunOn says: The alcoholism Of
the working classes threatens 10 put an
end, and that shortly, 10 existing society
q Those who are Indifferent NAV
shTug their shoulders to-day. The oues-
ton Of alcohol viii very soon take the
first place Or all other questions affecting
the state Dr. BrunOn has behind him I
the whole scientific world. France must
conquer alcoholism or perish"