The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1879.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 157, 25 June 1879, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1879.

A short time ago we commented upon the heavy death-rate of some of our New Zealand towns, and cautioned the settlers in our township against carelessness in the matter of cleanliness and purity of air, showing that many of the children who began life with great promise were cut off almost in a single day through neglect of our sanitary laws. There are more than tender infants, however, who are cut off in the midst of their days. In reading accounts of the numerous inquests that daily take place in New Zealand it is impossible to do so without a pang of regret. In almost every nine cases out of ten that demon intoxicating drink has something to do with them. It is a usual remark added as an appendage to the newspaper reports of the eases, he had been drinking hard. Few, perhaps, consider how much this phrase implies. In thickly-populated countries, particularly in thickly-populated cities, it means coiir stant dissipation, degradation, and often alas a shortening of the days by his own hands of the individual who becomes its victims, while to the poor wife and children, brings to cruelty, misery, and starvation, yet few in these colonies at least consider it any sham, far less any sin, to get drunk and go reeling home to abuse the wife whom he had sworn to cherish and love. Even in the society of the educated and the otherwise respectable it is no uncommon thing to hear such expressions as so and so was very jolly last night. Further than that they do not go. In the older countries, in some parts, we have seen men looking up the street and down the Btreet to see if anyone should be observing them coming from the public house. In the colonies such a thought of shame never comes into anyone's head. Sometimes if one goes to a church which is not belonging to his own creed he crawls into a corner as if he were ashamed of being seen there, but in the case of drinking hovels he is not ashamed of being seen in the very meanest den of infamy. This is not to be wondered at seeing how much such wretched and degrading practices are winked at. This covering of the eyes came to a climax not very long ago. It will be recollected that in the General Assembly of our New Zealand legislators not very long ago, a very keen contest waa going on between the Government and the Opposition for the carrying of a certain measure, upon which the Ministry in office had made up their minds to stand or fall. In these hot contests a single vote decides sometimes the fate of a Ministry. On the occasion in question a certain member had one weak side, on this point the attack was made ; we can scarcely mention it without a blush of shame that that honorable member was made drunk and locked in a room till the voting was over. This, one would think, would be sufficient to disgust any constituency. Did it do so ? We think not. It did not surprise us to read that when that member addressed his constituents he not enly received a vote of thanks but a vote of confidence. Shame on New Zealaud elec. tors who thus could cover up a crime and a sin, which ought to make every elector blush to the eyes. Why was it not so ? Simply because it is fashionable amongst our big wigs to get drunk, drunk as lords as the saying goes, and is it to be wondered at that our working men spend their hard-earned wages in drink when they are set such an example by those in high places. In the past ages of the reign of many of the kings and queens of England, Court life was a life of drink and debauchery. This is now changed by the virtuous example of our dear Queen Victoria. Would it be teo much fop the mothers of our New Zealand Israel to do something in the way of stemming this torrent of wickedness which is flooding the lard. True we have not the cases of destitution amongst us that are so common in the old country, yet even these are not wanting, but we have men, yes, and women too, who are daily brought to our notice as having shortened their days by this destroying beverage, and few comparatively seem to lay it to heart. The amount of money that is spent in drink in New Zealand iB perfectly astounding, and strange to with this comparatively little regret, men in the fullness of their strength take of the intoxicating cup day after day, week after week, and year after year, till the constitution is fairly broken down, and they tumble into a drunkard's grave. Men gather around that dark abode of the dead to s?e their fellow man laid in his last resting place often without a pang of remorse, nay more than that, it is not uncommon to see these very mourners retire to the public house to partake of the same death-producing

draught. Looking back over the last 15 or 20 years of the history of this very district, we could put our finger upon a spot here, and another there, throughout the whole

of it and say such a one lived here, but he drank till he killed himself, or he was drunk and got drowned, or he fell from his horse and was killed, and many more ways that could be named where drink brought its victim to an untimely end. But still the same evil prevails —still the same indulging in this deadly poison goes on. All that we hear is, " Poor fellow ! it was his only fault." Saddening, very saddening, the thought that our fellow-beings are addicted to this only fault. He was not born with a love of intoxicating drink ; he was not, or nature did not, provide for him being nursed upon intoxicating drink. Man, in his natural state, has no wish for this body-and-soul-destroying drink. The very savages amongst which we live disgrace us in thie respect. Barely do we hear of a native dying through the effects of drink ; rarely do we hear of one being drowned through drink ; rarely do we hear of one falling from his horse and being killed through drink. No, it is only the civilised, educated, highly refined specimen of the animal man that thus degrades himself below the brutes. The Hon Mr Fox—brave and courageous philanthropist that he is—must sometimes find his heart sink within him when he hears and reads of the mocking and scoffing of those who ought to act otherwise ; of those who should of all men be a pattern of well doing ; of those who should consider themselves the guardians of their fellow-men, and who should do their very utmost to redeem a brother from this, his only fault. What should be done 1 What can be done ? What must be done to save our fellow men from, this fearful infatuation 1 Time will not allow us to enter upon this part of the subject in hand, but we shall take an early opportunity of returning to it with the hope of being able to point out some practical way of doing our individual share of this needful improvement in the usages of New Zealand society. When the strong man in his strength is bowed down with it, wben the clearest intellects are blunted and ruined by it, when high and low, rich and poor together, are slain by this foe to domestic comfort, this enemy to virtue, this destroyer of the best and kindest feelings of our nature, it is time to take up arms against it, and so far as in us lies to help the helpless. Doctors differ as to the use of intoxicating . drinks. We are not in a position to say this is right or that is wrong in this matter, but we give it as our opinion that there is an unwarrantable tendency on the part of our medical men to prescribe alcoholic drinks in cases of disease. Some 20 years back few medical men prescribed spirits to their patients. From that time till now the use of intoxicating drinks are more common in cases of disease. Lately, however, there are not wanting signs of a return to the safer system which at the period we have named prevailed. Nature does not demand intoxicating drinks, and it seems going against nature to administer that which nature abhors to bring the body back to that healthy state that nature first endowed it with. Strong drink to them that are ready to perish is all the permission .that is given by the Apostle Paul. Surely ready to perish does not mean that those who may by an attack of disease be put out of the usual order of health which nature provided are subjects ready to perish, or if so, in a sense, surely to administer what nature spurns is not the needful remedy to restore them to natural health. But this too frequent use of alcoholic drinks has a tendency to remove the dread and fear which is necessary for all in order that they may be preserved from becoming its victims. To learn + .he habit to drink is so easy, so fashionable, bo little watched against, that we feel it our duty to cheque by every means in our power. Every man's duty is to look on an erring brother with sympathy and compassion, but it is every man's duty also to do what he can to remove such a stumbling block out of hia way. We shall return to this subject again.