CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7559, 11 February 1886, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

MR. GLOVER'S MISSION. "CO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I leave Mr. Glover to deal with the part of the 'iefcter in to-day's issue which relates to hioaself; but, as the writer refers to the general question, may I be permitted a few words 4n reply. In oharging them with being men of one idea what does he mean ?, That temperance men know nothing and do nothing but what relates to _ thia particular question If so, he is manifestly in error, for they are the moat active citizens, successful business men, and philanthropists of broadest sympathies. If he means that they concentrate thought:, time, and all legitimate resources at thjei/r command on the question, he is right. But they are not the first who in that reuse are men of one ilea. Howard on prison reform, Wilberforoe on the freedom of slaves, Cobden on free trade, were men of one idea { but do we condemn then* for it ? dfj is good enough to add that the idea is a b/td one, too; but it what sense bad—because it injures the pockets of the publicans find brewers ? I challenge him to show that in any true sense it is bad. Is it a bad idea to abstain from intoxicating drink in order to induce abstinence on the part of those who are victims of intemperance? We rather think, with one of the foremost men of the times, that " the speotacle of millions of men and women abstaining from alcoholic drinks for tbe preservation or delivering others from drunkenness is one of the finest sights of the age." He charges us with applying to him and non-abstainers Carlyle's remark respecting the English electors, but we do not; we believe they are mistaken, as we were until we understood the nature and effect of alcohol on the human system. They oan only be so described if they wilfully shut out the light of truth from their minds or their practice. As to what the editor of "Knowledge" says, he evidently falls ink» the persistent dogmatism with which he charges those whom be so vigorously denounces. He is quite out of date, and must have written before the immense amount of testimony, flatly contradicting his statement, was collected, and published by Mr. Arthur Reade, in "Study and Stimulants," where we have the testimony of 132 of the most eminent literary men, which is quite contrary to the opinion of Sir J.Paget. With the very large amount of evidence of the injurious effects of the use of aloohol, and the testimony of every conceivable kind" in favour of total abstinence, for " Pervicax Recti," or any other defender of its nsa, to attempt to quash the temperance party by quotations, relevant or otherwise, or the productions of their own brain, is like Canute's mandate to the tide. As the writer has favoured us with a quotation from | Sir James Paget, allow me to close with > another bearing most foroibly on the effects

of alcohol, and whioh appears to be more of the nature of a professional opinion ? than the one in the letter in question. "Be not afraid," he says, " of operating on those, of whatever class, who think they need stimulants before they work, who cannot dine till after wine or bitters, who always have sherry on the sidelioard, or who are always sipping brandy and water, or are rather proud that because they can eat so little, they must often take some wine. Many people who pass for highly respectable, and who mean no harm, are thus daily damaging their health, and making themselves unfit to bear any of' the storms of life."—l a m, & c . February 9, 1886. C. WOBBOY3,