The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-01-06
SOCIAL DRINKING.
Speech of Sir james HnsIett, Member
of Parliament.

VI
Sir James Haslett, member of parlia-
ment for Belfast, speaking at meet
ing recently held in London presided
over by the present archbishop of Can
terbury, gave the following important
testimony, which we commend to the
statesmen and public men of the United
States:
my lord bishop, it is with great
pleasure that l rise to propose that the
best thanks of this meeting be given
to you for presiding on this occasion.
1 think you are the right man in the
right place. The church must lead if
we are to have healthy influence in
society. AS stranger amongst you,
have had very great pleasure in hear
ing all that has been said in regard to
total abstinence. T may say that I
drank it in from my mothers breast
have never tasted drink. And, what
possibly is not an easy matter, l have
never offered it to others. The greatest
difficulty we have is in the social inter-
course of life-to entertain publicly, as
public man, without drinking. So
strong are social habits that you have
raised against you all the weapons that
satire and evil communication can pos
sibly find. You are called mean and
'niggardly' and hundred other things.
think, my lord, that the change must
come from the women. They must act
as lever in this matter, though l do
not know very well how they are to do
it. 1t was one of my duties as the mayor
of Belfast to entertain the representa-
tive of royalty, and it was a difficulty
with me how 1 could do it without
drink. Unfortunately, the lord lieuten-
ant dropped upon me just the week aft
er was appointed. That difficulty was
greater, think, than might have been
able to withstand; but l had then my
wife with me, and she said: We'll, you
had better resign your office We car
| ried it through as best we could. trust
| that the recollection OF that may still
| brighten her life in the other world
| But it is the difficulty Of social life
| that you must seek to unravel. You
| cannot do it by legislation. / am bound
to say that when / waited upon the lord
| lieutenant and told him about my diff
| Guilty he said: My dear fellow, would
only spit upon you if You sacrificed
your principles Lord Londonderry
was too much of a gentleman, to seek
that I should in any way lower myself,
| and I felt, as an old Sabbath school
teacher, working amongst the young
and addressing meetings all my life,
that if had then put drink on the table
l would have sacrificed ak that I had
ever done. My lord bishop, it is not
an easy thing to act thus. have passed
through recent election, and my bit
terest enemies were those who sold
| drink. 1t has been said in Ireland that
the readiest way to a'man's intelli-
gence is through his stomach. 1t is
wonderful how kindly we are disposed
after we get our dinner. Ithasunques-
tionably an immense influence, and
there is a large class in cur country
of whom it may be said that the
readiest way to their intelligence is
through glass of beer or spirits. You
have that to fight against. During my
recent contest, and during contest ten
years ago, l never had at the election
committee meetings one drop of strong
drink. If we cannot carry an election
without it, then, in Gods name, let US
surrender"