Washington sentinel., 1901-02-02

that the marvellous progress OF
temperance in our country is due
almost exclusively to the old rev
enue system, with it's discrimIna-
ton in favor OF malt liquors and
the effects it produced upon the
drinking habits Of the people, by
enhancing the price Of ardent
spirits and encouraging the con
sumption of malt liquors.
In a work on "The Liquor Laws
OF the United States" published
by the United States Brewers AS
sociation about nIne years ago, was
formulated the following sum-
mary, which has been appTovingly
quoted and referred to bv nearly
every unbiased writer on the SUP
ject OF temperance, viz:
In our country the complete solution
Of the temperance problem is now
merely a question OF time. Measuring
the future progress OF temperance by
the standard furnished by the experien-
ces of the past twenty three years, there
can be no doubt that within two decades
the American people will occupy the
very first place among the temperate
nations. Provided that the conditions
under which the astonishing decrease
in the (per capita) consumption Of ardent
spirits and the increase in the use OF
fermented liquors has taken place,
remain essentially unchanged, the drink
ing habits of the people will be SO
radically reformed for the better that,
at the end of the present century, a
relapse into tie earlier condition of
insbriety will have become well nigh
impossible. There is. in fact, no other
solution of the problem than that which
the present policy Of the Government
offers-the same policy which prevailed
under Washington's Administration,
and which, doubtless, would have been
adhered to. had not prejudice, diplo-
matte cabals, insurrectionary machina-
tlons. political Opportunism and ecOno-
mic fallacies combined to silence the
strong moral considerations urged in its
favor, In whatever manner the tenn
perance question is to be decided
whether on social on fiscal on economic
grounds-this must be the policy; tor,
Judged from either or all of these points
Of view, its efficacy admits of no doubt.
These wise tax laws establishing
broad discrimination in favor Of
fermented beverages have with n
fifty years succeeded in completely
changing the drinking habits Of
our people. Whereas fifty years
ago we were unenYiablY conspic
uous among civilized peoples as
nation OF hard drinkers, we hold
today the foremost rank among
temperate nations. Reverse the
conditions which brought about
this marvellous change and you in
evitably reverse the results. There
is not today a single European
country where an attempt to inn
pose a comparatively higher tax
upon beer and light wines than
upon ardent spirits would not be
considered an unpardonable mis-
take. In Belgium, in the Neither
lands, in all the Scandinavian
countries, in France, and in Rus
sia, the lawmakers earnestly strive
to minimize the evils OF intemper-
ance by reducing the taxes upon
malt liquors to a minimum. Swift
erland has its governmental alco
hol monopoly, supplemented by a
very high spirit tax, but mali
liquors are scarcely taxed at all
The Scandinavian countries have
their Gothenourg system, with it:
restrictions as to the sale OF spirits
but this system does not apply tc
malt liquors. In France and Bel
gium and in the Netherlands the
tax lever Is freely used 70 increase
the consumption Of malt liquor
and to decrease the use Of spirits
Now that the time has come t
. make reductions Congress shoul'
bear these things in mind, and il
awarding reliei it should be tn
, first endeavor to reward those in
dustries upon which the burde
/ bore most heavily, keeping i
mind all the time the harmiu
/ effects oi high beer tax upon tn
) social habits and morals of tn
) people.
: BY all means, however, give u
early action. Delay simply ado
), to the annoyanees and losses Of a
E already aggravated situation.