The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-28
w0MEN'S DRINKING.
.n,orS OPINIONS AS TO GROWTH
of THE HABIT.
1900 Of Society Leaders-Au Are
..-reed That Young Women should
a.octicaIIy Refrain From Drink
,.,,,--tmbibinE in Excess.


10 among society women would be like
.,,ina 50 much as Mr.. Dooley's dis
s..,rion on expert testimony Even the
.,,. women themselves are divided in
,her views.
,rbs FIRST expert consulted was a young
,.,ta5 woman whose social standing and
-,o5 breeding are beyond cavil. She said
promptly that all the stories about excess
rs ar,nking among women of the Four
,5rr7red were stuff and nonsense.
a,yonlen do drink more than they did;
,,.I don't believe the change is as mark
"a IN what is called the smart set as 1t is
= ,tber social circles. You see, we have
1iro,s been used to drinking. I don't
1,.,n mat the women have known have
n.ep in the habit of getting tipsy. They
are TOO much accustomed to the use of
.girs and liquor to do that I have seen
r.ornan "a HON l knew take too much wine,
brt rhe occasions have been very rare.
car remember only three. I've heard
,,r, shocking stories about society func-
lions where young women became intoXi-
ls,s5 Perhaps 1 am unobserving, but
H.. never seen anything of the kind.
uIya seen one woman quoted as saying
hat women should drink only when with
men because the men will check them if
t1ev seem inclined to drink too much.
vronld hate to trust that rule 1t sounds
vel but so much depends upon the man.
I've moi observed that the average society
man exercises a very careful restraint over
anv woman who doesn't happen to be a
member of his family or the girl he intends
N marry on the contrary, our men seem
10 mink that ii is amusing to see woman
drink recklessly; and the fact that men
encourage il and laugh at it is what some
tiu1es makes young woman think 1t is
clever and chic. The sensible woman will
not depend upon an escort to regulate her
drinking but will know how much she is
In Inc habit of drinking and will never
risk any experiments in public. 1t isn't
the women of my set whom you will find
drinking innumerable cocktails at Turkish
bath places, or pouring successive glasses
Of absiuthe down their threats in the tea
room of a hotel. The 400 does altogether
too much scapegoat duty.
I'm sorry, but | am due at my dress
makers now, and must go. But, by the
way nv dressmaker doesn't run a private
bar and give her customers fittings and
cocktails together. At least she has never
offered to cheer me that way, even when
I've been in my blacklist tempers l dare
say if / felt faint or i'll she could find
glass OF wine for me- but I've never had
occasion to ask for it. I've really tried
to find one of those good dressmakers with
bar attachments that I've sem described
ia some of the papers, but I've had no
luck
The reporter decided to give the 400 one
more chance of proving itself less black
than it has been painted, and called at
Fifth avenue home whose mistress knows
ali that is to be known about the upper
crus, in New York She, too, was frank,
but she wasn't optimistic. Either she was
more observing than the young married
woman or less loyal to her set.
THE drinking habit is growing among
our women she admitted. There's no
doubt Of IT, and I'm sorry 10 see it. Our
young girls drink so much more than girls
| did when ! was young. No girl has any
| business taking mixed drinks, or even
drinking the ordinary dinner wines freely.
| have always served wine in my home,
and my daughters drank it; but when they
were debutantes I had a practical, sensi-
| bic talk with each of them, and advised
their drinking very cautiously outside their
own home, letting everything, save wine,
alone, and never resortlng to that as
stimuant I'm afraid 1 didn't take very
high moral ground, but 1 convinced them
that the thing would be wretchedly bad
form, and I've been satisfied with the
! result
81 know great many women who drink
too much-drink until their cheeks are red
and their voices loud and their manners
atrocious. II is always disgustng-but Il
Seems worse in a young girl than in any
one else. / see girls lunching together and
| having cocktails, wines and liquors They
appear 10 have an idea that that sort of
thing is exceedingly knowing and swagger.
when, In fact. 1t is not only unwise, but is
IN atroclOusly bad taste. / hear girls boast
ing tnat they can mix fancy drinks; and
at the country clubs l see young men and
young women come in from the golf links
ana have q whsky-and-soda or toddy to-
gether. / 90 to make visits and find all
tAe girls taking rum in their tea, or DIS
carding tea altogether for a glass of liquor
goto dinners and see debuantes lead off
vita cocktails and drink freely of all the
vines on The menu ending with liqueur.
Ahe women do the same, but it is the girls
VINO impress me.
Women always did drink-the women
AHeW-put girls didn't drink this way in
my QaN. or even five years ago. l knew
OF q denutante's luncheon last winter
where three of the girls had to be taken
UPSTAIRS by the butler because they were
utsusungly drunk. Something ought to
"9 uohe to stop such insanity; and l wish
"We OF the women whose word in social
matters is law would get together and en-
sara 10 drinking THAI were tolerated now
a successful physician looked at the
said.
HHmoierate drinking among women is
'oImHs more and more common. 1 find
NE effects of it every day of my practice.
.AaIS the woman doesn't disgrace her
Wy getting drunk, but she does de-
'0E Nor nervous balance by excessive
' o. Sumulants and becomes susceptible
w. d." diseases. 1t is astonishing to see
I many women resort to whisky or
o''' il they are suffering in the least
5''t nom fatigue or pain. The whole
b% 4' of the thing is wrong and the
',g. j. pornicious.
pt course there are times when one is
GP exhausted and drained of nerve
i0.. ana yet is obliged to pull herself
i'I Tor some further effort. There
San, tAe strongest temptation to re-
NH 10 liquor comes in. The stimulant
u l.'''e one to accomplish what must
aud woman quiets her con-
do T with the plea of necessity. Men
srr, same thing. but mans physical