WINE AND BEER LEAD TO STRONGER LIQUORS.
AND now comes a cry of distress from Germany—the land of wine and lager—a cry of alarm at the increase of drunkenness. The advocates of light wines and beer as substitutes for rum and whisky, have for years pointed to Germany as illustration. The advocates of the free sale of beer and ale have pointed to the same example. But now the Nation publishes a Berlin letter upon the alarming increase of intemperance, and the use of alcoholic drinks in place of or in addition to the use of beer. Belgium has, since 1840, more than doubled the use of alcohol, and the industrial counties have a dram-shop for every seven persons. In Germany the dram-shops increased in two years 12,261—about 10 per cent. The emperor of Germany in his late address to his Parliament, called attention to the serious increase of crimes and misdemeanors, committed by men in a state of drunkenness, and Parliament has sought to limit the number of licensed dram-shops. One great difficulty in the way is the fact that the Prussian aristocracy have a monopoly of distilling whisky. All the same it is apparent that wine and beer are not preventives of drunkenness. Rather they awaken and stimulate the appetite for stronger drinks. We commend these facts—coming as they do from a source not under suspicion of special favor for total abstinence—to those good men who defend moderate drinking, and especially the drinking of wines and beer. It may be suggestive, also, to the cider drinkers.—Northwestern Christian Advocate.