Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1874-03-31
NUMBER IL.

The delusions OF drink are aambsrlsss,
but there is one Of them whish stands in
The way Of reform 90 decidedly that il
calls for decided treatment We alluds
TO the notion thai 1t isa Aios thing 10 drink
nice liquors or wines At ones friends. aud
10 make them uinisIsr to good fellowship
at every social gathering, while 1t is =
very different thing to drink bad liquor,
in bad places. and in large Quantities. 4
man full OF good vino feels that he haa
right TO look with contempt upon the
lrishman who 10 full OF bad whisky. II
Is not long time since the election OF =
professor in British university was
opposed solely TN the ground that he
neither drask wine nor offered /. 10 his
friends; and when. by . small majority,
his election WAS effected. the other pro.
lessor, decided not 10 rscognizs him reel.
ally. There are thus Two men whoa
these sticklers for wins dsipiss-vh
the man who gets drunk on bad liquor.
and tho man who. drinks no liquor tall.
Indeed. they regard the latter with hatred
or contempt which they do not feel for
the poor drunkard. The absolute aain.
osity with which many men in society
regard one who is conssisntioH,ly opposed
10 wine drinking, could only ipring iron
delusion In regard to the real nslsrs of
their own habits. The ssn.iiivensIs OF
these people on this subject. however,
shows that they suspect lho deluiion OF
which they are the victims. They claim
10 be on the ,iis OF temperance. They
dsprscaie drunkenness, And really donr
see what 10 10 be done about II. They
wish that man would bs mors rational In
their enjoyment OF good things OF The
world, etc., etc. but their eyes Psn
blinded 20 The fact that they itsnd,in The
way Of all reform. The horrible drunk.
snne,s Of the larger cities oi Great Brit
Ain. with which DO hell That America
hold, can compare ior moment, cis
never be reformed until the drinking hsb.
It's OF the English clergy and the English
gentry arc reformed. With slsrs,-
iwcfths Of tho British clergy rins. drink.
ers. and drinkers tabooed in sooisty
and social drinking the fashion In sll The
high life OF the realm. the workman will
stand by his gin, brutality will reign In
ils own chosen ceaters undistHrssd, and
those csntcrs will incrsasinglY tesoms
what. to 4 lrightiul extent. tAsy already
are-ts,tsrisg iorss upon The body social.
and stencil In tho noslrils Of the world.
The habits, neither Of Grest prftisa
nor America. will be improved sRil msa
oi influence in every walk Of lie are will
ing 10 dispense with their drintiag cuI-
toms. Hundreds Of thousands OF nglish.
speaking men 20 10 . drunkards grave
every year. There 10 nothing in sanitary
considerations 40 they relate 10 the mod
crate drinker, and surely nothing in the
pleasures Of the moderats drinksr, 10 mit-
ignte this curse. II is all \ delusion.--
The water drinker is the healthy man.
and tho happy man. Spirits, wine, beer.
slcohloIic beverages Of all sort are = bar
den and bans. and there 10 no place
where good man can stand unshadowct
by fatal delusion. except upon the safe
grouud of total abstinence. Until that
ground is taken. and held, By good men
everywhere. there can be no temperance
reform. Tho wine-drinkers OF England
and America have the vhiiky. drinkers
in their keeping. What do they propose
10 do with them DIR. !. q. Holland;
Scribners for March.