Miss Emma Marwedel, delegate of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and the writer of this review. In organizing the meeting, the Joint Committee submitted the following list of officers, which was approved, to wit: PRESIDENTS. Chancellor von Steiger, Berne. Dr. Max Chevalier de Proskowetz. Grant Mills, London, Gallus Thomann, New York. Dr. Snyder de Wissenkerke, Hague. VICE-PRESIDENTS. Dr. Drysdale, London. Dr. Rziha, Innsbruck. Rev. Diez, Rothan, Alsace. In order to facilitate and expedite the work of the meeting, the same committee circulated a printed programme, announcing the principal subjects of discussion, and the names of the delegates or independent participants who had given notice of their intention to take active part in such discussion. It was understood from the beginning that the order of business laid down by this committee would not exclude discussions upon any other subjects which might be brought forward. The programme comprised the following subjects of discussion: I. Governmental monopoly of the sale of distilled liquors ; its utility as a means of combating alcoholism, and the best method of applying it. II. The nutritive value of alcoholic liquors as compared with that of other beverages and of food in general. III. The practical results achieved in inebriate asylums. IV. Statistics on the consumption of food and drink in coffee-houses and other drinking-places, in which alcoholic liquors are not sold. The time allotted to each speaker was limited to but fifteen minutes, but every delegate had the right to submit his views in writing, with the understanding that they would be embodied in the official report. The parliamentary procedure was conducted in the German language; but delegates, unable to speak either German or French, used their native tongues, and it was this polyglot character of the discussion which rendered the meeting uncommonly interesting. An analysis of the general bearing of the foregoing subjects of discussion appears unnecessary, except in so far as it might serve to familiarize the reader in advance with the fundamental principles upon which the Continental reformers proceed in their efforts. To an American mind the most striking characteristic of these themes is a negative onenamely, the absence of any reference, however remote or indirect, to the question of prohibiting the proper use of intoxicants. Of the four subjects of discussion, two are of a purely scientific character, while the others treat of two distinct methods of combating alcoholism. Considered in connection with the objects of the Congress, as expressed in its very name: Meeting against the abuse of alcoholic drinks, which, as we have pointed out elsewhere, implies a sanction of the proper use, the range of the discussion appeared well defined, and logically excluded prohibitory arguments. Yet, mindful of the dictates of courtesy and hospitality, and, no doubt, recollecting the somewhat brusque impatience with which prohibitory suggestions had been treated at the first international meeting, Professor Forel, in opening the Zürich Congress, deemed it necessary to plead, in a half apologetic and somewhat indirect way, in favor of admitting, or at least politely hearing, extraneous discussions. He held, to quote his own words, that "in debating upon the question of combating the abuse of alcohol in the widest sense of the term, the greatest. possible latitude should be offered to the expression of all shades of opinions; that the meeting should hear not only the views of those who advocate alike a truly temperate use of alcohol and a discontinuance of the use of the more concentrated and harmful spirituous drinks, but also of those who regard total abstinence as a requisite for the accomplishment of the end in view, especially in the case of habitual drunkards." Evidently, although inclined to treat prohibitionists with the utmost courtesy, Dr. Forel did not venture to countenance their ideas, seeing that he clearly avoided even the mention of them. The difference between prohibition in the American sense and voluntary abstinence, or abstinence enforced by direction of a physician in the case of a habitual drunkard, is so great and so obvious that it needs no explanation. Hence, no matter what interpretation was given to Dr. Forel's words by those prohibitionists, who, encouraged by them, subsequently participated in the debates, it is clear that prohibition did not form a part of the official programme. It is true, it manifested its presence in the meeting; but it was there through sufferance an intruder, barely tolerated. It will presently be shown what a pitiable spectacle it presented. "GOVERNMENTAL MONOPOLY OF THE SALE OF SPIRITS," ETC. The first address on this subject came from Mr. W. Milliet, a gentleman admirably equipped for the task by his recent official investigations, and eminently qualified to speak authoritatively by his official position as chief of the newly created Monopoly Bureau. Under his supervision the famous Swiss inquiries have been conducted, and from the office of which he was then the principal (Federal Statistics), emanated the celebrated report on the drink-question. Mr. MILLIET said : The abuse of alcohol, fitly characterized in our language by the striking term "gin-epidemic," is old in some parts of our fatherland. The complaints about this abuse arise partly from the excessive consumption, partly from the bad quality of the beverage. The causes which have produced this widespread disease are of the most complex character. In this, however, we are all agreed, that beside other general causes, social as well as individual, an unwise system of taxation has added materially to the development of alcoholism. It was, therefore, naturally the first