THE CLERGY AND INTEMPERANCE.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7523, 12 April 1890, Page 6

THE CLERGY AND INTEMPERANCE.

TO TEK EDITOR OF THK PRESS. Sir, Under, the above heading the 'Press of to-day has some strictures upon my speech at the temperance demonstration in Hagley Park on Easter Monday. Permit mc to say that you have Sveh mc credit for saying what I never dsay. ■ •■ •• • ..- -..,.'•. 1. "Ministers of the Gospel were . . . as a rule, antagonistic to the temperance i m6vement. w '■■■■■■ i ■■ : -- ■- : ■ -••"

■2. "If they did their duty intemperance would be, swept away in a short time." ' 3. Mr Gilmour went ,oh to say that the Episcopalian and Roman Catholic clergy were, at any rate, " opponents to the temperance cause." I regret very much that the Press of this city did not consider the matter to be of sufficient importance as to obtain and publish full reports of all the speeches given at the public meeting in Hagley Park. .' However, much of a stranger I may be here, I - have learned ~to distinguish between things that differ, and, therefore, repudiate the sentiments contained in the quotations given above. I am not too old to learn, and not too wise to be taught by anyone who will furnish the information.- through your columns upon one aspect of the drinking customsof society. - • 1. What churches and ministers in this province use* only pure unfermented grape juice in the commnnion service t'-.:. 2. What churches and ministers use: pure fermented grape juice unfortified by the addition of distilled spirit! 3. What churches and aiinisters use fermented grape juice fortified by the addition of distilled spirit?; When you publish the information required in answer to these questions fche public of this province will be in a better position to give a verdict as to the responsibility of the ministry in perpetuating the drinking customs of society, and I shall know better than I do now how much I shall have to retract, and; what sort of au apology, is.due from note for stating in public my convictions* as follows:—

1. The drinking customs of society were introduced into the world by the ministry of the Church.

2. The drinking customs of society havebeen perpetuated by the ministry of the Church.

3. When we have- the majority of the ministry converted into out-and-out total abstainers we shall be able to establish such a public opinion throughout the British Empire that the drink traffic will die for want of patronage, crime, lunacy, poverty will dLnunish and the reproductive trades will flourish.

Permit mc to add that I have no intention of libelling anyone, and have spoken simply out of love for .the cause in which a great many of every creed and nation labor.—Yours, &c, j^nioth,im so^Mae^ Mp^