p. 765 | WINE IS A MOCKER by Censor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Dec 15, 1887

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 13, No. 48.

WINE IS A MOCKER.

By Censor

THE unnatural and impossible proposition—the ridiculous falsehood—that the use of wine or beer decreases the use of stronger liquors or diminishes drunkenness and crime, needs refuting every morning, just as do all other false pretenses made by the poisoners of men.

France consumes nearly thirty-nine gallons of wine per capita, about forty times more than any other nation, and uses the largest quantity of spirits per head. She is also becoming a large consumer of beer, and drunkenness is increasing so rapidly that her wine-drinking legislators are declaring it a public danger which must be attended to.

England in 1830 tried to substitute beer for strong liquors, and licensed many thousands of beer shops to induce people to quit drinking gin. The result was a larger consumption of spirits and all the filthy drunkenness on beer added to the former hideous stock.

Good men in those dark days believed the "beer act" was to be a grand conservator of morality and sobriety, but after a year's trial it was seen to be a tremendous mistake. And in a few years more the beer act was denounced as the greatest calamity that had ever befallen England. But as it helped to pay a Government revenue, like spirits, tobacco, and opium, there has never been any attempt to repeal or amend it in the interest of the public welfare.

In the early days of wine-making in California the argument was used that wine would supplant whisky and diminish intemperance; but in a few years most men conceded that it had a marked opposite effect.—Censor.