Year: 1874

jails, penitentiaries, asylums, houses o.


refuge and of industry, we shall fnd


that thirty million dollars per annum is


below the truth. Now, how much Of


this is chargeable to intemperance
| Hundreds of tables of statistics show


that four-fifths of all the subjects oil
public charity and support have been


intemperate. 1t is unnecessary to 60


into any tables on this subject. Here is


one sample, taken from a report: Oh
1869 persons in different aims houses,
| 1890 were brought there by drink.
| That has been the grand cause of pau
perism throughout the United States


Of thirty millions, at least, which the


public institutions of charity have cost,


twenty-four millions per annum has


been caused by intemperance. Now,


how much of that has been caused by
beer? Not so much drunkenness as by


whisky but more stupidity. Look at the


social statistics of your poor house, and
you will soon see that your beer drink
| ing people have their full share in such
| places. If we say that the cost of beer


drinking in taxation alone was s., 900, 600,


we shall be under the mark. And now,
what do you think of the revenue part


of the brewers address


But the brewers have got an ally in
Mr.. rs. n" who really seems to believe
that beer drinking is a temperate, salu-
tary, dietetic aliment He seems also


to be doctor and can show what the
mucous membrane is, and how the blood
runs, and what are medicines and what
stimulants. l also have read little
on this subject, and am more amused
with his serious argument to show the
utility of beer than l am with the ludi-
crous fear of the brewers Let US look
at his position:


l. Spirits injure the mucous membrane
and cause redness, swelling, etc.


2. Therefore he is against beer. This
is well so far.


3. Beer, when taken in moderation, is
not injurious.


4. What is moderation He is certain
that if all persons would drink only liq-
uors which contain less than Is per
cent. of alcohol in moderation, there
something practicable. For the first
time we know what moderation is. 1t
is to take liquor with Is per cent. alco-
hol, and be careful not to take it with so
per cent. We may not only drink lager
beer but Madeira wine also.


Now let US practice upon this. There
is about eight times as much alcohol in
whisky as in beer. A pint of whisky
day would be considered pretty heavy
dose for bully drinker. That would be |
about equal TO gallon of beer, and that
is what is often drank in a day by people |
who think it is sort of food


But | need not pursue this branch of |
the subject. All is admitted that l |
claim. Beer causes drunkenness Mod |
Grafton permits beer, and beer, wine, or
whisky are alike the stepping stones
to intemperance in that unfortunate
class of beings who seem incapable of
restraint upon their passions and appe-
tite.


rs. N" thinks I am not much of a
doctor because I put whisky, beer,
opium, hyosciamus, and strychnine" all
together as stimulants. They are all
stimulants at one stage, and all narcotics
at another. When opium is first taken
it is stimulant and when whisky has
put man in the gutter, it is narcotic
They are all medicines, and all useful in
their place But why should we take
medicine for food? And why should we
take the remedies for disease, debility
and age, to apply to state of health and
As long as the passions of
men are unrestrained by moral power,
they will give way to their appetites, and
health and life give way to the destruc-
tion of both, Spain will have its icen-
tiousness, Germany its beer, and America
it's whisky, just so long as the laws of
Hygeia and the obligation of religion are
E. D. NJ.


JUNE l3