The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-07-12
THE BEER OCTOPUS.


which may exist only temporarily and
then be again disintegrated. In fer
mentatfon there may go on a process
akin to that which forms the deadly
ptomaines in putrefying meat When
the fermenting. rotting mash" is dis
titled these dangerous bodies are left
behind. while the less harmful alcohol
Is distilled off. Consequently the drink
er OF whisky does not get any of the
dangerous products Of decomposition
but they remain in full strength and
vicious activity when the fermentinp
mash" becomes beer and they are
| taken In great quantities into the
stomach of the drinker.
There must necessarily be something
or this kind to explain why beer pro-
duces so much more degradation Of the
bodily tissues both Of men and animals
| than does alcohol in the shape Of whis-
KY No one can deny this who studies
even casually the general appearance
OF beer-drinker and contrasts Ii with
that Of whisky-drinker. Every edu-
Gated physician will unhesitatingly tes-
tify to II. The Germans have the repu-
tatfon or being the most scientific peo-
pie In the world. and Of studying these
abstruse problems with more zeal. in
dustry and thOroughness than any other
In the world. Today every scientific
man In Germany is engaged in an ac-
| tive crusade against beer drinking rs
| the sure source Of contamination and
degradation OF the physical stamina OF
he German people. The great OIym-
plan games at Athens, where the Ger
Ipan athletes made such a poor show
ing. have furnished them a text upon
which they are preaching most effec-
tive sermons to their people They
are showing that the flabby flesh and
muscles Of even the moderate beer
drfnker and his physical powers even
when moved TO the highest effort in a
worldwide competition cannot ap-
proach the achievements Of the non
beer-drinkers of other countries. The
astonishing superiority shown at that
time by the American athletes over
wen their British cousins was accepted
rs demonstration that they had been
more abstemious in the consumption O.
fermented liquors than the British and
Of course. far more than the Germans
The German railroads have found BY
actual daily experience, with all their
prejudices at first in favor of beer
drinking. that their employees who
drank even occasional glasses Of beer
were not nearly 50 safe and reliable as
those who refrained altogether from
the dangerous brew. Therefore, the
railroads have found 1t very profitable
to furnish their employees with coffee
tea and similar drinks at the expense OF
| men tipple no matter how lightly in the
| saloons. This takes the matter clear
beyond the realms Of theory and NOR
ais and puts IT in the cold, searching,
unanswerable light of business experi-
ence.
Growth Of Beer-Drinking In Thfs
Country.
These pregnant facts give burnine
point to the fear of the enormous I'M
crease OF beer-drinking In this country
In the old days before the war our peo-
pie drank no beer. There was some ale
brewed in the country, but 1t was in
consequential In amount and substan-
tally all the evils Of intemperance were
due to the drinking OF the "old- fash
ioned. handmade whisky" These were
80 enormous. however, that people
looked about for q remedy and they
were frightfuliy misguided by the talk
of superficial thinkers that there was
no drunkenness in France or Germany
because the people there drank only
beer and light wines. We followed off
this ignis fatuus with the wild enthus-
iasm that we are likely to display to-
ward any new idea. especially in Tenn
perance. Breweries sprang up all over
the land like mushrooms, to be as in
'idiously fatal as the most noxious Of
hose fungus growths. The poison in
he beer Is terribly like the fatal toxic
II the deadly toadstools. We traded
IN active, virulent but occasional devil
for a cold, clammy. sodden one which
is everywhere present and everywhere
making his supplying. destroying bane-
fulness felt. We were SO blind to this.