The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-09-14
FIGHTS GREAT VICE.
CRUSADE IN MEXICO AGAINST
PuLouE DRINKING.
rhe Habit IL Firmly Rooted Among
the Poems and Il Danger
Gus to the Entire
People.


Reform laws have just been promul.
gated in the republic OF Mexico with
view to striking a deadly blow at the
great national vice, the consumption OF
pulque. Perhaps nothing has done more
to retard the advancement Of large
proportion OF the population of the re-
public than the habit OF drinking pulque.
Reformation, however. is regarded as
hardly more easily to be accomplished
than the elimination Of beer-drinking
In American cities.
So firmly rooted Is the habit among
the poems of Mexico that they would
sooner relinQuish two meals a day than
their glasses of pulquo. Thousands OF
them keep themselves In continuous
condition of torpidity from excessive
consumption of the deadening liquor.
The habit has become q disease and
their nerves are powerless 10 combat
the craving for the drink.
Even more difficult to combat than the
longing of the lower class for the drink
is the influence Of the planters. who
make fortunes through the cultivation
and sale of maguey, the plant from
which pulque Is distilled. SO great pro-
portions have been reached by the
trade In pulque that daily four pulque
trains run into the City Of Mexico with
their loads of the intoxicating liquor.
The daily volume of the pulque business
for the past six months has averaged 62
carloads. The HidalgO, Mexican and
lnteroceanic railroads, which handle
the bulk of the business. have pooled
their interests.
The reform laws are not intended to
prohibit absolutely the sale of liquor or
to make the interdiction extensive In
its application. The purpose of the gov
ernment is to advance gradually. In
Mexico city the laws will first become
effective. An inner zone will be estab-
lished within which the sale of pulque
is absolutely prohibited. AS the drink
ing of pulque has been particularly gen.
eral within this zone, this ruling strikes
at vital point.
Outside the zone the sale of the liquor
is greatly limited. Sanitary regulations
are imposed. which require absolute
cleanliness not only Of the saloons, but
of the employees within the saloons.
Rules are imposed as to the handling Of
the liquor. and many Of the evils at
tendant upon careless methods Of stor-
ing and selling pulaue are struck death
blows.
At its best, the puique habit b danger
Gus In the extreme to the people OF the
country. Americans are especially sub
ject to mental arrangement from in
diligence in the use Of the liquor, after
the use of the comparatively mild
liquors Of the United states. A few
weeks of dissipation. in which pulque
plays an important part. Is enough to
make almost any foreigner a candidate
for the madhouse
Pulque has been selling for some time
past at four cents liter. The daily
sales have averaged $4,000 in this city.
The price in some Of the lowest dives
has not been more than two cents, but
the average price is not below three
cents. the government has derivsd a
neat revenue from the business of some
thing like 81 100000 annually.
Men OF great wealth in the district
surrounding the City Of Mexico have
made their fortunes raising maguey.
Within radius Of 100 miles of the city
there are scores Of planters whose bush
ness would be practically ruined II the
market for maguey were cut of. TbVy
view with alarm the first steps which
have been taken by the government to
curtair the sale Of the liquor In the
pulque district thousands Of acres are
devoted to the culture Of the magasy
plant.
Whatever the immediate outcome.
the republic must take steps'to combat
the further sdvance Of the puidue driAk-
ing habit" declared an off5cial Of the
government who has taken an active
part In the movement for the nsSorn
laws.
"A large proportion of thspopuiskfen
that part q eur nat ion which ought to
be ifs bone and stnew, is well-aigh
worthless, ~ the result ofslavery to the
pulme habit. Thedr pennies, few at
best. are devoted TO tho purchase Of
puEue. Eatersst fri work has disap-
peHsd.. Those who have small tracts
OF ground psrmit II to go tuwasts. Those
wlrO must depend. for subsistence on
thsfr'daily labor viii toll until they have
O. fs~ silver pieces, and they will then
pruceun. - the nearest puique joint, ia
bacnme on9vioas to the duttsH It life. y