The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-07-15 00:00:00

Correoponbenct.

DX NORMAN S. KERR AND THE LATEST
lIIMPERANCE TEACHING.
To Ow &Nor.

sir,--The Church of Znoiand Temperance Meaniele
~f June 11th containo part of an address by 1)r.
V..ritian 3. Kerr, the pareh di ictor of the Christchurch
ItilOtid the :it. Itarylebone Union. This gentle-
-11131, in Migularly high favour with Minn,
he,nciatinna, and is pu-died forward with • per.
turwity that does him credit mita great authority on
•ntitie temperance. He i. an indifferent speaker,
bate inure than once ...en him reading, far
3t
fr,,,...ffectively or well, adilresseo to email audience.,
though 1 have been sestet within a few yards, 1
hive only siren able to catch a few word,, here and
lint this may he the most approved f..nu of
public speaking—to axed badly and semimudibly a
Written paper. This genUeman ha. been fasintringan
a„.,,,j.tion for the study and cure of inebriety, which
ha- recently binned itself, and of which lie in pm-A-
strid, with an inaugural addnea. The drift of' that
i- that intemperance is inebriety, and quite
Is•vArl the ileinkard's control.
N.or 1 confe-s that we get quite bewildered by the
diver-itie- of religion., scientific, and political opinions
on All coneeis able topic., but if drunkenness is a
di-eve-, then what, in the name if common sense,
by punithing the drunkard, the
thu lawyer. mean
clowy by denouncing. him, the Bible by hohling him
up as a i-olenin warning, and the general public by
Of course it may be pleaded that Dr.
Kerr di.- wit intend that all drunkards are inebriates
—whateser the ili-tinction between the two maybe—
of dna, however, more later; but once let it han MM.
M•dtel that ilruukenne-: in "'ten it disease, and no
dratokard will admit that in his own particular case
air blame attaches; this amertion need's no proof.
The old-fashioned advocate. of temperance or sobrie_ ,ty
as ..ane peopli now prefer to call it, have of late 'lad
enough to hold their awn in the face of exhortations
1., practise abstinence a. an act iif self-sacrifice and for
the .ske of emenple, but if we now add the disease
theory, where shall We land ourselves?
As the Much Tonnerance Clovnicie is not fond of
in-vrting objection. in it, columno we have to turn to
• for an opportunity if protesting against views
th.,t to thine id on old-fashioned abstainers and
lever- in our Bibles .ern moot pernicious and dan-
g,,,, and to make an organised temperance crusade
Pe-hap., hefore going farther, I ought to give a
• of extract. from Dr. Kerr's harangue, and I
hhey add that iii. ant of the article goes on al nauseam
in the same ,•tyle :
No( • few there me who w 1 dismal the subject, as too
understool t • real tire further study. It is est 'Meiling
ho ale p zrely ri aol interilperanei blinds Pomo minds
a the se:tad fa -te. Ale Limed not pious bbthop, when one day
• „h e the latm:y reigri Ili Viet/ Of inebriety,
• Dru•ikennee. a. *lwo. •em y reply wee, ' N drunk.
• oat is not aierey. • On. At least, if at is. tnilir• era certain
dr:m.4as as ha wh th I would do sill caild to precept% de
yow lordship into the costhausslo aot the sin. If I found you
tell. by • Ten .mania snake I would prl to mate Vail
drunk with oh,ky oda. anlent spirit. an. ee I
the mgr. ittickly
I could suessel lii in king yoor lordship dnualt, the inore l'”pe
I w nil has' .4 the prwairratirn of en •sluthle • life to tee
I.lrardi: No .initi"nlitaall el Mat anirayll • tin. Bef•ire the
•iins eilonlforen said other an:esthetic., to b ing tit patient
~l r the fill r voile p ter of ale so that h• could feel
on pun from being nosier', des i drains, was f...und lob. an
,23 sat prisaa-au.e, f th • ininitatatt •11 Of • limh
cavil or. ,:heri h the 10 .1,1 lOnion that to est Inebriety
• sin and the ine..riate . ginner, In to .0,,
hat in renewals Influences 110 the only cure. Akin t vies*
me they wb., bold drunkenness to tic but • v.ce, and that thls
tie. to be eradicated must be treats 1 as a Min.. 1.1 other
contr. that in • inebriate in Oral, to be ref dnie.l newt first
he punish .1. On the f dtner if time. theorise ecelosinat. vi
salon against L'ruii•enitese ha, for the mow part boeo booed ;
• the letter the .u.ars rue ire of OW 10ji•Itt•,•11 h
w.th the one asap' iL,n in the ra lilt an I illniarfect thotzb
ore'ul Habitual laru hard. Act, been rear d
L.. . . . ... • .. .