aim of those who wished in a legal way to do away with the evils of excess, to remodel the laws in a rational manner. That which men have made, men can undo or change. The former legislation of which I speak was irrational in two respects. On the one hand, several cantons (and among them the very cantons which have neither viticulture nor brewing, and which, so far as viticulture is concerned, could not have any on account of climatic conditions) had, by the imposition of high import duties upon intoxicating liquors, either closed their doors against the importation of wine and beer, or rendered the price of these drinks too high; so that in either case the effect of this protective tariff was at first the development of home distilling, which is not dependent upon climatic or other conditions, and finally the overproduction and the consequent cheapening of ardent spirits. On the other hand, both from principle and for the sake of administrative expediency, the retail sale of whiskey, especially the direct sale from the distilleries, had not been fettered by any very effective legal restraints, while fiscal interests had demanded that all possible checks be imposed upon the sale of wine and beer. The outcome of these circumstances, in connection with others, has finally been, that in Switzerland the annual consumption of spirits, calculated in pure alcohol, amounts to almost 5 liters or, transformed into drink, of 50 per cent., 11 liters per head. I will not take up time by depicting the consequences this consumption of spirits has produced. They are the same in almost all countries, and manifest themselves alike in all countries and in the same directions. As old as the whiskey-evil among us, is the war against it. This war, however, necessarily took place within the narrow limits of the cantons directly concerned. And here the space was too limited to admit of any material results. When Philanthropy rose from her seat, she collided with the interests of agriculture; or when agriculture began to move, it clashed with the interests of the exchequer. The consequences of this narrowness gradually brought to the general consciousness the fact, that only an act proceeding from the country at large, only an act on the part of the Federation, could bring redress in this quarter. Within the arena of the Federation, affairs would clash less; the special interests of separate regions would paralyze each other; the ethical interests, being universal, would here have the power to subdue the egotism of individuals, as well as that of the several parts of the country, and subordinate it to its higher purposes. The feeling that a national movement was imperative became all the more strong and widespread, because it was necessary in the first place to effect a reform of the tax laws, which it was impossible to carry through, so long as the Federal tax-line, as well as the questions concerning the borders of the cantons, were factors in the matter. The necessity of the adoption of some measure by the State first led, in the year 1885, to a revision of the Constitution, which gave the Federation the right to deal by law with the production and sale of ardent spirits. The stand taken in this matter was not that of total abstinence. There were several reasons why this could not have been made the basis of the war against alcoholism. Most decisive among them was the utter hopelessness of propagating this principle in Switzerland under existing circumstances; next in importance was the con-sideration, that to drive out whiskey by the moderate use of wine and beer, as has been done in other countries, as well as in some parts of Switzerland, would be to accomplish eminent progress compared to the present state of affairs. The reform, which the amendment to the Constitution brought about, may, therefore, be said to culminate in the effort of supplanting the immoderate use of distilled liquors by the moderate use of wine and beer. According to the political traditions of our country, the task was not assigned to the Federation alone; the several cantons readily took their share of it, and private efforts re-enforced the work of the governments. To the Federation was assigned the task of making wine, cider and beer cheaper and more easily obtainable-whiskey, however, dearer and less easy to obtain. It was further commissioned to look to the purification of the distilled drinks, and so get rid of the old complaint, before alluded to, which had reference to the execrable quality of spirituous liquors and the quantities of fusel-oil contained therein. To the cantons was assigned the work of controlling the saloons, limiting the number of grogshops, punishing drunkenness, watching over minors and all matters connected with police government. The local governments also exercise supervision over the quality of those beverages, the moderate use of which the Federation had, so to speak,. declared legitimate-viz., wine, beer and cider, in order that a deterioration of the quality of these beverages should not produce the same injurious effects, the removal of which might reasonably be expected from governmental control of the manufacture and sale of ardent liquors. Private individuals,. finally, to whom a strong intellectual impetus had already been imparted in this matter by the revision of the Constitution,, were given material help in the war against intemperance, inasmuch as 10 per cent. of the revenue from the tax on whiskey is reserved for alleviating the sufferings and minimizing the evils which flow from excesses. This sum is chiefly expended by private individuals, by charitable institutions, by temperance and other societies, who give their attention wholly or in part to the drink-question. I will not in this meeting express |