A CURIOUS TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5440, 22 July 1879, Page 3

A CURIOUS TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

A new temperance; association has lately been organised in New York, and our American cousins, with their accustomed practicality, have struck ont a new line of action which commends itself for wide adoption. The objects of the " Business Men's* Society for the Encouragement of Moderation in the Use of intoxicating Liquors" v/aa thus explained at a meeting of that body, held in New York in April last :— " The Society, it was stated by the Secretary, believe in pledges. They accordingly propose different forms of pledge. The white pledge binds the signer not to drink during business hours. By this modified engagement he is not deprived of a glass of wine in the evening at ' social institution^.'' The blue pledge binds him who signs it ' noi to offer the glass to another nor to drink at another's expense.' The next pledge is the red, white, and blue. It limits the signer 'to drink nothing stronger" than wine or beef, and these only at meala afld in moderation.' It was pointed out at the meeting that Einglrah physicians, who had written much about alcohol, differed on many points, but all were unanimewa in their opinion that alcohol when taken should bo taken at meals. Total abstinence, it was suggested,might be tried for a specified term, and if at the end of that time the abstainter was not convinced that no liquor ia better than a little he might take such one of 1 the moderation pledges as may be found best suited to the circumstances of the caae. A pkdge binding the signer only to get drunk once a year, and then, under supervision, would perhaps assist iti promoting temperance. It would give drunkards something to look forward to. It is the absence of any prospect, however remote, of a carousal which makes total abstience so distasteful to many persons of a jovial temperament."