The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-11

will only be successful when brought to bear
in favor of practicable and moderate meas
ures. The government will have to propose
something, and l beg all men and women
who may judge what the government pro-
poses-and | know no more about it than
any one of the several thousand of persons
in this hall-to judge it with fairness and
moderation. Do not imagine ii any dozen
members of the alliance were made into
dozen members of the cabinet they would
easily find solution of this question. You
must have in support of bill the majority
of Parliament, and you must also have the
support Of pronounced and felt majority
in the country: and unless there is fair
start given to any Ia1r proposal then NO step
will be made, no advance whatever will be
secured. There must be some plan-not vio-
dent, not unjust, not regardless of the habits
and opinions of the people and of a large
minority-on which temperance PEG
pie can combine, or else the
essential point of success is lost. Now
my plan, as l have said is open to objection.
could raise number of objections to it my
self but then if did so 1 believe l could
fairly answer the objections. L could show
that there were still stronger objections to
probably every other plan, and that there
was something in the nature of the drink, in
its temptations in the propensities OF man.
kind, in the long habit of the country-some-
thing in it that makes it almost hopeless to
do more than TO make certain tentative steps
in the direction of an improved condition OF
things in this country.
LEGISLATION AND MORAL sUAsIoN.
have almost finished what 1 wished to
say l am not one of those who believe that
legislation can dc nothing on the subject.
There are men who say, you cannot make
people sober by acts of Parliament" Well,
that is phrase which l will not much dis
cuss, but have no doubt whatever that by
act Of Parliament you can remove to very
considerable extent the temptationwhich now
meets men at almost every step of their lives.
look to other means besides that OF legsla-
ton. look to the education of the coun-
try which | hope is advancing at a measure
able rate. l recollect some years ago Of be-
ing at public breakfast in Birmingham,
and there was a discussion on edu-
cation Among the company was
gentleman, a German, whose name | for
get and whom / did not know before that
morning. l am not sure whether have
ever narrated this before, but if have it is,
/ think, worth repeating That gentleman
told me that in the kingdom of Saxony.
from which he came, the people had been in
past times so drunken that it was a common
thing to say in Germany of a drunken man:
That fellow is as drunk as a Saxon" but
that now, if you know a man who was per-
fectly careful and abstinent they would say
of him: 'Why, he is as sober as Saxon" |
asked him how it was the change had been
brought about. Has there been any change
in your law with regard to the manufacture
or the sale of drink?' l asked. He said that,
as far as his knowledge went, there had been
no change. l said: what has been done?"
He replied Forty or fifty years ago we
had established in the center an admirable
system of school education, and that" he
said, II believe, has been the main cause of
the reform that had taken place. Our chill
dren have been educated and brought up
with better habits, have grown up with
greater self-respect, and therefore they have
had greater strength to Withstand the temp
tations of drink" Some men, however
strong they may be in favor of legislation on
this question. must be delighted to be con-
vinced if they can be convinced that such a
fact as this can be told with regard to any
European country. If successful and true
in Saxony, why should it not be successful
and true hereafter in this country? But
there is another great instrument of power,
and that is the power of the Christian church
in this country. When l mention the
Christian church | do not mean that branch
which OF old time has been favored by the
legislature, but all the Christian churches in
! the country. For however they may differ
on points of doctrine aud passages of Scrip
ture, there can be no doubt in the minds of
! any of the pious and earnest men connected
with those churches that it is the interest of
all the churches, and of all the piOus and
earnest men who form their congregations, to
| promote, if possible reformation in this
country upon the question of drink. Some
people have an idea that this mischief is a
mischief that affects only what are termed
the working classes. Nothing can be great
er mistake l believe that the sympathy of
those who wish for this reformation is re-
quired for the multitude who are not ranged
among the classes ordinarily described as
! working classes" In point OF fact,
every class supplies victims to the terrible
temptation to drink; and, indeed, from my
experience-and | suppose the experience of
others must be much the same-there are
very few families in this country whose
members cannot point to some persons near
ly or not remotely connected with them who
/ have fallen victims to this terrible evil. But
l am not without hope l think the progress
/ that is being made is remarkabe-far beyond
anything that has been seen in past times
My honorable friend Sir Wilfred Lawson
may rejoice in the change OF opinion that he
witnesses, and have not the smallest doubt
that the change of opinion has been largely
Influenced by the wonderful zeal and labor
/ which he bas devoted to this cause. ! may
! say, then, that am not without hope. | be-
| lieve the wisdom of Parliament may do some
thing-may indeed, do much; | believe that
! the Christian churches may do much: be-
I lieve that the education which is now in
progress in all parts of the kingdom will tell
+ largely even upon the present growing-up
generation, and with this combination of the
/ attempts of Parliament the energy and zeal
of the churches and the effect of the educa-
tional movements 1 think we may hope at
some day to Danish the evil of drunkenness
! from the naton-an evil which darkens so
many homes with sorrow and despair.
/
! The Fiery Sunsets.
! Go LrroY rolI