A SHRIVELLING TENDENCY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1248, 5 October 1911, Page 6

A SHRIVELLING TENDENCY.

TEETOTALISM AND HIND. In Ids notable work upon the "Heresy of Tcetotalisni," Mr. 13. Thome observes: "Suck a shrivelling tendency Ims lcctot.iljism on the intellect that it is difficult to find a broad-minded wan of (hat creed. One seeks in vain almost for a foremost man in literature, science, politics, or religion, who is of this faith Taking (ho field of journalistic literature, and it will be probably found impossible to name any serial publication dominated and controlled by teetotallers that ever rises abovo (lie common place. Of course, this remai'k will only apply to men ,who have been born and bred teetotallers Men whosj brains have been nourished by the divine properties of alcoholic drinks in their earlier manhood, and were tho progeny of men who up (o their tiino had been thus favoured, would have the stamina drrivcl from these favourable, circumstamv.-. If afterwards, from any reason, they bcoamo teetotallers . . . mi intellectual flirivolling is almost certain to follow "the. pledge." It is not the least of the evils Hint teelotalism has brought i» its train, that it has cramped tho minds of many, who, but for its narrowing tendencies, might liavo developed superior mental faculties (hat have by i(s property of weakening tho mind, taken a downward rather than an upward direction intellectually." Indeed, ono has only to look round .in our midst to have abundant continuation .of Mr. Thome's conviction."