Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-07-09
GERMAN REFORM.
A Nation of Drinkers Coming To
Its Senses.
The Evils of Inebriety Have Always
Been Recognized by Lending
Germans.


Of anti-imperialists would he huge
Joke or a noble mission, depending upon
ones point of view. quite similarly, to
preach temperance in Berlin is a humor-
Gus or a solemn undertaking, according
rs one regards the homogeneous as lu-
dicrous or pathetic, so. no doubt. tho
international congress against alcoholism
took tho graver view when they con-
vened last month in tho beer-soakcd Ger
man capital Reformers generally lack
the sense of humor, or they wouldn't be
reformers.
And yet-for whoever draws csti-
mates of nations must frequently say
And yet'-there is not wanting In Ger
many body of public opinion utterly
opposed to excess in drinking and utter
" removed by the fallacious plea that
from time ifnmemorial the German has
SWIM in an ocean of lager. 1T is a Ger
man. DR.. Wilhelm Bodc. who says
People quito overlook the fact that
modern drinking has nothing in COM
mon with the carousals Of the Germans
OF olden times. Tho Germans of olden
times never sat in tavern, never
smoked cigar and never turned night
INTO day or knew anything about the
drinks that people like to imbibe nova
days. The beer they learned to brcw
from their Celtic neighhors in tho West
In the days of Christ was no beer. in orr
sense of the term, but moro to be com
pared with the Russian kwass. Beer
made from hops has only been known
for about n thousand years: brandy was
only introduced in the sixteenth century
1t rs quito truc that in tho days Of the
ancient Germans many Of them were in
cllned toward intemporancc. and in this
way brought misery on themselves. but
these Germans ought not 10 be set up
as pattern for us We should listen
to the best of our race. and we shall find
that the nobest spirits. tho best friends
Of our race. those who could host judge
as to the wants Of the people. always
stood up against this German drink
ing"
Indeed, Or. Bode might quote a very
distinguished list of German temperance
advocates. Said Luther: Every coun-
try has its devil. Our German devil is a
good winoskir. The man who invented
beer brewing was pest to Germany"
Said Melancthon: "No Germans arc
swilling ourselves to poverty, are swil-
ing ourselves to disease. are swiliug
ourselves to hell" Said Bismark: IF
II were possible to extend the field Of
legislation 50 that protection could he
afforded TO workmen against the demon
of drlnks-this Diabolus Germanicus-a
largo portion Of the social question
would he solved" Said Won MIGUEL: 81
want an imperial law that will combat
the excessive use of alcoholic drinks. ."
said Won Moltke: "One Of Gormanys
greatest foes is tho abuse Of alcohol"
So. ALI things regarded. sec nothing
really amusing in the choice of Berlin
as the meeting place for tho twelfth In
ternatonal Congress against alcoholism
Indeed there were further and very ex-
cellent reasons for its selections. As
j. J.. Bashford explains in his article
on "Sobrioty in Germany" in the Con
temporary Review. the liquor problem
has of late become exceptionally seri-
Gus in the Fathcrland. and the time is
ripe for the exception of a vigorous cam
paign in behalf Of temperance. In other
words, the devil has begun to undo his
own work. Germany is coming to it's
senses; and, having arrived at that pain
full destination, contemplate IN annual
national drink bill of S1'h0pn.000 for an
annual consumption Of thirtY-onc gal
Ions per capita. Beer has grown So
cheap that servants demand it and chill
dren are brought up on it, Mr.. BASH
ford once kept account Of the amount Of
beer consumed in a. single German
restaurant in a single days 100 pnts
or nearly seven rints head He has
seen a student drink thirty good-sizod
mugs If hoer in an evening. In various
trades workmen receive part Of their pay
in beer; nor is this the sole form which
2omnulsion to drink takes among the
Germans. Mr.. Bashford observes. NO
body hcsitatos TO refuse = cup of coffee
or cigar-no remark would he made
against such n refusal disc lvantaeeous
to the person to whom the favor was
preferred; but in the case of drink of
beer or wine he would almost inevitably
incur certain amount of ridculc. It
is widespread dogma that Il proper
German man and especially German
student. must be a good safe drinker:
otherwise he is called "A soft slow sort Of
chap
As the German people come to realize
these absurdly scandalous conditions. they
begin to heed what their own servants tell
them-that 10000 Germans arc dragged
to the police court every year because Of
excessive drinking: that nearly third OF
the German lunatiCs are MAIDS 50 by alco-
hol. that fourtifths of the German IDIOTS
are children of drurkards that half the
expense Of asylums, orphauaPes and iails
is the indirect product Of intemperanCc
that THE increase of the consumption Of
beer In South Germany, and especially in
Bavaria has caused the death-rate from
heart. kidney and liver diseases to rise
very rapidly and that the shocking num-
her of accidents in factories is in a great
measure traceahle to alcoholism Nor viii
any candid German gain say the Prussian
statesmans declaration that the drink
plague is literally knawing at the marrow
of our nation, and conceals in itself dan
ger for our further development In every
field of progress"
To show his earnest approval Of n TEN
pcrHr'c movement in Germany. Count Won
Posadowsky had used the impressive inAJ-
cnce of his rank and ol7cal position thc
is secretary of state of the imperial nome
oi'iCc) by joining the international con-
gress and presiding at lis recent couven-
ton. In the course of his inaugural ad-
dress he said:
at time when human life afforded
little intellectual recreation. when the ma
jority Of the people hardly ever left the
spot where they were born, and, there
fore, could assimlato no new ideas from
the outside world. il is conceivable that
people sought their diversion In the pleas
ures of drink, hoping thereby to snatch a
ray of sunshine in the midst Of the monot
ony of their narrow sphere Of existence.
But with other times have come other Gus
toms. The development of modern ciViliza-
ton affords manifold opportunities for
mental rest and solacc. Mems lives are no
longer chiefly passed in the open air, but
in closed rooms; whilst the daily demands
on tho intellectual and physically clast-
city of the individual have increased
whereas therefore, the physical power ofro-
sistanCc acainst the abuse Of alcohol dim
inishes, the dangers acCruinC from the
after-affects thereof increase in intensity.
not only for the individual, but also for
very many Of his fellow men and fellow
workers Tho way to combat tho alcohol
danger will depend upon the social char
acter Of each separate nation; general
habits of life and climate conditions are
different in every country, but pleasure
derived from outdoor amuSoments and the
ameloratiou Of the dwellings, Of the poor
or classes by which they can obtain
more comfortable home will always serve
as valuable means for supporting the
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