Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

More Beer and less Rum

On a fair computation, one third of the earnings of daily laborers is expended for spirituous liquors: consequently if a man labors three hundred days in a year, at 75 cents per day, he spends 75 dollars for spirits, which do him no good, but a deal of harm. If 50 dollars a year of this expenditure was saved, every laborer would in 4 years be able to build a snug house, worth 200 dollars, and buy him a farm of new land, of 50 acres: He could at the same time with the remaining 25 dollars, purchase and drink 100 galls. of strong beer annually, which would do him a great deal of good and no harm.

The free use of rum enervates the body, shortens life, and destroys reputation and credit: and what is worse, nay cruel, prevents thousands of innocent helpless children, the enjoyment of such food as nature requires. As a substitute, malt ale or beer answers a double purpose. its use cherishes the spirits without intoxication; strengthens the body, and corrects the juices.

Drs. Cullen and M'Bride says that hops will preserve fresh meat from putrefaction. Beer prevents many diseases which arise from inflamed blood, and, in the warm seasons, acts as a powerful antiputrescent: its free use prevents gravelly concretions, and is always an antidote to urinary suppressions, and scurvy at sea. It is food and drink of the most wholesome kind: a little use renders it more palatable than ardent liquors.