TEETOTALISM.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 559, 25 October 1871, Page 2

TEETOTALISM.

To the Editor of the Evening Stab,

Sib,— The testimony of the wine driri-cing judges of England as to the great evil of i drunkenness, recently paraded by the teetotallers, is shockingly true. A strong denunciation of drunkenness from the samequarter was published twenty years ago. The testimony to the Horrible extent of prostitution; ia equally dreadful. And Or. Harris's great argument, founded on sacred Scripture, asto the love of money (not moritfy) being '• a root of all evil," is alarming. Nevertheless we concurwith the merchants and tradesmen • that, as Solomon puis it, " money answereth all things,"—we do not because of prevailing abuse curse money, and command abstinence. Likewise, on the otherwise painful abusei we do not prescribe as a remedy universal total abstinence from marriage. Worldliness -is affirmed an evil, to " go out of the world," or shut up in monasteries is disapproved teetotalism. The general principle .herein is, abuse-does not argue against use. The principal question is, What about, a remedy for : these gigauti. evils? We are called to self-govern-j.sv-i ~ t.iiii occurrences, and circnmatanoes nro for trial. ..;•.. :...,.■■- i

Teetotallers easily assume that best wine is bad ; they then freely compare it to a prejudice, adding that we had better keep away from it altogether. Others assume that best wiuo is good, and then compare it to a hot hissing sirloin of beef, adding that moderation is good, the extremes of gluttony and total abstinence bad. If wine, not must, being alcoholic is to be nicknamed intoxicating wine, then the sirloin of beef must be called a glutton's viand.—l am, &c, , ..

Examinee.