The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-07-25

injunction in getting drunk. Thereupon
the court asked him to explain, where
upon the inebriate quoted Proverbs
XXI, CT: Give strong drink unto him
that is ready to perish, and wine unto
those that be of heavy hearts. Let him
drink and forget his poverty, and re-
member his misery no more" The
quoting of Scripture from a police dock
created a sensation, we are told. and the
nan was discharged. Whether he was
set free out of pity, or for his wit, or be-
cause the magistrate believed the man
really thought he was justified by Holy
much to ask of any one to believe that
police magistrate in New York is post
ed on Scripture. We may therefore be
justified in concluding that the court &C
cepted the Biblical quotation as better
law than the ordinances against drunk
enness in the streets. But what a cum
ming fellow the drunk" was is shown
by the New York Christian Advocate,
which well says that by adroit perver-
sion almost anything can be fortified by
Bible sentences. The whole passage
from which the drunkard warped his
defense is as follows: Give not thy
strength unto women. nor thy ways to
that which destroyeth Kings. 1t is not
for Kings, o Lemuel, it is not for Kings
to drink wine, nor for Princes strong
drink lest they drink and forget the
law, and pervert the judgment of any
of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto
him that is ready to perish, and wine
him drink and forget his poverty, and
remember his misery no more" Here,
says the Advocate, Kings are warned
against strong drink as a rouser of evil
PASSIONS and the overthrower of judg-
ment so that one will be unfit to rule.
Therefore Kings must not drink But,
says the Advocate, as a medicinal
remedy strong drink might be used, as
i one was about to die from cold and
exposure, or from debility, it might be
well to stimulate With liquors. We have
heard the sentences construed as sar-
castle that drink may be permitted those
who are beyond redemption. Let them
guzzle and die, the besotted and de-
based, for whom there is no hope of So
briefly. Perhaps, say such readers, it
may be taken that the writer of the
lines believed as many do nowadays,
and with much of justification, that
time is wasted upon confirmed drunk
ards when expended for their reforma-
ton, and that the sooner they are out of
the way the better for them and for So
ciety. But at the time Proverbs was writ
ten distilled liquors We're unknown. AS
the Advocate" well says, of gin, whisky
and brandy the people had no knowl-
edge. The making of alcohol was not
discovered until ten centuries after that
time. The reference, therefore, was not
to such liquors as the New York inebri-
ate fired up on. Strong drink in the time
when Proverbs was written was wine
NONNOANb WIN oNNAPSAJ MS "a U.S. AAASNS
brought sleep and ease from pain, while
wine alone resulted in babbling Neither
fired men to deeds of violence and crime,
but generally put them into a stupor.
So that however viewed, the chap in
the police dock had no Biblical warrant
for his plea The Doway version of the
Old Testament 5000 gives the lines diff
ferently. There the text runs: Give
strong drink to them that are sad, and
wineto them that are grieved in mind"
There is no reference here to chose that
are ready to perish" This translation
also gives a different wording to another
line: Give not to Kings, o Lemuel,
give not wine to Kings; be-
cause there is no secret where
drunkenness reigneth." There is
no reference here to strong drink or to
Princes. But, taking either version the
chapter is one enjoining temperance and
chastity, and cannot be twisted into de-
Tense of drunkenness That such a
theme should create a sensation in a
New York court, and become the subject
for much local comment, is, after all,
more amusing than the twist the drunk
ard gave to the extracts from Proverbs.
Those feeble souls who view with
such alarm .the enormous cost" they
assume that this country will be put
to, TO fortify Hawaii in case we an
mex il, seem to have no thought what