The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-10
RECOMMENDED SUBSTITUTES
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN

Washington, D. c.. July Now that
/ liquor Is no more and the head of him
who used it is cleared for straight
thinking, some really worth while SUBJ
stitutes are being proposed. Folks are
removing the trimmings and facing the
one fact of alcohol-stimulation 1t is
stimulation that is wanted. They are
abandoning the idea of getting 1t sur
| reptitiously, unlawfully. Is there not
| a legitimate stimulant to take its place
music, for instance?
The recent funeral of John was at
| tended by a large number of kindly
souls, who just dubbed over with con-
soling suggestions: You must have
noticed them. my dear man." you
could hear them gently explaining to
some sad and embittered follower Of
the deceased. you must not let this
loss blight your life."
People of this peculiar. pollyanna
type never can be suppressed. They
insist upon seeing good in everything,
even an empty bottle. You simply can
not make them see any difference be-
tween cocktails and candy. They rise
triumphant over the worst snubs and
cynicism and go right on assuring you
that you must bow to the will of the
prohibitionists; that in time you will
forget your grief in the joys of choco-
late or concert music.
1t is complained that In the i'm
mediate past when the swinging door
was still a conspicuous feature of our
large cities our concert halls were sadly
devoid of male listeners. While most
of the musicians were men, their
audiences were almost completely
women. Musicians themselves will tell
you that they would have to give UP
their art and open grocery stores or
something If 1t We're not for the women
of the nation. Obviously, the majority
of American men share the view of the
distinguished novelist who, upon being
questioned as to what he thought OF
music, said, "Oh, see no harm in it."
But now the mourners of the late
John are requested to take the question
of music as a solace under advisement.
Why. they are asked, have women been
such ardent devotees of music? Is 1t
not because they discovered in II the
same stimulation, citation. that men find
in alcohol? 1t is admitted that there
are cases which seem to point to this
conclusion For example, the famous
singer. Malibran, was so overcome with
emotion the first time she heard Bee
thoven's fifth symphony she swooned.
and had to be carried out OF the hall.
Then there was the case of Berlioz, who |
swore that he became absolutely intox-
icated upon hearing certain pieces OF
music.
cation. he wrote: my vital forces seem |
at first to be doubled. / feel a deli |
cious pleasure In which reason has no |
part; my arteries pulsate violently" |
Then comes tears, followed by spas |
modic conditions of the muscles, trem-
bling in all the limbs. a total numb
ness In the feet and hands paralysis |
of the optic and auditory nerVes--ver-
tigo-almost swooning."
It is suggested that music as means
of intoxication has one advantage over
alcohol in that 1t produces no depress-
ing after effects. On the other hand.
the victim is rejuvenated and re-
freshed. Plato wisely asserted that
music cleansed the soul--as a bath did
the body. Since Plato's time the psy-
Geological effect of music has been care
fully studied, and as result music Is
now being introduced as a therapeutic
into large number of hos
pitfalls In the Japanese Russian war,
the beneficial effect of music on
led while in the European war II was
q common occurrence to have wounded
men ask for music before drink or med
lcal help.
Again. there are those who assert
that the best substitute for booze Is
books While no great degree Of phys
ical intoxication is claimed for them,
it is we'll known that in books men
have always found that relief from the
pressure of life which is the chief lure
Of alcohol and the narcotic drug. Men
drink because they are bored, because
they lack excitement" declares one au-
thority, land yet locked up in books
there is more stimulant more excite
ment, than in many bottles OF whisky.
Chicago bookseller calls attention to
the fact that a store In his city regu-
arly sells $500 pounds OF peanuts ev-
cry Saturday. and not twenty-five
pounds of books during the whole