Smyrna times., 1902-02-12
WITH W. c, 7. j. WOMEN
AND CAUSE IN GENERAL
TEMPERANCE NOTES EDITED BY MISS AN.
ME SUTTON, PRESS SUPERINTENDENT.
Spain Produces Six Hundred and Sixty Mil.
lion Gallons of Wine Annually, Yet
Drunkenness is Very Rare.

World Temperance Studies, ," contrib
uted to the Union Signal:
During thirty years of life and
work in Spain L have seen only one
PROSTATE drunkard. Mrs. Alice Cor
don Gulich, in hearing before Com
mittee of Congress.
Why are Spaniards the most temper
ate white race in the world? That |
they are cannot be doubted; witness
the testimony above of Mrs. Gulich,
missionary in Spain, and president of
the Spanish W. G. 7. U. Spain is un-
dOubtedly, next to France, the great
est wine-making country in the world,
producing, it is said, $50, 100000 gal
Ions annually. Wine drinking in this
country leads to drunkenness. Why
not in Spain? The first reason is that
the wine is produced not so much for
home consumption as for expectation.
Spaniards do not drink much wine
themselves, but they are clearly quite
desirous that other people shall drink
it. And that is because Of the money
there is in it. But their abstenious-
ness is not all of a financial matter.
Spaniards were for two hundred years
and more under the tutelage of the
Mohamedans, when Spain was ruled
by the Moors. The one great virtue
of the Mohamedan religion is prohibi-
ton, and through that influenced habit
of absteniousness was fixed upon the
Spanish people, which in seven centu-
ries they have not wholly outgrown.
About the worst epithet that can be
given IN Spain is boracho, meaning
drunkard. 1t is as bad as being called
''liar" in the United States or Eng
land. g 1t is said that the Spaniards
have too much pride to be drunkards,
and that only low bred vulgar fellow
is ever seen drunk. 1t is claimed for
the city of Barcelona, which has pop
ulation of 300, 900 persons that drunk
en- person is rarely seen, and if seen is
probably not Spaniard. A drunken
woman is said to be horror unknown
in Spain. But the idea must not pre-
vail that there is no drunkenness in
Spain, for under special treaty Ger
many was allowed to send spirits to
Spain, and this is drunk by itself, and
the wine Is drunk adulterated with IT.,
some wines containing as much as
thirty-seven per cent, and as a result
drunkenness has been on the increase
for the last thirty years. But even
now the evil is so little developed that
it is hard to form temperance society
in Spain, because the need of it is not
felt as elsewhere.
Absteniousness, however, is only a
half-truth of temperance. The Chris
tian religion emphasizes the other
half, namely: that one must not make
a drunkard of his neighbor. When we
consider the enormous output of wine
from Spain to-day we would say that
Spaniards have not learned this side ot
the truth.
''It may not be matter of general
knowledge" states writer in tn,
Christian Endeavor World, "tha
there has been in active operation a
the National Capital for sixty -eigh
years temperance organization orig
mated by Congressman, manned b,
Congressman, and made up of Sena
tors and Representatives in Congress
So general is the impression that ou
prominent men are given to habits O
intemperance that people far removes
from the seat of government hay
never thought of the existence of sue
an organization. Legislative centres
if common report is to be credited, al
centres of corruption. This impres
sion is an injustice to the represents
tives of the people and to the peopl
themselves who choose their represer
> tatives, should be rebuked.
In Washington, since 1888, the Coz
gressional Temperance Society has ha
a name to live; has enrolled hundred
of our National Legislators, many
!. them bearing the highest names in IL
}. national history; has held its publ
t meetings, voted resolutions, and d
q clared sentiments the most radical al
e revolutionizing on the vital question
IS of temperance; has supenized legisl
~ tion bearing upon this great matte
d has introduced and carried measur
:, of the highest Importance to the ter
r. perance cause, and ranks to-day as Il
4 most ancient and honorable organic
I tion of this character on the con
Z; nent."
'The National Temperance Socie
has received check for $4,000 frc
:, Andrew Carnegie"
Il, ''The board of guardians of Stoc
"a holm has been conducting an inves
y cation to discover the cause of paup,
~ ism. 1t finds that drunkenness is r,
ponsible for fifty-two per cent.