Connecticut western news., 1878-11-20
The Other Side.
EDITOR OF THE NEWs.-


 There is good old rule of fairness whicl
 reaches back even to Pagan times" Hes both sides" As the columns of Tbe News
 have teen so generously opened to the ad-
 vocates of the dbstinence movement. which
 again like wave of the sea is sweeping
 over the land. to be followed hy the iuevit-
 able recoil; you will, am sure, for once,
 give hearing to very honest and outspo
 ken champion of temperunce.
 Total abstinence may be logically and
 lawfully urged and insisted on, on these
 grounds: 1.-As necessary medicine for
 the sick-always to be prescribed to those
 who have fallen under the power of ths ir
 lower appettes. 2.-As an act of self-dis-
 cipline, which may be advisable on many
 grounds. 3.-If one becomes satisfied tn |
 his cause furnishes a better txaD, pie for
 others. But to insist upon it as a rue for
 aL-as a higher virtue than temperance-as
 making man, of necessity. more acc, pta- ble ln GODS sight-is so much at variance
 with that gospel which Christians profess to take as their rule of life, and which says in the words of The Master Himself, "John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine Ca total abstainer from mo
 lives of self fdiscipline), and ye say he hath deviN The Son of Man (our highest |. K Ample) is come eating and drinking and ye say 'behold gluttonous man and wine bibber'-hut wisdom is just f1,d of dU hel children" that it can never carry with it the convictions of mankind.
 The vice of drunkenness is at the present time exciting renewed attention in England. At the late congress of members of the Church of England held in Sae field among the speakers was Canon Harper, whose speech we append. One sentence of i, ought to be written in letters of gold, and we quote it to prevent possible mlsconccp- tion: It was most unfair to think these who opposed particular kind of treatment were lnsensible to the magnitude and gravi- ty of the disease"
 Canon Harper (vicar of Selby), bespeaking the patience and forbearance of the Congress, said that he differed fundamentally from ali With whom 1t was not 6 fixed first principle that drinking wine and beer was better than not drinking at all. Daughter A self-goy- erning moderation was better than tied-up ab- stinence as surely as the full freedom of health was better than the valetudinarian's sad nec- esslty of living on regimen. (Cheers.) Better enter into life with whole body than with body malmed or with one of it's members per- ished. He spoke stror gly because he felt strongly. If he took the tone of one convinc- ed it was because he was convinced He felt that the more deadly the disease the more dreadful was the mischief of mistaken treat ment, and he was convinced that in this drink ing disease there had been mis- aken treat ment. (''No, no I" and cheers.) 1t was not to be supposed for moment that he felt the desperate evils less but the more he felt the evils of the disease the more he tried to aepre cate the mistaken treatment of it. Nay it was most unfair to think those who opposed a par ticular kind of treatment were lnsensbie to the magnitude and gravity of the disease. tCheers-5 lie was convinced, herepeated, that there had been mistaken treatment. The Nonconformists, who were the first in the field, had fallen into thu mistake. The Church which should nave corrected it, had in the main continued it. The mistake had been that of thinking that because ,crippIes required deal of humanity. Laughter.) Beer-slaves were of two classes. There were those always | ready to face beer, their master, always mas tered by him, drinking themselves drunk as often as they had the opportunity. These i were the drinking beer-slaves. There were al- | 90 those who dared not face beer, their mas ter knowing that they would be mastered by | Jim :; never drinking. and therefore never trunk. These were the abstaining beer slaves. | Interruption, and cries of ''order.')
 The Aoctbishop-I entreat the audience to emembef that we shall best get at the truth y hearing both sides (Cheers.)
 Cdnon Hdaper (resuming) said that as jhrlstlan minister and a Christian man he ob- ected to both these classes. He would neith- 1T be a drinking beer-slaVe nor an abstaining ,eer-slave. (Cheers.l He would not be a beer.
 lave at all, and he would not make believe hat he was one. He would be avowedly Laughter: For his beer was Gods go1d crea- ure and his good servaat. (Laughtero On ome hot summers day, heated with walk, or 'eated with work, Bass beer he found to be I all beverages the most refreshing. Loud auShter.) Better than milk-(renewed laugh milk was very good better than 'ater decidedly. ('No, mo-. and laughter ie was convinced that this was God s truth. nd he asked them to be kind enough for a ew moments to hear him with patience. We'll, ' No, no:"O We'll, he had found 1t so, and hey would allow himself to speak of his own ceilings. Iaughter.) Better, he proceeded 9 say, than cold tea-(renewed laughter)- hough he confessed to himself that was an a 1yP9thesls gPP hia snod cheers He nybody object to thanking God for it i? Cheers.) He said he gave God thanks for his ood beer. for his good faculty for enjoying it, nd for his good power to enjoy it with self 1 oyernment and moderation. Cheers and ughter.) But it might be asked, how about le weak brother for whom Christ died? What bout him? What about self-sacrifice What ! bout "I will eat no flesh while the world aadetb2' What about help, encouragement !