Religious and educational aspects of temperance / by various authors.

Date:
[1874?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Religious and educational aspects of temperance / by various authors. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    160/172 (page 156)
    I am somewhat sceptical about the numerous cases in which men have lived to extreme old age whilst indulging in drinking habits, and I cer- tainly would not admit a single case unless I had good evidence placed before me. But supposing that I accept such cases as are printed in the public journals from time to time of men who have been “three-bottle men,” and “ four-bottle men,” and have lived to the age of eighty, or ninety, or 100 years, what does it prove ? It proves that drunkenness is safe if it proves anything. These are not cases in support of moderate drinking, but cases in support of drunkenness, and that is entirely aside from the question to-night. (Hear, hear.) No physiologist would listen to any such cases as any proof of the safety of drunkenness for a single instant. They are out of court. Now allow me to say that the true state of the question as it presents itself to mv mind is this : Is moderate drinking safe, and is it right ? (Hear, hear.) The question of the rightness and the safety of total abstinence is not before us. I venture to say that there are very few indeed, now, who would dare to call in question the one or the other. Total abstinence is both safe and right. (Cheers.) Those of us who are and continue to be total abstainers can never be drunkards, and we are at perfect liberty to put on or keep off our tables whatever we please. (Cheers.) If I, for instance, find it is not good to use intoxicating diink, surely no one can quarrel with me if I choose not to use them ; but the question is—and let moderate drinkers understand it—is moderate drinking safe, and is it right ? They are on the defensive—not we. They have to make good their position—not we. Matters are changed very markedly, and after the testimony to which we have listened to- night, I think no one here can fail to perceive that it must be difficult to find good reasons why moderate drinking should still continue. I cannot argue against likings. (Cheers.) I can venture to stand up against arguments and answer them, but likings !—no, I cannot deal with them. (Hear, hear.) If people like to drink moderately, let them say so, and let them continue to do so in the face of the fact that they are extending drunkenness into the next generation and into all coming generations who follow their example—(cheers)—but if we are to deal with them as reasonable men, let them produce their strong reasons that we may examine them in the light of common-sense and of experi- ence. They say they do not vrant to be ascetic, forsooth : they do not want to be dull and stupid as we total abstainers are. Ah ! we do not need to dull our memories or to deaden our consciousness before we begin to get merry ; they do. (Laughter and cheers.) We do not require to stupefy ourselves before we can enjoy ourselves, because there are thoughts and feelings that must be kept in check, otherwise we cannot give the animal spirits fair and free play. Asceticism ! We do not need any help to our enjoyment. We are able to enter upon the possession of the whole field of gladness that God has given to us, and we know, for we have proved it, that the will of God is good and perfect and acceptable. (Hear, hear.) I was very much interested in Dr. Richardson’s cases of moderate drinking. The least of them was 3 ozs. of alcohol per day. We used to hear some years ago that two ounces was the limit that could be safely