TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2734, 8 August 1906, Page 80

TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

WHY DON'T I DRINK? BECAUSE I'M AFRAID TO. A SOLDIER'S VIEW OF THE LIQUOR QUESTION IN PUBLIC AND -TitiVATE MATTERS. GENERAL FRED. D. GRANT IN INTERVIEW WITH DONALDSON. Those who never saw General Ulysses S. Grant come pretty near seeing him in his illustrious 6on, General Frederick Dent Grant, now commanding the department of the East with headquarters on Governor's Island, in New York Bay. The heavy jaw, covered with grizzled, closecut, reddish-brown whiskers, small inscrutable -eyes, large forehead, heavy frame, of the great general" are all there — in his son.

On May 3 General Grant was interviewed as to his opinions on the liquor question. Said the interviewer: "General Grant, I am here" to' get an expression from you on the drink question. I don't ask you to discuss the question as an official of the United States army, but as a man who has seen and done much in the world; in short, a 'man of affairs. Have you a message to' give to the young men of the country **m this question? What are your definite opinions on the question, anywayTK

" All right," said General Grant ; " I will discuss that question, not as a general in the United States army, but as an individual. Have I a message to the young men of this country? Here it is:

" Tell the young mea, through your paper, that General Grant does not drink a drop of liquor — has not for 18 years, — because he is afraid to drink it.

" Now, you listen,'' continued the General. " When I was & boy at school, and at West Point, I was made a pet because of the greatness of my father. I was given every opportunity to drink, and I did drink — some. As I got older and mixed with men, war-scarred veterans who fought with my father would come up and, for the sake of old times, ask me to celebrate with them the glory of past events, and I did — some. Then, when I was made Minister to Austria, the customs of the country* and my official position almost compelled me to drink; always I tried to drink with extreme moderation, because I knew that alcohol is the worst poison a man could take into his system ; but I found out it was an impossibility to drink moderately. I could not say. When drink was placed before me, ' No, I only drink in the morning, or at certain hours.' The fact that I indulged at all compelled me to drink on every occasion, or be absurd. For that reason", because moderate drinking is a practical impossibility, I became an absolute teetotaller — a_ crank, if you please. I will not allow it even in my house. When a man can say, ' I never drink,' he never has to drink, is never urged to drink, never offends by not drinking. At least, that is my experience."

Then the General supplemented what he had said with this note : " Remember, I did not say " moderate drinking ' is harmful, but this fact is imlisputable : that tlie hard drinker was once a moderate drinker, and the chances are all against a moderate drinker remaining such, and I — well, I for one dou't propose to take such changes." Then the General got thoughtful. He scraped the end of his chin with his pirznez.

"Yes, sir" (this in soliloquy); "yes. T know a man — maybe two or three — who died moderate drinkers. The stuff didn't seem to hurt them much. But the poor devils that I know — scores and scores of them — who have been ruined, disgraced, by the greatest curso of Christendom— drink . Ah. the picture i.s a, sad one." Then he straightened up, and in a louder voice continued: "In many respects a hard drinker is a safer man in the army — and elsewhere, too — than a moderate drinker. That is. one who gets drunk once a. year or so. You see, a hard drinker is known. No importaut commission »s ever his to execute. But your moderate drinker, why, ho's apparently capable. On the surface he"s all right. Consequently he's ghe^i an important duty to perform. Then he drinks. He's sure to just at that critical time, to steady his nerves—infernal idiocy — and fails ignominiously to himself and his family, and disastrously to others. Have I made it clear? '