Lir mr' illuntrionc ineinher of the medical pones.
• John Charli... Ibicknill, late Lord Chancellor'a
siotor in lunacy, haA in a very remarkable 'paper in
the coat.oporoey iieriele for February, 11477,
sig..a.ndy connoted the theory that drunkenneoo ia
he pronounce.' it to be a cm n and a
vie, awl call. For.tnnig repreavive inea..orto.. Again,
continue." Dr. Kerr:—
II I a ildstalte to thtt e !umlaut It • matogaarl
Maim' .ennattun. The well-known case of I..net 1. t.ial
pr..ngy and obeyelopm.ia elk owletlao, h • striking pro 4of
the rentr.ry. At the bed.ito of the dying och ckrgynian
and so, has lost worts, with • omiat ou his • playful
et.l and that •• would lb s'or his poor strolleri (• few
pc rune in a fair, w out no one but he had then hem
his•er:. VI core for), I have tent am mg his old oo Joao chums
the umet devoted and . fluent .4 modern ntimiimmles, and
dill .4 tee pr Inc. eel th.e.logiano a the ceeli.ry. Tender.
hearted m • little child to the very lain, MU sullolem friend,
shiv epird wae m auntie Ihts no would not be. wiosly have
trod upon • irorin, withal his araci.i.plishutentt and kin-ill.
RN. Of heart, .1101 front an Wick of perloil al I ebrl
Without exception the moot learned it an wh ,m I have ever I
bid the honour of ktio•ing, was •• hob tual drunkard for '
•noe lea yam before hisq uuttly end its knowledas sat '
• mzuride as it Vim 1..4 -•• • man we Ith and
culture, • member .4 he latinelature, nod belona.d to Um
aim •tel .sivu mientific elece la th • lint. 1114 hem. was as
tender ao his °deduct w laity, the beq imte he let: on toe-
ing the 10.1 toiching rousembra,ce of • revered !tenni, and
• generaus provion for the edam of niacin.: and fur the
rail lid pin, Yet he wee si no Armed a, Itiebriate that he
repeatedly was to in Intoni, toil In pubic ;no the great
ak . h.• afe, • momement
In.ll.uthed when he 4.1. Do ism them mid a thio god
• harrewlitg stmle..l wasted and rtt nc,l limn prove, beyuod
input', that sic di .1 Ii • ph. sic d tenpin, anti Ihut Ii
potmei.ut SUM e hyeic .1 no. 0n.... the brain a,..1 nervous
melons of them ousoeribloi toll. logo. nor, can be averted by
tio otelke'u .1 culture, can be al.ered by no moral agency.
old that the pants.* e of Inebriety is,. trul. • dima eel cow
fd litrutlaM of lost or an 0101. ..tiv
'''• • •

.n. .f Kentences are a little obscure, but
their drift is obvious enough.
Now, this is rich. I anyone who has
Ftwhett the subject mal9mme that eihication
I' a certain safeguard against inteinperance, or
any other bad habit, Why, the constant retrain
tenus-rance spivelusi is that it id not. As for Richard
Porson's sad case--that is a stock illustration of
educated temperance mandrel.* of the direct con-
trary.
Ulu! gays Pormin himself in tho fiat'. wing
jingling rhymes, hardly worthy id his brilliant
r.putatum—there is to my benighted provincial mind
U.. appearance of deep mental distress and lofty
principle . . . . .

7"I wrat rseurg. whir- I t drunk
With that weal learned Profemor Bock.
I 1•11,1 t t't Worts sod g..t tu le drunken
With that en..r• lionroe I Pr itsmor Ikon."

