The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-19
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
LIFE TOITCS DTSCUSsED nv vOLUN-
TiRr CORREsPONDENTs
The Drinking Habits OF the English The
Critical Observations gu the Subject that
are Made by nv English Newspaper Man.

The Drinking Habits OF the English The
Critical Observations on the Subject that
are Made by au English Newspaper Man.
To THE EDrroR OF TnE Sun SIR: Trust
ing to your wcll-known inipartialiy request
a small portion Of your valuable snacc in which
TO rcplyto and contradict some " the statements
contained In an article on the drinking habits
Of the English. signed j. W. appearing in
THE Sun II to-day. | am an Engli-hman
probably j.. W. Is not And l. too. am a
journalist, and may therefore without conccit.
assume that amto some small extent acquaint-
ed with British customs and institutions. am
nota temperance adyocatc-far from 1t but
writ" solely because am confident your Eng
lish readers Will be- pcnscd TO see corrections II
statements calculated TO create wrong impress
sions Of the habits of the old country.
In Great Britain everybody, approximately
speaking. drinks wnc ale. or bccr-womcn
and children not excepted" True enough
but only part Of tho truth. In actual pccuniary
value. the consumption " whiskcy. rum, and
gin il far greater than that Of wine. ale or beer
tly the way. ~ W." should inform himself
that in England ale is beer. lie probably meant
to distinguish aes from stouts and porters-all
comprised under the head "becr.')
Abstinence is looked upon MS within; few
can detect la II Il real principle" This en-
period when j. W" or his coach took obscr-
vations-twenty years ago but at the present
time tcctotaler in England is looked upon IA
something superior to u hobby-horsc RIDER ne
Is looked upon rs "A man with real principle.
lie ~ So FAR recognizod-thr within" notwith-
sihniing-ls 10 require separate departments
oi MS own IN the business Of insurance cOmpa-
mics. he may select his reading from the most
powerful cass literature in the world he ~ a
special featur" in the demands for labor adyer-
Used IN IN" newspapers of England. n" il rep
resented 10y distinct, and 10y no means insil-
niii'nni, party in the House Of Commons: and
II" aud lls friends number above u twentieth
part Of the population OF the United Kingdom.
girls and women who enter public houses and
the American women and girls who do not |
ADVISE your readers to accept II Gun, ordno sails.
American women do enter saloons and pur-
chas" beer. which they carry away in cans. so
do English women. The lower class Of Ameri-
can women DO enter the saloons and stand ut
the bar and drink. So do the lowcr-clnss Eng
lsh women. But respectable English girl or
woman. dcccntly brought up, would no more
thlnk OF entering an English bar To drink-un-
ISIS under very exceptional circumstance
thnh would an American g,rl or woman brought
siderable acquaintance with America and its
men AMI women. and | respect and admire
them: but an Am"ri AN woman has certainly
not more delicacy than AN English woman. In
Int. would rather ham" the English women
Tor false dellcncy fortunately not possessed by
the American women
To discover his error about his statements
that Chrsts Hospital is exclusively for boys"
ana TINT II IL under the management of the
church" would recommend u. W." 10 study
n very ably written history OF the SCHOOL re-
at his disposal | am confident he will discover
and admit his errors. II" says: Al dinner
each boy receives half pint Of beer That fact
tolls NOR. the un!Vnrsaliiy ~ the use Of strong
drink IN England than "A who'd" column Of "X-
Ilanaton would do. Iscarcely like to call this
rubbish. but II displays an Ignorance of tho
history Of the school surprising ina one who nd
dresses n leading daily newspaper upon the
subject and is only eN,rlled by the inference,
that because tho ltul master md 4 th..
suH"ri nat" masters happen t. bc reyrrrnds."
Is strictly under the management of the
9" II you ask n ahoring man lin England. or
any one IN an inferior business position. any
chan"" question. he generally eNpects a small
this Is too much! Where did your correspond
eui obtain these notions2 If y. W" stops az
English lal"ring man 10 direct him on his way
he VIII grt u generally correct answer. and
civiliiy according 20 his CLOTH Two out OF nve
American lahurlng men VIII not even condc-
-ccnd 10 reply. unless 10 swear at one. Had he
gone little further lie might have been nearer
tn" mark. In England they certainly cNp",f A
eratulty for very smail services. such rs wheel
INK your trunk 10 the railway car. opening a
can door, and So on. and IN that respect are lar
behind the Am"rlcAn-but. also. they urn far
NOR" civil. But 90 expect gr1tu IS for giving
q reply To any rhanc"pu. stDn!'' can an iutnl-
Then W. are told that public hous s are Ii
o.nsed hy parish magistrates who ar" not
elected 10y m" people, ana are Responsible to NJ
On" "Nropi themselves. ami hold Office for life"
In t4r hfst pine, narsh mag sirai.rN SIS only
m the Imagination uf | j. W. An lu.,l -h
parish ovuui"s relatively the same position 10
IN" borough ns nm Amer an district occupies
Ia ward. 4 borough may contain twenty
parishes, and the borough magistratos-gcner-
ally substantial elurHt"d men. appointed by tho
tr9wn- grant the licenses. These mag rates
hold Office at the will Of the Crown. There Is
Hlrp "A body. the collect We body OF county magis-
trat"s. who. though they have no legal super
vision or control oyer the individual mnlis-
iratrs yet collectively exercise "a Wholesome m
tlu~nf".
:, Temperance ideas do not grow rapidly in
England. Tn" CLERGY urge moderation.
but seldom mention total ab-tiurne" a. balm;
among the card nal virtues. In .otlnnd
a majority II III" liquor dealers are memh, - nf
tn" church Statistics utterly refut" the first
sentence. The great majority Of clergymen #
the Church OF England are members Of the
thur n ~ England Temperance Society. many
oi whose members become total al lsialner- M
the solicitation of archh.shoTs bishol- ci .r.y-
men. g.. And in England the MAJORITY of
liquor sellers are membcrs Of the Church also.
BhOOkLNN. NOV. u. FRANK FkHNfIk