St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-08-19
LETTER FROM CEYLON.
How the Temperance Question Appears
to those I'm Foreign Lands.

-
Dear Caledonian Allow me to call
your attention to an article in the In
dependent of April %, 1886, entitled
"The Outlook of the World" by Bishop
Randolph Foster, ID. D., LII. ID. The
last part of the article headed "Rum
and the Vicious Glasses" is, L believe,
eminently worthy of special attention.
The writer seems to speak with a
tongue of fire. | wish this piece
could be published by every paper in
every land where the devil of drink
has made it's appearance and L wish it
could be preached from every pulpit
and carried out from the pews to every
house. True it is that heathenism has
no devil worship which will compare
with this. The victims cast under the
car of Juggernaut were as drop in a
bucket compared to the victims of
drink, besides they died a more hon
Orable, clean and manly death. How
can we teach the heather Christianity
with this blood red blotch on the face
of Christian countries Z This sin is in
no way hidden from them. To drink
Intoxicating liquors is in direct viola
ton of the principles OF the Hindu re-
ligiOns; and strict Sivites are total
abstainers but the English civilians
come here and in the face of the ma
tives make drunken beasts of them
selves.
About year ago the governor of
CeylOn and it's dependencies made visit
to our peninsula and grand dinner was
given in his honor. During the whole
dinner time wine flowed like water. L
watched the few Hindu gentlemen who
were present. They sat erect with the
dignity of men who have not sold their
birthright and in the presence of the
governor and of officials of high posi-
ton refused wine. "Shall not these
men rise up in judgment and condemn
u.s." for they are Obedient to the little
light which they have while we sin in
face of the full light of Christianity.
had conversation, not long since,
with Moor man. He pointed to a
liquor shop few steps from his, kept
by prominent member of a Christian
church and told me that if he were to sell
liquor he could easily make a fortune
but said he, 81 should scOrn to sell
liquor, | should scOrn to touch even an
empty liquor bottle" Is it to be won
dered at that the heather associate in
their minds drunkenness with Chris
tian religion
Many Hindu parents are afraid of
the example of Englishmen. l knew
an English Inspector of schools to take
out his bottle of brandy and drink
from it in the presence of the whole
school. The Hindus are afraid to
send their sons to English colleges for
fear they will follow the example of
the professors and learn to drink. A
certain Englishman notorious for his
drunkenness and evil deeds, was after
his death worshipped by the natives as
a devil, and wishing to offer what they
thought would be most acceptable to
him they broke bottles filled with
brandy over his grave.
Are not Christian countries putting
a perilOus stumbling block in the way
of the heather? Are they not literally
crucifying the Son of God afresh and
putting him to an open shameP In
behalf of the I,O4O, OOO,O heather
shall we not call loudly to the Chris
tian world to reform for the sake of
their example NJ. LEITCH.
Oodoovill Jaffna, Ceylon.
June 3. 1886.