A WORD OF CAUTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 217, 7 September 1908, Page 3

A WORD OF CAUTION.

To the Ktlilor. ■Siiv-l UIU yony l lilt till l L'xtrui-i/ ; wliicu J gave fri.iu*"Xhc Hereby of leu--1 L<>i.u 1 i-iiii luis made "i.i.11.A1." ,-u augry *_lannisl\ luiiiigii tnis \\ad predicied ' by no au authority than the St. ' James' i.iazctU\ Jn my" edition of tile 1 "epudi-niaking boon," as our n-viewer teims it, there ate upended very ,111111-i'l-i us oxtr.u-U from reviews from al■mii.il ait [talis of tii.- world, ,in:l 111 these t read oiir from tlr: above leading London paper which -ays it is ''a voiimii! wii-tli is calculated to lmiUo the teetotal fanatics rage nii'iuii-ly together." This now conies true, tve in .New riyimnit;li. _\'o less than turee time,- i;i a short Idler, your correspondent stigmatises the book aa "an old book," or "Unit old book." Were this true, one would think tliat would be 110 crime iu either his noi- mine; but as a matter of fact "Th-) Heresy of Teetotalisiu" bears the date of nm;s, one sufficiently modem, 0110. would 'have thought, to meet tile intellectual requirements 01' the most frisky youngster. It i.s .1 most reprehensible trick with a certain class of

mind, when unable to refute irrefragable arguments to assert that their opponent does not believe them himself. This is precisely how '"(i.11.-M.'' meets the incident I c|iioted—l expect no one to believe it. On tilie contrary, 1 have not the Usui doubt, as to tin- exact truthfulness of the ((iinlalio.i nor (lo 1 See that absence jA the worst characteristics of American prohibitionists in this Dominion to assure me that they Jruve not amongst their .lumber zealots, who would not stick at copying Hie example here recorded. We sec and heai; of their leading writers and lecturers constantly doing what is certainly as

bad 01- worse than burning distilleries. Do they not leave as a regular and important portion of their Litclh ctaial weapons of ollenee all manner of evilspeaking and slander against t':iose as ; soeiated with what they hardly ever speak of but as a "cursed trade":! And is it worse to destroy one's property than to-vilify his character'; "Who steals my purse, takes trash: but he who lilc-hes from inc my good name, tnkes that which not enriches him and leaves me poor indeed." People who, habitually comment 011 sin never find it so very difficult to fall into aaotJicr —especially when as in this matter, tihey have the salve for their consciences, that they are doing it for a. good cause. People who can bring themselves to believe that Christianity teaches teetotalism and that there have been in Biblical times non-intoxicating wines, have only to go another step to try the advantages of "carrying the fire-stick as a part of tlve weapons of

war against strong drink." ■ Certainly nothing is more likely to nip such a growth in the bud as the publication |of what has happened elsewhere. "G.H.M.' kindly oilers to lead two volumes, written, X imagine, by teetotal doctors. Let me strongly urge him to read '"The Heresy of Tcetotalism," a book which it is evident he is unacquainted with, and I am sure it would make him a wiser, and, one hopes, a better man. St. James' Budget says it is worthy of the attention of all who are interested in temperance. The Sydney Mail states that the hook "deserves respectful study,' while the >f.S.W. Keeliahite asserts that "it will repay careful reading by the advocates of total abstinence," aild the Australian Christian World would advise all "who are engaged in tile total abstinence campaign to give the book a serious perusal and to calmly weigh Mr. Thomas' trenchant sentences. All who are aiming to save the drunkard num. liis sin will here find much food for thought. Tile Austinlasiaa goes luvthcr and says the "book should lie iva<l| by everyone, and especially by politicians.'' Jf "G.H.11." needs further inducement to read this new hook, the, South 'Walian cautions him Unit "no one should presume to write or speak any more 011 tile drink question without having first mastered the contents of-'The Heresy of Tcetotalism."' From the scores-of notices of this sort one could call many more reasons w!iy uur friend —and oiheVs of his kidney—should "read, mark, lean, and inwardly digest" the "old book,'' from wliic-h I copied, and you, Sir, were good' enough to .publish a short extract. When he has done this it will lie interesting to hear 'Ms views on the same.—l am, etc., B. ENROTH.