"You have called drink the greatest curse of Christendom, General; that's a strong '" " A strong term, you were going fo say," interrupted General Grant, bending over his de«k and almost jabbing that pince-nez of his into the interlocutor's face. "Strong, you say?" You can't make it too strong. Listen. Drink is the greatest curse, because practically all crime and all disaster are the result of it. Nearly every great calamity in the country, barring

accidents of nature. "13 due to drink. There's a railroad accident, say. 20 people are killed. "Some man had -a case of nerves or went to sleep; and I wager that if the truth were known an empty flask could be found near the cause of the accident. Ninety-five per cent. — I will make it no less — 95 per cent, of desertions and acts of lawlessness in the army is due to drink, but I'll speak of that later. Vie© is simply drink in another form. Who ever heard of a saloon completely divorced from the white slave "traffic or a house of infamy without a bar? When I see a man go down the street under the influence of liquor I know that man is not only a drunkard, but he is morally wrong — is incompetent, not dependable, irresponsible. Drink is alluring, is damnable, it is a monster of " The General broke off and quoted that famous quotation of Pope, thumping the desk before him at the end of each word in the last line. "We first endure, then pity, then embrace." "If I could" — and this was said in a mighty hushed and solemn voice, — " if I could, by offering my body as a sacrifice, free this country from this fell cancer, the demon .drink, I'd thank the Almighty for the privilege of doing it." "You mentioned a moment ago, General, that 95, per cent, of the desertions, etc., of the army, are due to drink. The official statistics for 1905 give 35 per cent., do they not»" The General held up to view a bunch — a hundred or more — of court martial reports which he received during the month of April. " Let me read a few of them to you," "-Via sairs. "Here is one, the first one. By j this report we learn that Corporal B has been absent for 13 dftvs His conduct heretofore has been good. No reason given for his action. Now, down here, under the ' remarks,' we further learn that he was a ' moderate drinker.' " " Now, my experience tells me this, that while Corporal B is under the charge of desertion, it really is drunkenness. It is more than probable that, on receiving his last pay. he entered some low joint, was drugged, or drank to excess, woke up next morning, his money gone, disgraced, and not daring to come back because of his less of selfrespect, took French leave. " Take other cases. Private V , 'asleep on guard,' Private R 'disobedient.' Both men were undoubtedly drunk ; because they "wouldn't do that when sober. But the charge against them is not drunkenness ; it respectively is ' insubordination ' and ' dereliction in duty.' But I know in both cases it was drunkenness, and therefore put it down as such. " Give me the sober man. the absolute teetotaller every time. He's dependableIf I had the greatest appointive powers in the country,*' emphatically conducted the general, rising, "no man would get even the smallest appointment from me unless he showed proof of his absolute teetotalism. As it is; -my own appointees, the members of -my staff, not one of them touches a drop. They know better." " Then if you are not a prohibitionist, General Grant, "what are you?" " Why. certainly, visit the island and see everything, and if any questions are asked, say you are a guest of General Grant," was the genial and politic reply.

THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT AT HOME. SIR VICTOR HORSLEY ON ALCOHOL IN HOSPITALS. In a speech delivered at the Riehopsgate Institute. London. Sir Victor Horsley gave some remarkable figures to show how the use of alcohol in hospitals was declining. In 1P62 n-early £8000 was sppnt on alcohol in thp Tyondon hospitals and £3000 in milk ; in 1902 the situation was almost exactly reversed, about £3000 being spent on alcohol and over £8000 on milk. This was a real change in practice. But, surgically ■^neafcjntj. tho number of patients who now '' oassed through a bed " was much greater because, thanks to Lord Lister, thov healed much more quickly. Therefore the expenditure on alcohol mieht have been expected to increase rather than dinjinish. Alcohol was not a fit substance for ordinary diet. It was not. he insisted, a food, and ought nofc to bf> used as a food. Srwakin£ on the economic view of the subiect, £ir Victor recomiriended a higher license, the proceeds to go to the relief of the rato«. In America it was five times as high as here, and in Massachusetts 15 times as high. Lastly, he ur«ed very strongly that in promoting total abstinence. p<"op 1 c were advancing «oeial improvement of the nation. As to the T>ublichov»se trusts and the nuestion of disinterested management — which was soirig to be a v«>rv mvnortant question— the princiole by which h^ stood was that the drink trade was an evil one, and thov should <Io nothing to countenance it.— Light, July 14.