The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-05-26 00:00:00

lora' Enuntg txiiress.

DORCHESTER.. MAY 26th, 18-8).

SO ttS.

It appears that Lord Bramwell's pamphlet on
" Drink" Ia to be published by the Liberty and
Property Defence League, and will be circulated
freely amongst the general community. Rarely has
eo good an opportunity been afforded of carrying war
into the enemy's camp, and, we may add, rarely do
we see exhibited in so large a degree that highest of
all courage, the courage of one's convictions. "We
have no right,- he says, "to interfere with the
innocent enjoyment of millions in order to lessen the
mischief arising from the billy or evil prepensities of
others." If this argument could lie maintained,
what would become of the teetotaler's stronghold ?
Hitherto the moral reasons for abstinence have been
to him a tower of strength. Are we to believe his
position is, after all, assailable? Lord Bramwell is
bold, but something more than courage is needed to
refute the arguments on the other side. The
abstainer stands iin high ground, and the principles
he fights for are fl' 't to be subdued by carnal
weapons. Having said this, however, we t assert
our opinion that the method if warfare hitherto
pursued has dene the teet.,tale.r. a C..ll,lderable degree
of harm. Fanaticism has led advocates to stray far
away from charity; excess of seal has provoked
opposition which but for it would never have
existed. It has been forgotten that fermented
liquors. are not prohibited in the Decalogue, and that
conscience itself does not in every breast disapprove
their use. To. ,fin, 'miniver, has it been over.
looked that persuasion is more reasonable than tsint-
pulsion, and that KOMI' tsinsideration is due to those
individuals who either rpm, conviction or experience
believe in the iist6aloiess of Ati ..... lams. lint it is not to
he imagined that ti, . walls i 1 teotot disiii are going
to th...1,1e at the blast of I. ir.l Pow:well's iron
pet ; but the sound will not hay.• been inaili• 1111
vain if it calls to a stricter practice •if charity.

It cannot be said that the House separates Cs- the
Whitsuntide holidays under very happy circuit',
'lancet,. In spite if senti.otticial denials in the
110M1114per14, 11114 V awl.• negations in Parliament, the
order for the Guard,' to stay at Alexandria has not
yet been explicitly stated to have had nothing to do
with • hitch in tlie St. Petersburg nos,sotiatiens:
Everything said in Parliament in answer to enquiries
on this subject might be literally true, and yet the
impression immediately and naturally emitted by the
news might be perfectly ACC,II,tc. This fact stands
out significantly : When the I :Ilan!, left Sumkim they
were not aware that their destination was Alexandria.
neither was it known in Alexandria that the Guanls
were coming dove.

The next Soision will probably be devoted to
domestic matters. If our dispitt, with littssia can he
patched up early in the Session, then. will be the
stereotyped abortive Vote of Censure, awl then a
sweet oblivion of foreign affair*. It would not be
wise of the Government to go to the c..untry
without an interval devoted to Home Rd.on,
Modern electorates have short memories, and a few
brilliant Acts of Parliament wi add easily efface the
memory of the events of OW 54.1111411 Alla .11.
ghanistan. But will then. IV' an opportunity for
Protechnic legislation such &4I expedient for the
purpoim of confirming the constituencies in their
fidelity ? The "Crimes Act" blocks the way, and
the rumours thicken and strengthen that over this
bone of contention the "dogs id war' are 44116 ill the
Cabinet itself, and that it is quite within the mime id
possibility that before Parliament reassembles on the
4th of June we may have a change of Nfinisters. if
not of Ministry. Mr. Chamberlain and Sir
Charles I/ilke are credited, iir discredited,
SW the case limy be, according to the
view taken of conferring, eleeptiollal 1444Wer41 utsm the
Irish Executive, of waking whist almost amounts to
" crisis.' Whilst the Lonl Lieutenant determines
1,1 a condition I,f reliMi ing in the llovernment that.
the Act should be renewed, Mr. Chansberlain and Sir .
Charles Dilke back the Partiellite f 14411431141 fora large
measure id remedial IegiAISI44M. 114 AV Mr. Gladstone
can reconcile such contending forces remains to Iss
aeon; but what with affairs ii ii,,' Soudan, discontent
at home, and the apparent liceak down id the financial
affairs in Egypt on account of t:erntany awl Austria
still hesitating to ratify the arrangements id the
Convention, the Premier has probably inuer had a
stormier time to dial with. Waiting for die "clouds
to roll by," as Panek put it in a significant eartissi
long ago, means ill 1114444 1114114144 " and of
"1/rift " the public are growing imintient and
restive.

Powil,ly the excew,ively gloomy weather predisissies
oar to take an e•vii view of current The
nierry month .4 May is a complete fraud. The only
oralifort to be obtained i* hy 1114%11.1 of II roaring 1i...
Laust November wa* briglit and cheerful ounParvd
with this May. C. ugh'. and rheiiiiiati*in, and neural..
gias and catarrh* abound :usionmit frieleal•, utol
enetaieta ton, it irl to lae ItoplA. The "'balmy lareem,,"
as called by the infatuated poet*, of thi* '•
season of the ye-ear," chill mit.** marrow wo sa to
render owe prone to every forum of misanthropy.