The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-04-07
ARE WE NEAR CIVILIZED
DRINKING?
FRIDAY. APRIL T. 1888
THERE have been two main stages in the

tered the fine arts of living. They not only
esteemed leisure, but also knew how to enjoy
1t in civilized fashion.
They failed however, to have sufficient re-
gard for science and engineering Hence they
lacked many of the comforts and conveniences
OF our age. Moreover, while we are able to
enslave machines, the classical peoples we're
able to insure leisure for only small minority
and that at the expense Of unspeakable cruel
ties TO vast slave population
The second Of the two main periods in the
evolution of mankind has been that since
about 1850 It has been characterized pri-
rarily by the marvellous strides in natural
science its application to the solution of the
problems OF manufacturing, transportation and
communication, the triumph of the empire of
machines and the establishment of the fac
tory system
We have done more marvellous things in
the field of material culture in the last two
hundred years than we're achieved by man in
the preceding 100000 But we have not learned
TO live. Uniquely capable of having abundant
leisure, Our age neither demands it nor knows
how to use it when available.
Hence, we well may turn back to the Greeks
and Romans for lessons in that aspect of hui
man life in which the. Greeks and Romans
proved themselves supreme
Pending the success of the repeal of the
eighteenth amendment, the current beer and
wne law may force us to go back and take
leaf out of the book of the classical practices
relative to civilized drinking
With the Greeks and Romans the enjoy
ment of life and the cultivation of leisure was
a fine art. They applied this quite logically
and consistently in their drinking habits. They
consumed little if any spirtuous liquors, con-
filming themselves mainly to a good grade of
wine This they almost invariably took with
q strong mixture of water
Uusally in the mixing bowl found
three parts of water to two of wine 1t
not uncommon to mix five parts of water with
two of wine
Consuming this mild diluton, the classical
peoples were able to continue drinking from
the beginning of dinner on through the SYM
postum which ran we'll into the night. At the
end while full of animation and urbanity the
great ma jority of those present we're in full
command of their faculties and able to carry
on illuminating and amusing conversation.
1t was we'll recognized that a spirited con-
VITALITY and good fellowship rather than
physiological paralysis and mental confusion,
should be the real aim in use of alcoholic
DquoV.
In our tense industrial civilization, we have
greater need than the Greeks and Romans for
such drink. ng practices Unfortunately, in spite
of our economic and social maturity we have
chung desperately to the drinking habits of a
rude frontier society, where life was uncertain,
ana heavy infltrations of hard liquor were
necessary to make one forget. the strains and
tsIrors which might await one on the morrow.
1t we'll may be that civilized drinking can
help us to find the proper solution, at one and
the same time, of the problems of leisure and
the attainment of true culture. Alcohol, taken
in decent quantities and at the right time, is
the greatest aid to human playfulness ever de-
vised by man.
This is not an argument for excessive
drinking. 1t rather is advocacy of moderate
indulgence in pure liquors of a light alcoholic
content at the proper time-good liquor taken
with the evening meal, with congenial COM
panons during the evening and the like. Such
Indulgence IN ales, beer, and light wines has
no bad physical effects, is immensely beneficial
in a psychological way, and rarely leads to the
vulgarity and other abuses associated with our
contemporary Swilling of hard liquor.
Man, being big simian, is by nature one
of the most playful of animals He never can
at least some small portion of his waking
hours
But the natural simian playfuness and
gaiety of man have been curbed and restrained
by the fears of religion and by worries about
economic security
We are coming to the time when super
naturalsm need no longer plague or terrify
mankind We should soon be at the point
where we can conquer economic worry.
The arguments for civilized drinking thus
are more attractive for the future than for the
past, when large doses of hard liquor may
have been necessary to help man face the
harsh uncertainties OF life.
Moderate use of mild liquors will suffice in
the future to let down our higher inhibitionS,
to free us from the tension and worries OF nor
NAL existence, to give us greater spirit of
conviviality and to make us more congenial
with friends-in short to make us more de-
lightfully human.
In the future the aim of alcoholic indul-
Sence should be to secure an amiable glow
rather than paralysis or stupor
CITY DFRTS PROVE RTTPDFN