TEMPERANCE BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 1920, 4 December 1890, Page 32

TEMPERANCE BUDGET.

[Published under Arrangement with the New Zealand Temperance Alliance.] Distilled liquors were practically unknown until the year 1150. The process of distillation came into Europe at that date from the Moors. The Army Temperance Association report shows an average membership for the year of 13,486, au increase on the last returns of 1346. At the end of May the membership was 14,318.

Happy Children — Judge Culver, of Emporia, Kansas, tells of a Sunday school convention in his State, where, among 1000 children, only 15 had ever seen a saloon. Nine out of the 15 had seen saloons in the East, six had seen saloons in Kansas City, Missouri, but not one had seen a saloon on Kansas soil.

The Drink Curse Confbonted Him Everywhere — " No Christian man can go round the world without becoming a Prohibitionist," Baid Rev. W. B. Palamore, of Kansas City, on his return from * round-the-world trip. Everywhere the fearful drink curse confronted him, as it confronts our missionaries; everywhere he felt that Christ is dishonoured before the heathen by the conduct of Christian nations. Where Brewers Don't Prosper. — Statistics show that Kansas consumed less beer in 1889 than any State except Arizona. The increase in the consumption of brer in the whole nation was 8 per cent., wbiln the decrease in Kansas was 73 per cent. ; difference in favour of Kansas 81 ncr cent. Nebraska's consumption of beer is 48 times greater than that of Kansas, although the population of Kansas is about one-third greater than that ot Nebraska. These facts are given to refute the persistent and malicious lies being circulated by the venal and corrupt whisky press. — Voice.

A Telegram that Made a Vote.— The following interesting incident in connection with the recent Constitutional Amendment campaign in Massachussets is reported in the Boston Traveller;— " Rev. William M. Thayer, in a Prohibition address, read from the Union Signal an account of the Bessbrook, Ireland, linen mills employing 3000 persons, with no liquors allowed in the town. A number of Boston merchants gathered in a restaurant after the lecture and were discussing the statement. One of them, not in favour of the amendment, said to a well-known Prohibitionist, • If you will cable to Ireland and get a reply confirming the statement made in the Union Signal I will vote for the amendment.' Another gentleman offered to pay for the cablegram. The despatch wss sent and brought this reply : • Bessbrook has for 40 years been a Temperance town. Onr linen factory employs over 3000 operatives, Catholic and Protestant, and all are living harmoniously together. We have neither public house, policeman, prison, pawn-shop, nor paupers. I refer you to Frances Willard'fl Union Signal for further particulars.— Richardson.' " A Scared " Champion "—The Champion of Chicago, the National organ of thf- beer, w>ne, and *prit trade, makes tbe following frantic appeal in an editorial to tbe saloon-keepers : — " Ia there anyone engaged in tbe liquor traffic so blind, so indifferent, or so stupid as not to see that tho threatening hosts of Prohibition crusaders keep marching on, bearing down upon their stronghold- 0 , snatching a victory here, a triumph there, a Local Option law in one State, a total Prohibitory statute in another? And what is their object, their aim ? What will they finally, if slowly, nevertheless, surely accomplish ? National Prohibition of the manufactui ?, importations, and sale of malt, vinous, and alcoholic liquors. How can this — as it now appears — inevitable calamity be prevented ? " To Winh Dbinkebs. — Mr Charles Cooper, an expert in relation to wine, in an entertaining article in the September number of Longman's

'Magazine, states that theie have been some i|very successful champagne parodies perpetrated iupon the simple basis of petroleum. Russia v consumes more champagne than the entire product of the district. A Birmingham chemist has produced " a very five claret " by fortifying with silent spirit a solution of cream of tartar and flavouring with orrisroot. The affected' knowledge of the connoisseurs in wine is most amusingly illustrated in Mr Cooper's evidently well-informed and witty paper. The Drink THAFFic.-The Rev. Sam Jones expresses his opinion of liquor as follows • " I think liquor is a good thing in its place, but I believe its right place ia in hell. That is my sentiment straight out. Even take Bob Ingersoll in Chicago. Will you let me quote him a little ? Bob Ingersoll says that whisky is God's worst enemy and the devil's best friend. Now • that is good authority on that side. And if arT infidel will say that of whisky, and say it publicly, then, in the name of common sense, what ought a Christian to say? What ought all preachers to say ? "

Anacreon Answered. — Many of our readers have heard, no doubt, of the ancient poet, Anacreon, famous as a writer of drunken and drinking odes and songs ; and here you have an extract from one of his tippling ballads, and a cold-water verse below, showing how Anacreon was answered. In his nineteenth ode this poet apologises for his bacchanalian propensities in the following strain : — Sure the black earth drinks, and the trees drink her ; Tha sea drinks the wind, and the sun drinks her ; And the moon drinks him ; ao, good friends. I tbink You shouldn't cheek me In wishing to drink.

To which some clear-headed cold-water bard replied :

True, brother bard I yet wisdom sayß The lesson this has taught her, Is that the earth, the treei, and sun Drink— but 'Ms only water.

" BKING GUT XOUE DEAD ! " Bring out your dead, bring out your dead 1 A great bell tolled and tolled, And over sea and over land The dread commandment rolled. Bring out your dead, bring out your dead 1 One funeral let there be ; dome, pile them on this mountain top, That all the world may ccc. Bring out your dead, bring out your dead 1 And long pi occasions came Slowly toiling up the mountain tide, While tears dropped like the rain. The wind blew loud, the clouds hung low, The very heaveri9 did frown, That they 6hould olimb co near the blue To lay such burdens down. Pale mothers brought their precious boys— Ah me ! they weighed like lead — And wives their husbands' corpses bore, And loud bewailed the dead. Fair children staggered 'neath the weight Offathera • shame that you, 0 little ones, bo pure ttnd weak, Should have euah work to do I One bitter wail of agony Rolled o'er the mountain then ; Hoi I from beneath was moved to see That pile of murdered men. Not oun nor moon was in the sky, Earth shook through all her zones ; For, oh, what glorious hopes expired Among those whitened bones 1 " Tell me ! " I cried, " O Earth and Timo, What means these sights and sounds ? Why with mournful monument Is fche great mountain crowned ? " 1 listened, and the answer dread Boiled through heart and brain : " This is the funeral of those Whom love of wine hath slain 1 " — Eeaoue Gal.