The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-07-05
CURSE OF ABSI\TI!.
DEADLY DRINK KILLS THOUSAND
OF FRENCHMEN YEARLY

! Alarmed by the raya cs OF absin.L,
which IS sapping the mental, moral al4
/ physical life of tie nation, France i
| demanding a war OF determination
upon that deadly drink.
The trades unions cf the country,
/ leading members of tha chamber OF
deputies, prominent phySiciaEs, bust
| ness men and statesmen are organizing
a national petition demanding that the
manufacture and sale Of aDsiIth be
| prohibited.
Authorities among the petitioners as
sert that absinth kills tens of thou
sands of people every year.
The drink first made its appearance
in that country after the Algerian war,
| in 1917 or 1913. While in Algiers the
! French soldiers adopted the custom Of
the natives in using the liquor to fight
! the low fevers of that malarial climate,
and they grew to like it so well that
| they carried it home with them.
Since then absinth has been fine
steadily growing curse Of the nation"
says an authority, until now the
French are the most nervous and eX-
citable people under the Sun.
Not only has the liquor its effect
upon the drinker, but through him
makes marked impress upon the sue
ceeding generations. 1t is for this rea-
son more than any other that the
! French as Il nation are deteriorating."
1t is il curious thing that the absinth
drinlier, especially among the lower
classes feels an acute sense of per-
sonal oppression under the spell of the
insidious poison.
He hates everybody ;hc hand of ey-
cry man is against him. Even his wife
and children are intriguing to destroy
his peace and happiness.
When he passes the home Of the
wealthy man he mutters in anger-he
| is without a cent in his pocket because
the rich steal it all. If he can jostle
rudcly we'll dressed man or woman
! while on his way the act gives him
savage sort of pleasure; ordered to
move on by a policeman an insane de-
sire to kill the uniformed representa-
tive of law wells up in his heart.
Not long ago, laboring under the hal
lucination, due to absinth, that his
wife was not faithful to him, a Paris
laborer killed her and their child.
"Absinth." said Senator Beranger
recently, lis responsible for the depop-
ulation of the country and for more
| than two-thirds of the crimes commit
ted" Even the judges who deal with
| criminal cases recognize the fact that
to be a confirmed victim of "absinth-
| ism" is a reason for almost any crime.
There are many dens throughout the
! poorer quarters of Paris where the
wretched absinth victim, sunk to the
lowest depths of degradation, may
have a glass Of poison for cents and
be permitted the use Of dark corner
in which to sleep.
| Such haunts-and this is Il sad COM
mentary upon the qualification of hui
man curiosity - are among the show
| places Of that remarkable city. Pro
fessiOnal guides conduct parties Of
! IOuliSIN " llltSt ItSOl 10 III Oldt lluL
they may witness fallen humanity at
its deepest and darkest level.
AS the visitors usually tip the pro-
prietor literally, he welcomes them
with greater pleasure than he does the
trembling wretches who come to buy
his wares. They may gaze upon sin
and misery to their hearts content.
One never sees evidences of merry
making or light heartedness in these
haunts of depravity. Everything is
suggestive of hopeless misery
Men and women may be there-at
least, they We're men and women at
one time, but are now simply absinth
drunkards - through whose feeble
brains the shadows of weird dreams
are creeping.
But once III the grip Of absinth the
victim is seldom able to set himself
free. He will do anything to obtain
money to purchase it. Not infrequently
guides on the Alps have been known to
murder tourists in their care to obtain
their money for this purpose.
Whether it is the result of bad exam
pie or not, the people of France are
drinking absinth much more heavily
than formerly, and with Gppreciabe
| results.
While the population Of Belgium, for
instance, has increased II per cent
during the last fifteen years, the con
sumption of alcohol has increased 81
per cent during the same period. Cases
Of insanity there have increased in
number 40 per cent; suicide so per
cent and arrests for begging and vaga-
londage $50 per cent
1t was a recognition of the danger
into which the country was steadily
moving that prompted the action of the
Belgian legislature in banishing alb
smith from that country.
Far reaching is the bill, which passed
both houses by an overwhelming vote
1t prohibits the manufacture, importa-
ton, transport storage or sale of the
liquor or any substitute for it, Viola
lions of the law are to be met with
severe penalties.
Perhaps the most unfortunate results
of the absinth habit is the fact that
its effect is so liable to be transmitted
to children.