The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-22

The Rev. W. l.. GAGE Of Hartford, Conn.
undertook. last sunday. 20 preach upon the
recent child killing in porassct. subject re-
garding which Christian ministers hayc main
tanned rather peculiar silence. The Rev. Mr..
GAGE began his sermon with tho query; What
is the relation Of ABRAHAM's expected sacrifice
Of Isaac to the recent shedding Of a chills life
by man who claimed 10 BE- initiating ABEA-
HAMS faith ?"
The preacher averred that it Is now almost
universally conceded that tho Bible is the
record Of n revelation which was faint. obscure
and imperfect in its earlier processes. and that
we do not expect to find the religious or moral
training Of the race MS far advanced in the time
Of NOAH as in the time Of DAVID. A deed which
might be permissible in ABRAHAM might be
entirely out Of character in the most pious man
Of our time"
Mr.. GAGE likewise advanced the somewhat
singular point that ABRAHAM possessed n prop
erty interest in his son which FREEMAN did not
possess in his child;
"AtnAu,N Wa. hut one ont of millions who hcI that
~ ~. s a. ". ~ .acn H. sion a, wsrs his
icrr,d 10 cive e which he i, trn ,,",, Az VI,
own n ana 40 ms deed when cNety stated was simply
Tho Rev. Mr. CAGES argument seems to b,
neither perspicuous nor convincing. He would
nave done better 10 avoid o question which Is
pulling the minds Of ADLER mon.
The increase Of drunkenness in Groat
Britain, Notwithstanding all thr cif rs malc q
check H. Is shown by the statistics collected ly
the Select Committee OF tie House Of Lord, on
lniamperance. Within nine years tho number
II arrests for drunkenness NOR. than doubled
and the amount expended for intoxicating
liquors roso from Gsl .22I7l ln 1860. to
cli7,Zss7 j9 in 1876. According To- Prof.. LEVI.
tho consumption Of alcohol In leverage rose
from about four gallons por head in $3.50 to
nearly -FOUR ana half gallons Zoo 1873. Tho Se-
lect Committee Of tho Lords d. not seek To- cx-
aggerate the unfavorablc in'erenrcs from the
facts that are offered; but hold that tho in
crease in the consumption of liquors may not
imply mn increase in the number Of drunkards
ana may be partly accounted for Icy the in
creased use Of alcohol among temperate peo-
pie. Just as. under improving circumstances
the people use more tea. sugar. tobccco and
beef, so they use moro spirits. wine and ale. 1t
was found by tho Select Committee TINT
drunkenness has reached startling proportions
among the women Of the large cities. In the
year 1875 no less than 1000 women were mr.
rested in London, and, during period Of thir-
teen years 30 $50 women were confined in the
Liverpool Borough Prison. min ,-tenths of whom
owed their misfortune. directly or indirectly. t.
alcohol In Edinburgh, duriuga period in which
the population increased six per cent. drunken
women increased at the ratio of 81 per cont
This singular state Of things is alleged to lac
due to the growth Of the liquor tranle among
gro'ers, though 1t has been supposed that the
least demoralizing way Of meeting tho demand
for liquor was provided by the issue Of
licenses to grocers. Tue Select Committee Of
tho House Of Lords were unable to nnd any
satisfactory way OF limiting the growth Of
drunkenness by law; but they recommend adj
ditional restrictions upon the liquor trade. and
sevcrer penalties for liquor sellers who violate
existing laws