The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1882-03-28 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

INTEMPERATE " TEMPERANCE." To the Editor.  Sir,—No one who has the welfare of his fellow men at heart can reed in the public pipers the doily record of crimes. directly or lodirectly, &timetable to the abuse of alcoholic drink, without wishing to do all in his power to reduce the so-cslied "national" crime of drunkenness. It most therefore be with deep regret that such an one reeds the intemperate speeches which are freqoantly made in the name of tomperanos at meetings such es those held last week in the Bournemouth Winter (laden. Thom who value truth even more than teetotalism mut ever find it impossible to ce-operate with men who bolster up. cause which requires no such fictitious aid with slander and falsehood; and when man in the Position of Canon Wilberforce decend to the use of such linguine as is attributed to him in the epos of hia speech at that meeting. 111. no woodsy it the small fry of teetotal stuniperators indigo in—if romible—still grosser epithets for those who do not egrets with them in their coadeenamiun of the moderate use of alcoholic liquors. We cannot but remember that U the DeC•100111 contains no &prolel commandment genet Mtempsrance. it does contain the commandment **Thou shalt not bear false edema against thy asughboor," end I fail to gee that such an accusation as Caton Wilberforce lm against the vanities of alcoholic liquors reedited any Tess • breach of this commaad by his somewhat hypo. critcall prism that "he had not one unkind word Inlay of them." He is reported to have said that the trade itself "is devilish," and Mat men (meaning, I preanne, brewen, dietitian of spirits, and importers of wine) ate seat to Parliameat "who have built up colossal fortunes out of the misery and dastitulims of this brethress, and chose every tunes is spotted with the blood of widows and orphans. He Is hors spereutly not speaking of those who ooadoot an illegitimate trade in liquor, either by its aluiteretion or by axing it in incesive quantities upon customers, al may be dors by some publicaan but he applies, 11l understand him, this groat calumny to the whole trade. Ciao* Wilberforce thus places hiasself in the dilemma, that either he must, with numerous infidel nitwits' madman alcolteic liquor in itself and pronounce its use to he sinful, which involves nothing short of blasphemy against His. who, in His own words "canoe eating and drinklag," or if he admit lest it is permissible to follow the divine example, he mai he guilty of the grommet Wadies In 000 denning osis who are in that case moved in legitimate trade, for to admit that the use of it is lawful, and yet t, maks the 'readmit respognible for its abuse is no whit less preposterous the. to chugs with murder the chesiet who sold to Do Lassos the moditim with which be committed the crime, for which that wretched etia is sondenined to the callow.; at to say that the =cosy of chemists in general Is indeed with the blood of murdered men or miserable suicides, because the poisonous drugs they read are thus abused; or again to make the gunsmiths responsible for the ensues of Nati assassins. It is • remarked* fed that as though with a view to the teetotal heresy of the present day, our Lord not only Himmel( used wiz*, but by a special miracle actually made it for the marriage fe urt when to. stipple ran Mort, thus for ever globs' His sanction and approbatios to this producers of alcoholic liquors. I am sot desirous of interim tato • defence of the moderate use of 4411101h' drinks, bat will only observe that booed question numbers of venom hip* injured their health (sew War by total absentees, sad that lilt be a sin to Mien the health by emir, it may at Nest be opsa to quokka wboilisr it be not squally • sin to do so by alethreecer—a view which appears coofiroevi by the adsociatika of St. Paul to Timothy. I have eaellaed myseU to one quetatios from Omen Wilberforcei speech, but before dosiag I will give one more, e to whisk I will tests it to your enders to judg.., whether is he set something more then a breach ot good tame, to give expressire to such an implication as is lavolved In it, hien a mixed audience, and at • meeting convened for the promotion of teinp,macit. He is reportsd to have said, "The first thing they " (the elerry I sappne) "lied to do was to put themselves on the ene of the wepte of segkeid Is ell their trial, and Balsams., and la all the oppression, the rchtery and the wrong tit,' was beeped upon tham."—l • am, sir, you obedient served, _ _