The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-08-23

and rough conduct, interfere TO con.
siderable extent with tho liberty oil
Others-may do this, without any very
grave fear OF the law, even 10 tho ex'
tent OF promlsOnOu4ly distributing
"lovely black eyei" among those about
him. Perhaps this 10 a little OyGrdraWn.
hut Wa know well enough how lightly
the English courts Of justice look upon
assaults against tho person, and this is
all OF a piece with what have observed
in every phase Of Eaglsh life, and to
ono who understands tho English char
aGteF Ia not in the least surprising.
They are q conviYial, Sport'loving peO'
pls, who act decidedly, In their person
al intercourse, upon tho give and take
principle, VINO preserve still not q lit
Ito Of tho Toughn0ss Of their savage an.
cestry; tho most conventional people in
the world in soma things, bu. in their
raCrsatlons throwing ntlonalily to
the dogs, their only notion Of a good
tina beingR FREQ time and u rough RRd
boistsrous lime In all OF which char.
acleFislics the British workman is no
less decidedly English, YOU know-psr'
hapa no IL little more English-lhan
his more favored fellow counIrYmen.
TOTAL ABSTINENCE INCREASING,
There eau hs no doubt that total alb
stinenGs iS increasing among EnrliIh
workmen, though not at q very rapid
rate. Most Of the progress one finds in
the practice oil letting liquor entirely
alone il in tha younger generation OF
men and Women--Lhose whose sarlier
years were passed under tho Band Of
Hope influences, Tho old slagers hold
on 10 the beer mug, which was one OF
the earliest plaYthlng' OF their child
hood, and has been the untailing in
sniration Of their lives ever since, with
lenacity which Is rs natural as IL is
lRmeutable. In England, however, We
cannot measure the progress OF temper
ancs by the number who take the
pledge. Like every other reform Ia a
laad OF settled and long standing habits,
the importance reform will move slow
~, ana it will always move on the lines
OF least resistance, The test questions
are, do the working classes frequent
the bar room "A much a. they formerly
did, and il IhGra rs much drinking to eX.
cess as there WASP" 10 these questions,
after peraonal observations aud careful
inquiry, can give most encouraging
answer. All classes are agreed that
moderation has increased in far greater
ratio than total abstinence, There is
nothing like the wasteiul drinking; the
drinking for tho sake OF drinking, that
there used to be, and hold II to DO en-
phatically true, as an old friend put it
to me tho other day. that whereas whom
no was Young fellow, twenty-five yoars
ago, the bows, after working hours,
would uniformly make beG line for the
public house, which was. then the one
commanding place Of amusoment, the
same elias, OF young follows now 90, in
large aud even increasing number, 10
the cricke. and football field, or they
take spin on tho bicycle, or walk 10
tho park, many Of them even showing
prOierence for tho school room and the
lecture hall. Happily, too, tho great
labor leaders are all temperance men.
Ben Tillett, Henry Broadhurst, John
Burns, Keir Hardie, Joseph Arch, Tom
Manu-all these are not only against
the saloon, but they are total abstainOrs,
aud the effect for good Of such an ex.
ample in men OF their influence is sim
ply incalCulaOle.