The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-02-02
AS 70 WOMEN WHO DRINK
FORMERLY, BUT FEWER GO
TO EXCESS S.
SOME FACTS FOR ALARMIsTs
Whatever May Be True Abroad, tho
American Woman Is Unlikely to
Deteri0rate Hecause OF Over
Indulgence in Stimulants.

Within the last week or two there has
been u repetition OF the general wave OF
protest which goes up now and again i'll
diherentr sections Of the country and III
Eng land against The evil Of intemperancc
among women, which evil, the agitalors
assert, is growing to appalling proper
tons Since the beginning Of the year
the wave has surged up in ali d.rectlons
the London World creating a sensation
by an outspoken article alleging the rapid
increase of the alcoholic habit among
women of society, and the use of uruss
and narcotics among those of the leisure
class suffering under the strain OF idle
ness.
In New York Bishop Leighton Coleman
OF Delaware, who attended The annual
meeting Of the Church Temperance So
.ciety, held in this city, addressed meet
ing, making the following statement in
his remarks:
The great work Of the society for the
coming year, and in fact for the entire
century, while not .neglecting the men, is
to reclaim the women; for l tell you that
intoxication is growing among women at
a faster rate than among men. During
the last nifty years StatlstlcS prove that
while intoX1catlon among men has stead
lily decreased, the increase among women
has been most alarming. The future Of
the world depends on the mothers even
more than on the fathers. and what is
gong 10 become or us if our women be-
come inebriates?
The members of the Wornens Christian
Temperance Union have also been agi-
tating the subject once more in regard to
the feminine population of New York
notably the women in Society, giving
Of }n
habit and it's evil effects on the health
and well being OF the community. Espe-
: clally do these refOrmers cry out against
the service OF wines at our large We'd
uinSs and fashionable dances, declaring
that the example spread is psrnicious
ana that women are growing to regard
the use OF alcoholic stimulants as mat
ter or course. The London Worlds art1-
Gle says:
mere is no device, or artifice to which
woman Will not have recourse to attain
what she requires. if any restraint is put
upon her. She finds comforts in scents
ana hed!clnes which contain stimulants
and narcotics. She will consume ether,
cocaine or even methylated spirits At
present the craze is for medicines or
"!1es that contain cocoa ne#1 2H7
Some women imagine they cannot ey
lst without frequent doses OF co,ca wine
Puih1ne. tOnlcS and the rest to counter
act the terrible strain of doing nothing
Self-lndulgent existence OF stimulation in
one form or another is the vice of the
DAY. Stlmulants internally, stin2ulan;s
externally. stlInulantS eternally!'
While these reform waves rise and fall
with the regularity of the tides, thu
nave rarely before engaged the attention
OF Two continents at one ard the same
period, says the New York Sun. I. would
seem as though the opening OF the now
century, mad produced some no: able har
Nest or feminine inebriates to produce
Such united and powerful protest as thus
put forth by conservative paper a
truthful bishop and a society OF good
standing. Judging by existing con1it ems
in New York is would seem that tEe~a :
little to be feared from any cp:dem
OF lntenperance among women in socie
Or out. 1t is admitted by persons who's
opportunities for judging the affairs of
society are great, that women are drink
Ing more generally than in the last
twenty-five years. But intemperance
among men and women is steadily on
the decrease One reason for tn s is thai
Americans have learned to substitute
wine for ice water at their dinner ia.
bles and women following the Gu tom
have decreased the outside drinking OF
men at clubs and cafes. Men seek Their
enjoyments more generally today in thu
company of their wives and families than
they did twenty-five years ago, when
the popular idea of femininity was fails,
places patronized by women there Is no
drinking done during the luncheon hours :
At the two favorite Broadway places
where women congregate, a bakery and
a confectioner's, both fashionable AMI
high-priced,@ the orders show that the
women invariably drink coffee and finish
their luncheons with ices and creams and
cakes; iced tea being a popular drink dur
ing the warm months.
Women escorted by men, who may:
be seen lunching at some of the favorite'
downtown restaurants, will frequently he
observed to drink whatever wine may be
served and with the coming of the dinner
hour, when comparatively few women
visit the restaurants unescOrted, the Gus
tom Of wine on the table seems to he
quite general Women conform to the
masculine dictate as to the Wine that
accompanies a meal and this is the only
extent to which the alleged Increase in
alcoholic intemperance may he observed
as criterion for this country's popula-
ton of women. .--..~ -.
Hotel proprietors and head walters
generally agree that there is more drink
Eng with meals than ever before in res
taurant history, but they insist that the
custom has become general with both
sexes, giving no preponderance to either.
and 1t is argued by these observers that
intemperance has lessened with this gen-
eral but moderate drinking. while the
American complaint of dyspepsia is dy>
ing out Physicians have usually de-
clared that the substitution of light
wines, ales and beers for tea. coffee and
iced water would prove beneficial to the
health of the generation, and 1t IS GER
tain that within the last twenty-five
years the country has grown out Of its
national complaint, at least among the
masses. A quarter of a century ago every
farmers wife and daughter suffered from
some form of this dread complaint,
brought on by diet of hot breads, pie
and iced water. which had then gained
. place at the top of the LIST of American
dainties. tx 4
b. The women of France Italy, Russia
4 and England have always drunk more
one from which the sex has risen by edu-
cation
A glance through the fashionable dining
rooms of the city during the hours when
women are to be found lunch.ng gives,
as a rule, no. evidence of any alarming
increase in the drinking habits of the
feminine community. At the Waldorf,
Delnlonco's, Sherry's and the Holland
house, which may he taken a represen
tative restaurants, women lunehfng alone
may be seen drinking tea, coffee, mi K
cocoa and mineral waters, but not one in
ten orders alcoholt in any form. The
odd woman may indulge in light clare
or white wine, but Shs IS the exceptio
to the rule. In NE e9eap # 8lunc IN I
lthan American lwom& and have grown