The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1922-12-15
COLLEGE MAN IS
SPEAKER

Speaking at the Toronto Convention,
Professor James Gibson Hume, Ph.D., of
the University of Toronto, said:
Il am also persuaded that education
moro knowledge-is, on the whole, one
of the most effective ways of combating
the evil of alcoholism.
while ! was an undergraduate, with
several other young men, we formed
Temperance Society in the University
of Toronto, and ! had the honor of be-
ing elected the first president. What
was then mere beginnings new ven
ture--in college activities has now
grown to the dimensions of great In
tercollegiate Association.
'The students can do a very great
deal. By process of artificial selec-
ton the students are our picked young
men and picked young women-especial-
ly adapted and especially trained for
leadership. Students are trained to
guide themselves not by tradition, but
by reason and good sense If some Gus
tom or usage is deleterious, the mere
fact that it is widespread is no common
dation but is challenge to the
earnest student to undertake its emen-
dation. Drinking customs in many coun-
tries have the sanction of usage but
as these customs are injurious, stu
dents will endeavor to change the GUS
toms. Students are taught to think for
themselves-they are not easily fooled
by sophistries.
"a short time ago in the part of loron-
to known as South East Toronto, where
there are many ignorant foreigners and
Observation-Disclosures, the candidates in a
bye-election all desired to get the vote
of the liquor men and yet not seem to
break too openly with the Temperance
platform of their parties. Now each one
of these astute politicians subscribed to
the sentiment that one of them expressed
thus, Il am in favour of Temperance
lways--of Prohibition never!' That
was supposed to be very clever--very
smart indeed--really it was the shallow
est claptrap.
II too am in favor of temperance or
moderation even in the use of good
things like food, but surely while one
favors the moderate and proper use OF
good things, this is not inconsistent with
the rejection of harmful things.
Prohibition is an attempt to restrain
from the use of harmful things, and
any one who says he is never in favor
of Prohibition is talking nonsense. The
| Ten Commandments are mainly Prohibi-
| tons. Are we to abolish the Ten Com
mandments! All law is prohibitory or
do away with all Prohibition and you
do away with all law. r
students learn in training for ath-
Jetics and in preparing for examinations
that stimulants are harmful and dan.
gerously harmful.
you will remember that in the spring
OF l9lS-some eight months before the
armistice there came one of the darkest
periods-the breaking through by the
Germans of the front line of General
Cough and his enforced retirement. The
Germans thereupon concentrated all
their guns and men, all their fury, to
drive a wedge between Cough and
Byng, and between Arras and Amiens.
Byng's line had TO recede to keep touch
with Coughs army as it sullenly and
slowly withdrew. Holding this gap with
desperate courage against overwhelming
odds stood resolute band of British
soldiers-again and again they had to
retire and take up new positions-when
they were upon the point Of utter cx-
haustion, wounded man is seen to
rise and wildly cheer---'The Guards! the
Guards i'-and as the reinforcing Guards
swing up the shouts were, God bless
the British Guards!' So too, as the
older men fall in the long fight against
alcoholism, we welcome the reinforce
ments from our young men and young
women. God bless them!"