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Show Strong Drink and the Anglo-Saxon SOMETIME in the fourth century B. C, Pythias Pyth-ias went up from Massilia (now Marseilles), Mar-seilles), to the north of France, crossed over and explored a part of what is now England, lie described it as in great part woods and swamps, but with open spaces where sheep and cattle were kept and where he also saw wheat growing. He remarked, incidentally, that "the natives na-tives made intoxicating drinks out of corn and honey." That was three hundred years before Caesar invaded the country. More than twenty-two (hundred (hun-dred years ago, but "the rude forefathers" had learned the art of making out of wheat and honey something that would set them on fire. It was doubtless a tougher compound than the moonshiners moonshin-ers manufacture now in eastern Kentucky, but.it was the best they had. And it is curious to note that during all the ebb and flow of the centuries, the men of England have never given up that beverage. They have improved upon it, but have never abandoned it. During a great portion of that time they have been at war, either among themselves or with outside ervemies; they have advanced until the sun never sets upon their flag, but everywhere on sea and on land they have clung to that beverage which both cheers and intoxicates. And they are not light drinkers. drink-ers. In that damp climate, they neutralize the moisture on the outside with what they take within, and they used it steadily while they emerged from semi-barbarism, up through the force which enabled them to subdue themselves while they were subduing the world, until they were the foremost of the world's powers. And Iheir constitutions were never weakened by it. Everywhere on every field they have borne themselves them-selves with the ol-time British valor. We mention this to remind advocates of strict prohibition, how fixed is the habit of taking something some-thing for the stomach's sake, upon the Anglo-Saxon. The Saxons brought over their beer which the Britons took to kindly, but at the 3amej time the Saxons took to the stronger beverage, until 11 now both the beer and the whiskey are favor- IH ites, and many a one will explain after six or : H seven whiskeys there is nothing that will neu ! trallze its effects like a chaser of beer. In all H these years we suspect the English people have spent vastly more for whiskey and beer t inn upon H both their army and navy, and could they give H up their drink habit tomorrow, their savings from H this source alone would, in twenty years, buy J H everyone of tihem a farm in Africa, Canada or '1 Australia and fit it for a comfortable home. Well, H it only shows that tho problem of how to wean H such a people away from a habit that has been H bred into them through more than sixty genera- !H tions of ancestors is no easy one. And Ameri- !H cans hr v 's rited that habit. We do not believe H they can aired by statutes. It will have to H come b' v. anizlng societies and appealing to i men's better natures. France and Germany have 'H reduced the consumption of strong liquors by sub- jH stituting wine and beer and that seems as a palia 'H tive, but not a cure. Who shall name the process H through which it can be reached? H |