Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-11-18
Entered at the Newport News. Va.
Postonce az second-claHs matter.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER IS, 1850
THE STATUS OF BEER.

In the esteemed Washington Star
article:
"A petition was presented to Pres
ident Roosevelt that is sure TO attract
national attention. IL was from fifty
n Of The great brewing concerns OF
tho United States. AMI relates to the
proposition to admit Oklahoma and
Indian Territory to statehood with q
prohibition requirement on the ground
that the presence of Indians in the ter
ritory demands such Il course. The
petition does not touch Upon the fca.
turc of the case that is now most in.
tcrcsting Oklahoma pcoplc-thc desire
Of the people TO settle this matter by
their " vote. inaSmuch as they are
:s familiar with the needs of the In.
CLANS az; anybody else.
The petition OF the brewing inter
csts was presented by Albert l.icbcr,
president of the indianapolis Brewing
Company. and Il member of the fed.
oral relations committee of the United
States Brewing Association. lie was
accompanied TO the White House by
Representative OvcrStrcet of Indian,
apolis. In presenting The petition Mr..
l.lsher called the attention of the Pres.
idCnt 10 the fact that the brewing liz
dustry ranks fourth of all the great in
dustries of the United States in point
of capitalization and importance, and
declared that ii had so long been the
object of misrepresentation and abuse
thai it was considered advisable to
make an appeal TO the chief executive.
He said that the signatures showed
that the companies signing were the
largest in the country.
The petition reads: What We
want To ask is that if the wise men
OF The country, guided by yourself.
find n prohibition requirement proper
il shall not extend To beer and ale that
contain less than 4 l-2 per cent of al.
cohol. The fact is that nearly all Of
it Is below 1 per cent and most OF it
around : 10 per cent. Any chemist
in the country may eXGmine any sam.
pie OF American beer and these facts
will be instantly shown. The bever.
age contains from four to ten times
less alcohol thar Il large number of
the largely advertised and much used
patent medicines throughout the coun-
try which receive the unstintcd recon-.
mendations OF men and women OF
standing and which are sold through.
our the Indian Territory without mo.
lestation. We are sure tina no man
VINO has given serious study to the
question Will rank becr among the
strictly alcoholic drinks. Drunkenness
can only follow It's most g%luttonous
'lac. and it is today the principle fac.
Tor in turning the United States into
me leading temperance nation Of the
world. II the Indian is permitted mild
drinks like beer he will not seek In.
toXicatins ones, nor will he kill him.
sell with the drug habit. lie viii not
hnh IT necessary to debase his man.
hood sncaking around in the dark,
seeking an Illicit place to get n slim.
ulant. No serious harm will bcfall
him. as beer is free from drugs or in.
furious ingredients"
II seems TO MS 'hat the brewers are
proving jusi . tiiho too much. II the
indian viii go The length OF drinking
nnnaiitablc medicines in order to SO
cure iptoxicaiion, it is hardly reason.
able TO suppose that they would be so
moderate in The use Of beer as 10 es.