TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11884, 6 May 1899, Page 10

TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

(This column is published by “A'Total Abstainer,” caro of “ Lyttelton Times ” Office, Christchurch. Donations towards its cost will he thankfully received by the above and acknowledged here.) Subscriptions acknowledged: Sympathiser, 10s; Anonymous, ss; One of the Reformed, 2s 6d; A Total Abstainer, 2s 6d; “Nimble Shilling,” Is; A ‘Well-wisher, Is. John Bright once said:—“There is nothing more glorious to my mind than the possession of an organ of the Press like a daily newspaper in this country, if it be managed with honesty and integrity.” Great is the'; power of the Press to carry the Temperance cause still further towards success. Canon Fleming 1 says:—“There is in the human mind a wonderful capacity for learning from hooks and newspapers. To those who desire to spread Temperance principles, literature is the most silent but one of the most powerful means.” \

In 1888 a number of bishops from all parts of the world met at Lambeth, under the Archbishop of Canterbury. A com-, mittee of bishops there made this statement in their report:—“.The main weapon to he used in this warfare is the practice of total abstinence from intoxicating liquors by those who desire to help their fellow men.” Here is a simple thing to do: — Take no strong drink! If you do not commence drinking you will never feel to want it, you will never learn to like it. I can assure you, as a fact, that there is no risk in leaving it off, and that the best health is kept without the use of it. And no words can tell you how great a help it is in life to be a teetotaller. It saves you from vast temptations. Another great thing you can all do is to be quietly in earnest in persuading others to join your own society, arid so keep them from the evil. Do not be afraid of owning that you are an abstainer, and that of itself will often teach a great lesson. You must be ready with some facts also, for hundreds in New Zealand are quite ignorant of the misery in drunken homes, and they are equally ignorant of the injury to body and mind caused by alcohol. THE BISHOP OF LICHFIELD ON DRINKING CUSTOMS. Speaking at a meeting of the Church of England Temperance Society at Wolverhampton, the Bishop deplored that after the consecration of qhurcbes there should be such expensive dinners, at which champagne at 8s a bottle was drunk. Drinking after the consecration of burial-grounds was even worse. Worse still was drinking . at funerals, where poor widows were often made pfeorer still to give drink to mourners. The Bishop called upon a number of persons to join him in pledging themselves that on no conditions would they ever sanction drinking either; before or after funerals, > The Bishop very properly desires to keep before the clergy the Crying need of earnestly dealing with the evils of intemperance. The clergy, so many of them as may bopresent-at the May Conference, wijl be asked to confer on this subject. We ato not aware whether his Lordship has any particular aspect of the question , to present for consideration, but a general survey of the Church’s position in relation to it may suggest the salient points for New Zealand Church News,” May 1, 1899. The clergy were invited to meet the Bishop on Wednesday evening, at the Synod Hall, for conference upon the present aspect of the Temperance question.—• “New Zealand Church News.” It is with pleasure we have to record the following:—A meeting in connection with the St Michael’s Temperance Society was held in the schoolroom, Durham Street, on Wednesday last, at which there was a fair attendance, the Rev C. A. Fraer occupying the chair. The Treasurer read the balance-sheet, which showed as follows Receipts .£lB 7s Id, expenditure £l4 13s Bd, leaving a credit balance of £3 13s sd. After the balance-sheet had been adopted, the following committee was elected for the ensuing year; —Mesdamos -Guise, Chapman, Jarvis, Power and Tucker, Misses Jenkins , and Crawshaw, Messrs Chapman, Coombs, Strain and Clarke; pianist. Miss Crawshaw; reporter and programme manager, Mr Strain; treasurer, Mr C. Chapman; honorary secretary, Mr P. ,G. Coombs. Items were then given successfully by Misses * Flossie Coombs, Fox, Teague,. Button, Constance Jarvis, Dolly Windalkin and Ivy Wooles, Wo hope to be able to do so with every parish in the diocese. . • 4 THE BAN OP THE EAST END. Drink works havoc among the publicans who sell it. In a report which he has furnished to the Secretary, the London City Mission’s representative in St George’s East, who has laboured amohg the publicans of that notorious district for the last twenty years, gives some vivid glimpses of the misery and wreckage wrought by strong drink. ’ “T am astonished,” he writes, “ at the depths of sin and wretchedness into .which some men and women sink. All classes of society appear to have been touched by the demon Drink. ~ In a certain public-house I' met -a . shabbilydressed man who had come in for a pint of beer. In the course of conversation he told me; ‘ At one time I was a merchant in the, city, and could put my hand upon thousands of pounds. But speculation and drink have done their work. I have sunk step by step, and here I am to-night with no place to; lay my weary, aching, body but the common lodging-house. ’I have not a second shirt to my hack. I am separated from my wife and family, and what the end will be God only knows. I am often tempted to take my own life.’ “Another case. A man who once had a good practice as a doctor was met within a low beephonse. His vest was pinned up close to his throat to hide the absence of a shirt; his face was unshaven, and he was ready to do any dirty job for half-a-pint of beer. I remember putting my hand upon his shoulder and pleading with him,..for his soul’s sake, to give up the drink. I shall never forget his reply nor the look which accompanied it: ‘ Give it up, sir P I cannpt live without it! It is my bread, my meat, my all!’ “ Among the landlords themselves the very drink they sell works'great havoc., I knew one who cut his thi’oat; another who -died in delirium in a strait-jacket; another who shot himself in his hack yard, and so on. I could go on and write of professing Christians who .. have entered ■ ‘the trade,’ in most cases lured by pounds, shillings and pence, but none of whom found . it conducive to their highest interests to remain in it.” The missionary who is so pluddlyffighting England’s great foe in some of its strongest haunts has, happily, his victories to record also, none of which are more surprising than the many persons whom his persuasions have induced to abandon liquor-selling in favour of an honourable living. The fact, he points out, that since many of the worst saloons have been closed, the character of the vilest street has become comparatively respectable, is highly suggestive of the query; What if there were no public-houses at all to tempt the people ?—“ C.E. Temperance Chronicle.” Many people say that either man must perish- or drink must perish. Dr Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury, says: “ To accept the Gospel, to live conscientiously under tho precepts of tho Gospel, to be followers of Christ, to imitate our Master, and to drink ! The two things cannot exist together. Wo must drive out the spirit of drink .by the .spirit of tho Gospel. Veiled or unveiled, drink must ba driven* out.” THE BISHOP OF KOCH ESTER AT THE CONGRESS, STOKE-UPON-TKENT. There is an enemy that hath come in truly like an overwhelming flood —Intern-

perance—the excessive use of strong drinks enfeebling the bodies, pervorting-and corrupting the minds and hearts of mer, destroying the happiness of home ana hearth, turning tho joy of marriage into a curse, instead of a blessing, clouding all sense, dulling all affection, inciting to all sin, polluting and defiling the whole work of God. Many an honest labourer there is in this region who, using his well-earned wages for the support of himself and his children, according to God’s ordinance, worships, and is kept by grace divine; but, hundreds, alas! who tread these joys under their feet, and who are slaves to strong drink. Shall >we not stretch out a hand to help these ? Will not the Spirit of G od, by power of speech or Wisdom of counsel given to some in this assembly, save some of these, so that from this day shall date renewed efforts on the part of employers of labour, on the part of pious, fellowworkmen, to, save their fellows-—on the part of our brethren the clergy and their helpers, to go forth again in the strength of the Lord God to pluck them out of the fire ? May God bless the word spoken on this behalf. 1891