The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-03-21 00:00:00

SIR H. THOMPSON ON TEMPERANCE

AND THE SUNDAY QUESTION.

At the annual solt6e of the Students' Total Abstinence
Union, held at New College, St. J .bat-wood, on Friday, Sir
Henry Thompson In the chair, and at which the speakers
were kleasrs. Lawrence Groan, Robert Rae, and the Her G.
W. Wed., Sir Henry, alter observing that it was of the ut-
most important, on physiological grounds that people should
abstain from the moderate use of alcoholic drinks, pro-
coded to remark that it was spoclally Important that all
having to do with the welfare of the working man should
wean him front that appet te for drink whien is his curse,
and which renders him a trouble to all around, and to ask
wLose built was It that this was the case. "IL Is because,"
he raid, " you and I and our fathers and forefathers have
folio i to educate Ut, Class that no see them what they are."
Sir Henry remarked-'-

"All men of action, whether educated or not, require
a foil of some kind to their hours of b auk ; they
need a totally different condition of the nervous system
which shall be a relaxation from that which exists
during the strain of prolonged labour. In approaching
this class we must recollect that their eources of relaxa-
tion are very few. They have only now and then a
chance of meeting a light and brilliant ray across their
path to chequer agreeably the hard lot of monotonous
toil. Most of us have several sources of pleasure—they
are shut up to sensual enjoyment, because by want of
education they have no power of appreciating better
things, It is ueeless for you to say, give up your liquor,
if you have nothing better to pot in its place.
You and I can do It. We have painting and music ;
our resources are manifold ; the heart of fiction, the
studies of history, philosophy, litersture, the apprecia-
tion of natural beauty, and studies of traveL We have
games of skill and a thousand things not pos-ible to
the uneducated. These are the bright beams which
diversify our labour, and fit us for it. The working
man has none of them. Do you wonder then that
he seeks that elevation of spirit, that buoyancy of
heart which he can buy for so many pence, but
which, as the habit growa, certainly results in
injery to the body, fold in debasement to his
mental and moral nature? You may give these mmn
your tracts in which you show that the habit is bad for
this world and worse for another ; but all this is power-
less, anti will be so with the majority. You must
provide for them other recreation ; you must create
and cultivate the taste by which they will appreciate
other forms of recreation before 3on will do them any
widespread good. You must mix with these men, not
in your obviously professional character, which they
more or hew discredit. or inspect, but you must per-
sonally devise and superintend plans for making them
comfortable, such as clubs and rem-cation rooms, eating.
houses like those in Glasgow, with amusing resources
In games and free libraries of cower. You must
approach them on their only day of rest with that
aim. We open but two houses in this ceuntry for
these people on that day, the house of prayer and
the house where liquor is sold. All others are
closed. The evil will not be cured by shutting that
latter house. YoL muse open other doors, and you
must enter those other doors with them and exert
your influence there. But what doors? Demi, which
admit to simple and unwholesome refreshment of the
body and of the naiad. Christianity is not confined to
the pulpit, and the only possibilities of a Christian
country for these men should not be confined to the
taproom and the pulpit on their only day of rest. The
pulpit has demanded the closing of other doors than
its own. Egregious mistake ?'' Here Sir Henry paid a
hearty tribute of ad cuiratlon to the Rector of Bethnal-
green, who had headed his parishioners in demanding
that the museum there should be open on Sunday after-
nos no. He continued—" Christianity rightly understood
has in view the healthy development of all the intellec-
tual and emotional faculties. Thus we should on all days,
,-specially on Sundays, at least in the afternoon, and
evening, see that our coffee•houres, reading-rooms, lb
braries, 11111Bellms, and picture galleries are open for the
working man. Much as I want my own Sunday's rest,
occupied as I am, I would gladly devote a part of it to
accompanyim; a party of working men round our Na-
tional Gallery, to cultivate their tastes there to an
extent to which I might be able. I can nay this, be-
cause I accepted a like duty some years ago on Satur-
day afternoon, and this is work in which I hold that
you might be well and righteously employed; and this
is what you must do if you would really win the work-
leg man from drink. If you wish to save him from
brutal habits, you must give him culture and lead him
yourselves amongst the refreshments of literature and
art, first providing comfortable resources for all his
common and natural wants."
Sir Henry concluded by remarking that in this
matter his views might be different from those of his
hearers. He was aware that it was rather a delicate
point. He claimed for himself, however, that he was
as earnest in the matter as they, and that he came there
to express his honest cm victions on the subject. He
concluded amidst loud applause.