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.

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    this subject, that we have two totally different classes of consumers to deal with, and the nature of the arguments, and the manner in which they are put forward, must differ widely for these different classes. (Hear, hear.) Thus there are certain people, to whom I have already referred, who swallow their dram whole, so to speak, as if they were glad to get rid of it, for the sake of the stimulation that follows. They have no liking or care for the thing they take so far as the palate is concerned. On the other hand, there is another class of men—cultivated men who move in the best society, and form a large part of it—who enjoy their wine, who sip it with gusto, whose fine senses keenly enjoy all that belongs to the bouquet of the liquor, and so on. Now, I say, such persons are to be dealt with in quite a different way, and we have no controversy with them, and on this ground, because they know, admit, and say, that in consequence of their indulgence they may possibly not be quite so long lived. They have a twinge in the back, or an attack of gout, or something or other from time to time, but they pay that price and are content to do so. Well, there is no disputing with tastes, let them have their bargain. (Cheers.) I am reminded of a very well-known character in society of whom we have heard in times past, who, having had many severe attacks of gout, and who, getting into years, and having a cellar of fine old port, upon which he drew somewhat considerably, was advised by his physician to give up the port, and for the future to drink a certain thin claret, not very expensive, which was known at that time by a certain name. Said the gentleman in reply to this suggestion : “ I prefer my gout with my port, to being cured of my gout with that claret of yours.” (Laughter.) Very well, we have no controversy with that class, but I consider it an important one, and have, therefore, given it so much prominence. But let us deal with ourselves fairly. Do we not all, if we do not in the matter of wine and spirits—do we not all, from certain motives, often do things which are not absolutely conducive to health, for some end to be gained ? (Hear, hear.) It may not be a sensual end, but yet you may sacrifice life and health. Is it not done every day in this great town for the purposes of ambition, of making money, and of gaining all sorts of things which, although they may have higher aims probably than the flavour of wine, should still not be the highest aims in life? (Hear, hear.) Let us remember that there are many other modes of self- sacrifice besides that of drinking, and that if we are keen and careful in all that we do, we shall not find that we are doing always everything for the utmost preservation of our health. A large part of the problem of i fa, so far as its duration here is concerned, is solved when each can determine for himself what those pleasures are which can be enjoyed on the cheapest terms, and I think we shall find that certainly the enjoy- ment of alcoholic liquor, however delicious, is not, at any cost of healt h, an aim worthy to be attained. (Cheers.) Still, I want you to bear in mind that life would be a very dull thing without some excitement; that I am by no means an ascetic ; and that if I thought the giving up of wine or spirits—though I am not a teetotaler, I never drink them— would pledge me in the least degree to an ascetic disposition, I should be tempted to begin to drink them to-morrow, because that is the last
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