The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-25
IN THE INTEREST OF TEMPER AMGE

France, the great wine-producing coun- try of the world. finds itself confronted with the problem of over-production and consequent low prices. According to a recent authority, the growers of grapes say they cannot afford to gather the grapes and press them. since the prices l at which light wines are selling will not pay the cost. There was a large stock ! of wine carried over from last season be- | cause of the lack of a market, notwith- | standing the French people themselves are | drinking more wine than ever before. In | connection with this surplus carried over 1 the heavy yield of the vines this year | has had the effect of depressing prices l until in certain interior districts, Per pignan for one, a good quality of wine Is being sold freely, according to cable, at one franc (20 cents) per hectolitre C9O quarts), the lowest rice on record.
 In this country, as is well known, wine is by no means a common drink. Immense quantities are manufactured in the United States, but owing to our high tariff, prices are too high to permit the use of wine as a beverage in place of other drinks. This duty runs from 50 cents per gallon for still wines in casks to $S per dozen for champagne in quart bottes. Were 1t not for this duty, the best quality of import ed French wine could be sold here much cheaper than our common beer is now sold, and would largely take the place of both beer and stronger liquors.
 That a removal or reduction of the tar fir charges would be detrimental to grape growers and wine manufacturers in this country, as we'll as to the breweries. is doubtless true, but there would be a moral gain that is worth considering. We believe 1t is generally, If not universally conceded that the substitution of light wines for the strong and heavy drinks so commonly used in the United States would advance the cause of temperance and be beneficial to the moral as well as the physical health of the people. Until the desire for drink can be eradicated from humanity, 1t is certainly the duty of all to encourage the use of such drinks as are least hurtful, and thus. to some ex- tent, drive out those which do most harm to humanity. If our present tariff was so modified that the pure light wines for which there has almost ceased to be any demanl in France could be sold here at prices within reach of all it might be a genuine advance in the cause of tenn perance, as well as the means of eradi- CAIlnk SOHlS Ol lne ulScd5SS consequent OH immoderate indulgence in the use of liquor.
 To some. it might appear that advo- eating cheaper and more plentiful drinks of any kind Is not the way to advance the cause of temperance, but there is more than one way to advance a cause. If increasing the demand for drink which is less hurtful. less demoralizing
 and less objectionable in every way, would decrease the use of the more ob- jectionable beverage, then it Is in the in- terest of real temperance to advocate
 the former as d means of driving out the
 latter. In other words, we would choose the lesser of two evils and try to mini mize intemperance where it cannot be
 wholly abolished. The way to do this Is
 to reduce tariff rates and thus ensure a
 lower price for pure wines. both of for
 eign and domestic make.