Delta chief., 1884-01-30
The Progress Of Temperance.

The Progress Of Temperance.
Toronto Globe.
The advance of public opinion within
the last quarter of century the world
over. on the whole subject of the use of
intoxicating liquors as beverages has
been simply phenomenal. 1t is not in
one or two countries only that this ad
vance has to be noted, nor is it only
among English speakers, though these
may be said to take the lead in the
movement. Men not yet old can well
remember how those who started the
agitation against intemperance were
ridiculed in every possible way. They
were fanatics of course. 1t is al
ways safe TO call people who are terri
bly in earnest by that name. 1t is n
tirst-rate brick-bat To throw at their
heads. and the less that is known about
its real meaning so much the better.
Then they were ..fools." of course. 1t
was most natural that they should be
denounced AS impious, for did they not
fight against the use of good creatures
OF God?'' And did not Christ make
wine at a marriage feast'' Ii was ev-
ident that they had no idea of 1.-THE
usagcs of good society," and the
likelihoods OF its all being piece of
arrant hypocrisy We're as great AS they
could be No doubt they drank on the
sly-the humbugs, And the whole WAS
dodge of the mean creatures to es-
cape from the becoming exhibition
of hospitality. etc etc. Such was the
fashion in those past days when this
movement was in its first stages. But
the men who started it were MOTTO be put
down by ridicule They went forward
on the full understanding that n whole
college Of wit-clackcrs could not fiout
them out of ,h,ir humor. and far less
fiout them out of their principles. The
evil denounced came as consequence
la be more and more realized. The
arguments gradually Id. Step by
step. though slowly. the movement
gathered strength. The poor, weak.
weary insolence that had done duty so
long began to die on the lips of those
who had been haunted with the strange
dclusion that they We're witty. The
thoughtful and the philanthropic began
Ia waken up to the mighty change
which would bc effected il all could be
persuaded I" give up the use Of intoSi-
eating liquors. Science began to say
that the use of those beverages even in
moderation was injurious To health.
The old driyal about moderation As
that had been usually understood. got
more and more discrcditcd. The pat
ronizipg. pitying airs put on TO total
abstinence were more and more laid
aside, and men and women OF sense.
even when they did not become alb
staincrs themselves. began to have =
strange feeling of respect, for those who
stood between the living and the dead
and spake in the name of heaven that
the great plague should be stayed.
And now what do we findo Not the
victory secured and intempersnce de-
stroycd. But at any rate mighty
movement afoot. and that movement
growing in strength and volume at
proaigious rate, so much so as To prom
Use some of these days to become the
question towards the solution of which
all else will be made subsidiary.
In the states this movement never
was So vigorous and widespread as it
is to-day. The same thing can be said
of our own country; while in Britain
the most eloquent preachers of all de-
nominations, and especially of the
Church of England. with many of the
most prominent and philanthropic lay
men. head the crusade against the
abomna,ion which is making SO many
homes and so many lives most desc
late But il is not merely in these
countries. but all over Eurora, and
particularly in Russia. that the same
phenomena is to be noted; while from
far-ofr Japan and populous China news
of the same kind comes in.
All this. we have said. is phcnome-
nal. and it is at the same time full of
promise. Twenty years ago it was
generally thought an absurd dream to
suppose that drunkenness could be even
abated. far less destroyed. II is differ
eut now. and as things go who shall
say what may be achieved in this matter
before other twenty years have run
their course? In all likelihood the
change will then be even greater than
what is now thought so remarkable.
and the present will he Looked back to
rs time of small things, when men
were only beginning in this enterprise
to wake up to the duty of expecting great
things, attempting great things, and
being satisfied with nothing less and
nothing else.