The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-19 00:00:00

A Mistake Corrected.

The following timely and highly important letter appeared
in the Times of Thursday, the &l November, 1864

" TO THE EDITOR OP THE TIMES.

" Sir,—That you should di§cuss the merits of the Tem-
perance movement is to my mind a matter of thankfulness.
I do not write, therefore, to complain of the method of
your matter, but to correct a mistake into which you have
fallen in considering the Permissive Bill agitation as neces-
sarily a part of the Temperance movement.
"This movement is now large enough to have two power-
ful parties agreeing as to the object to be attained, but
differing widely as to the means of accomplishing it.
The one party is represented by the United Kingdom
Alliance, and the ether by the National Temperance
League. The former, while consisting chiefly of tee•
totallers, seeks to abolish drunkenness by a law pro..
hibiting the sale of strong drink. At first it was sought to
procure a law for the total and immediate prohibition of the
liquor traffic, but latterly the aim has been to make the law
permissive, in the belief that many districts could even now
work a prohibitory law. The fact that this movement seeks
to create the public opinion necessary for the attainment of
its object by town meetings and election contests brings all
its doings prominently before the public. It is therefore not
to be wondered at that the press should confound this agi-
tation with the temperance cause generally. The National
Temperance League embodies, on the other hand, the views
first entertained, and even now most generally adopter), by
temperance societies—viz., the endeavour to change the
habits of the people in reference.to the use of strong drinks
by example and precept. While the Alliance party
looks upon the traffic as the root of the evil, the
other sees in the traffic that which is necessary to their
drinking customs of the country and the drinking habits of
the people. The one class are called prohibitionists, and
the other moral suasonists. The efforts of the moral sua-
sionista are directed chiefly to individual reform.
They seek out the drunkard, and in many instances
succeed in effecting his reformation. By Bands or
Hope they teach the young to do without intoxi-
cating drinks, By lectures, tracts, and missionary
visitations they enforce personal abstinence as the crowr ir g
hope of the movement. They urge the adoption of the
pledge, considering it, however, as of comparatively
little importance in itself, but great as the rati-
fication of personal resolution to abstain, Nor are
the moral suasionists unmindful of the accessories to
Temperance which you so well enumerate in the closing
paragraph in your leader of this date, To one of this
class the people owe that educational literature now to be
found in the home of nearly every artisan. Another
established and still conducts that publication whose mar-
vellous illustrations* command for it the largest circula•
tion of all the serials. It would be easy to multiply
other examples to show that Temperance men are not
unmindful of education as a protection against intem-
perance. Nor have better homes for the working classes
been neglected, The Temperance Building Society in a
few years has advanced for that object over a quarter
of a million sterling, The Temperance Provident Insti-
tution, on the other hand, cultivates provident habits,
and has on its books over thirty thousand members.
The drinking fountain movement, while it did not origi-
nate with Temperance men, has undoubtedly received
from them its chief support. The same can be said of
cheap dining-rooms and workmen's clubs, the latter
being in the first instance identified with a Temperance
society. While the London Temperance societies' hold
over one hundred and fifty meetings a week for direct
advocacy of their principles, they have also penny readings,
cheap concerts, and a variety of clubs, with other means for
the amusement and instruction of their members. With this
machinery great good is being effected. Each society has
its staff of officers and visitors, all working gratuitously, and
in many instances ungrudgingly finding the money like-
wise for rent, lighting, and the other items necessary for
their work. This work•is all, you perceive, in the line you
indicate, with the advocacy of temperance added. From
most of the temperance societies the prohibitionists receive
countenance and support ; but, nevertheless, the work done
has for its primary object home reform, and, what is more,
it accomplishes its object to an extent beyond all precedent
in meliorative measures.

" The Nation,3l Temperance League embodies the
principle, and on a large scale the action, of these socie-
ties, and by bringing the facts and arguments of the
movement before the young men in warehouses, the
students in our training colleges and universities, the
clergy, magistrates, and the public generally, it seeks by
means of the example of the higher class to make it easier
for the lower class to take from themselves the temptation
to excess, The League seeks, by the free discussion of the
properties of alcohol and of the drinking usages of society,
to lead the public to total abstinence as the true temperance
in reference to intoxicating drinks,—l are, Sir, yours
respectfully, " NV. TWEEDIE.
" London, Nov. 1,"

* I refer to ctisseiro palichtivuo And the krifish nrkman.