And Richard l'orson is commonly reputed t. have
be.% far from orthodox • ho W*ol nut In the church,
but ro.igned hi. felluwslip in 1792, rather than take
..01.m. he shamefully al persistently neglected his
dub... as librarian 01 the London Institution, and he
finally died in September, 1909, in the 49th year of
hi. age. There is nothing in hi* lettors or
writing., a. far a. I know them, breathing the
d.. 1. contrition .4 Charlo. Lout, in his " Coutes-
siom .4 a 1/rtnikanl.-

Would it be hemsy to inquire whether the clergy
ever read die Tempe:o4a Chroaitie, although some
of then, circulate it broadcast, or can it be that many
of them are ignorant of Porsm's life and career, and
have not read hi. writings ?
1)r. Kerr tells tie that he ha, found among Porson's
college chums men of great learning and ardent piety ;
now Dr. Kerr took his degree in 18111, and is under
bO. perhaps not over 45. It must require some stretch
of the imagination to carry back his vision to the chums
of Person—men who, when Dr. Kerr was a lad of
fifteen, must long have passed their four score
year.. . . .

•
But, to prevent any rniioonccpti n as to his views
Dr. Kerr goes still further, sue, with this pmomge I
Inti.t chi., as it will show the tendency of the latest
temperance teaching. " Drunkenness is oftener a
diseaw than anying elm% and even when anything else,
generally a disease as well.- Cu. muifusion be
werse confounded
. . - . . . . .

I must briefly make my position clear. Ido not
object to Dr. Kerr holding any views he likes on the
subject; he has a full right to his own opinions. But
tAis is Ote point: his speeches and papers are most
carefully prepared, and are generally, as I have said
above read from beginning to end ; therefore all he
says elaa been revised, and he cannot plead, OA in my
own case I might, that he speaks on the spur of the
moment. The Church of England Temperance
Society, by publishing his paper, endorsee his views.
Now that society is ostensibly engaged in a great
crusade against intemperance, obviously on the
ground that it is preventible. But how can that be
the case if dninkenness is nearly always a disease? What
in the name of conscience is the use of having diocesan
agents speaking and preaching in every village in the
lanU. if the drunkard is ill only? The care of the
drunkard had better be made over to the doctors
forthwith Unless distinctly repudiated, and a
qualification would be useless, the C.E.T 3. will lose
many supporters and many subscribers.
A. J. H. CRESPI.

Wimbome.

2LANDFOID.
CHALLINGE CUP COM PICTITION. —Thu fortnightly
challenge cup, given by the lieutenants for competi-
tion by members of H Gaullism+, DAL V., took place
at the butts on Monday. The highest Wore Was
made by Sergeant Hodges, 43 points, but be being
handicapped four point* made him a tie with Private
Whiffen, 41, and consequently the tie will be shot off
at the next competition.
lemouou Puttee. Tueeday.—lkdore the Mayor
(Ntr. K. Eyers) and the ex-Mayor (Mr. J. Barn.—
John Lane, labourer, of Blandfords was charged with
being drunk and disorderly the previous Fnday even-
ing in liaststreetlane.—P.C. k rank Goddard stated
that n Friday evening tart, about quarter to eight,
from complaints made to the superintendent, he WM
sent 1., liaststreet-lane, where he NUM the defendant
in the street, near his own house, picking up pieced of
breken ware, which the defendant admitted were
Pltions of plates he had broken. He persuaded him
to go indoors and go to bed, when he replied " He
should not go for any man." There was a crowd
en the top of the alley. who hail collected there on
account of the defendant's disorderly conduct. The
defendant was drtuik. Defendant told witness to
order the crowd off. Witness told him to go in, and
then the crowd would go away, when he said "He
would not go in for 40 policemen." He then took
him into custody; he resisted till begot to the top of
the alley, after which he went quietly to the lock-up.
—The Mayor said it was lucky it was the defendant's
first appearance before them, or he would have been
very. severely dealt with; as it was, he would be lined
ha, including costs, to be paid in a week. They were
determined to deal severely with persons using ouch
disgusting language, and he was happy to say there
would soon be a byelaw t, eioe them power to deal
with parties using such languae. Defendant
admitted the charge, saying it was his own plates that
he had broken, and he must work hard tor money to
buy more.