The Arvada enterprise., 1911-05-18
EVILS OF SOCIAL DRINKING
English Statesman Says Greatest Diff
ficuIty 10 to Entertain Publicly
WITHOUT Liquor.

Sir James Haslett, member or par
Lament for Belfast, speaking at a
meeting held In London presided over
by the Archbishop Canterbury, gave
the following important testimony
which we commend to the statesmen
and public men of the United States:
My lord bishop, 1t is with very
great pleasure that l rise to propose
that the best thanks of this meeting
be given to you for presiding on this
occasion. l think you are the right
man In the right place. The church
must lead II we are to have healthy
influence in society. AS stranger
amongst you, l have had very great
pleasure in hearing all that has been
said in regard to total abstinence. l
may say that drank 1t in from my
mothers breast-I have never tasted
drink. and, what possibly Is not an
easy matter have never offered 1t to
others. The greatest dificulty we
have is in the social intercourse Of
life-to entertain publicly. as pub
lie man, without drinking. So strong
are social habits that you have raised
against you all the weapons that sat
ire and evil communication can pos
sibly find. You are called mean, and
'niggardly,' and hundred other
things. l think, my lord. that the
change must come from the women.
They must act as lever in this mat
ter, though I 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 representatives of royal
ty, and 1t was difficulty with me how
l could do 1t without drink. Unfor-
tunately the lord lieutenant dropped
upon me Just the week after l was ap-
pointed. That difficulty was greater.
l think, than might have been able
to withstand; but had then my wife
with me, and she said: Well, you had
better resign your office We carried
1t through as best we could. l 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 1t by legislation. l am
bound to say that when l waited upon
the lord lieutenant and told him about
my difficulty, he said: My dear fellow.
| would only spit upon you If you sac
rificed your principles. Lord London
derry was too much of gentleman to
seek that l should in any way lower
myself, and / felt, as an old Sabbath
school teacher, working amongst the
young, and addressing meetings all
my life, that II had then put drink
on the table l would have sacrificed
all that l had ever done. My lord
bishop, 1t Is not an easy thing to act
thus. l have passed through recent
election and my bitterest enemies
were those who sold drink. 1t has
been said in Ireland that the readiest
way to mans intelligence is through
his stomach. 1t is wonderful how
kindly we are disposed after we get
our dinner. 1t has unquestionably an
immense influence; and there is a
large class in our 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 con-
test, and during a contest ten years
ago, / never had at the election com
mittee meetings one drop of strong
drink. If we cannot carry an election
without it, then, in Gods name let us
surrender" - National Temperance
Advocate.