Public-domain ebook
by F. W. Salem
Language: en1,717 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: History - Other·Drugs/Alcohol/Pharmacology·Politics
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #76262.
The work is a scholarly treatise that frames beer as a temperance‑friendly alternative to distilled spirits. Its opening pages lay out a purpose: to assemble the extensive research of economists, scientists, and legislators into a concise, evidence‑based argument for “pure beer” as a public health measure. The author stresses careful citation of reputable authorities, from state committees to noted figures such as John Quincy Adams and Oliver Wendell Holmes, and promises a balanced presentation that avoids “forced or doubtful” inference. After a preliminary discussion of compromise between abstinence and excess, the book proceeds to a detailed historical survey, tracing brewing from ancient Egypt through Greece, Rome, and medieval Europe, and culminating in contemporary American consumption figures that support the case for beer as a national beverage.
Written in a formal, late‑19th‑century style, the text combines legal rhetoric with historical narrative, reflecting the period’s penchant for moral reform and statistical argument. It will appeal to readers interested in the intersection of social policy, economic history, and the temperance movement, particularly scholars of American legislative history, sociologists of drinking culture, and anyone seeking a rigorous, primary‑source‑driven account of beer’s role in society.
The opening · free to read
11. William Penn’s House and Brewery in Pennsbury, Bucks County, Pa.
12. Brewery of the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wis.
13. Brewery of the Hon. Frederick Lauer, Reading, Pa.
14. Brewery of the Hon. Gottfried Krueger, Newark, N. J.
PREFACE.
Our object in presenting the following pages to the public, is to call attention to the value of pure beer as a preventive of intemperance. Few persons are aware of the amount of patient investigation this question has received at the hands of eminent social economists and men of science, or of the mass of facts and testimony that has been collected, and lies ready at the hand of any one who is able and willing to work it over into a compact consecutive form, in which it shall be easy of access, and available for use in the further discussion of the subject. This we have attempted to do thoroughly and fairly. Great caution has been used in making statements and no inference has been drawn that could be considered in any way forced or doubtful.
There are doubtless many persons to whom some of the facts and conclusions here presented, may seem strange or even startling, and to such it must be said that the authorities quoted are generally men whose reputation for accuracy and sound judgment stands so high that they cannot afford to make a mistake or a loose assertion.
The work has involved much labor and historical research, and the author believes that the information contained in the following pages cannot fail to be of value to those who are interested in any phase of the beer question, whether as brewers, legislators or students of sociology. The end proposed to be served is that of temperance, and the method suggested is one that has been successfully tried in other countries. From the total abstinence party we ask the candid examination of our facts and arguments that is due to a fair statement from all who claim respect for their own opinions, and are honest friends of real temperance.
The book keeps going
Reading is free forever. Sign up and watch scenes appear while you read.
Scenes Storieta drew for other classics.
New illustrated classics
Once or twice a month: the latest books to get full character casts, scene art, and free comic editions. No account needed.
