Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-02-05
Cannon Farrar on Temperance in
America

English papers bring reports of the
speeches made on the occasion of the wei
come home given to Archdeacon Farrar,
by the Church of England Temperance So
ciety. Several members of Parliament
and other prominent advocats of temper
ance took part in the proceedings. 1t was
great representative gathering. Can
non Farrar denied, so far as this country
is concerned the assertion of the chairman
of the meeting that, sit was some salts
faction to know that England was no
longer at the head in the fatal race for
drunkenness, but that other nations ex-
ceeded her in temperance" He said
Wherever | went, at every banquet,
wine was very sparingly partaken of, and
at many tables it was conspicuous by its
absence. Cheers | am convinced that
a very large number of the clergy Of the
Episcopal church, and perhaps still
larger number of the clergy of all other
denominations, are total abstainers
Everywhere | saw signs of very
deep feeling npon this question, and
although ! was three months in
America and travelled many thou
sands of miles, it is simple fact that dur
ing all those long journeys saw fewer
cases OF drunkenness than | have some
times seen in the streets of London in
single walk and in single day. Besides
that, 1t IS quite clear that America is very
far ahead of us Ill all matters of temper
ance legislation. There are no fewer than
five States of the thirty-six States of
America which, by the voluntary action
OF their people, have adopted the very
stringent measure of actual prohibition.
AS to the failure of prohibition in
Maine, he illustrated the difficulties at
tending the search for liquor by visitors,
and said: ''lf that is the kind of way in
which drink is Obtained in Maine, I think
we all shall agree that the Maine liquor
law is not such dead letter as some peo-
pie represent it to be-" He added
"!f you once succeed in making drunk
enness difficult you diminish almost in
definitely the amount.
How oft the sight of means to do i'll deeds
Makes ill deeds done
Take away the glaring public bar with all
Its glltterlng apparatus, and make the
people feel that they are not thus attract
Ell Ike moths to the candle, to Shrivel
themselves in that scorchng flame of
temptation, and you will be astonished
AT once to lind that the number of arrests
for drunkenness have been almost indef-
nltely diminished. The absurdity of our
present system consists in this, that we
first of all do our best to lead men into
temptation, and then we imprsOn them
because they succumb. QIear, hear) We
permit the cause and then we punish the
effects
The archdeacon does not believe in the
practicablity-for long period-of pro-
hibition by act of parliament, but says, in
view of what he had seen and heard in
this country, eve see at once the reason
why the Church OF England Temperance
society and why every other temnerauce
society, Is desirous as far as possible, to
gain the aid of the law, if not for the alb
solute suppression, yet for the restriction
and limitation of the drink traffic within
such restraints as may prevent 1t from be
ing the deadly source of mischief which it
now undoubtedly is"