"GENERAL GORDON" IN REPLY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2586, 7 February 1889, Page 3

"GENERAL GORDON" IN REPLY.

. <s> . TO TIIK KDITOII. ftlli,—When i read the reply of '■ AngloSaxon " to iny letter on tin; dipsomaniacs of Ciiinl.riuVo, I tlici not think it worth my while, or Hint any good would result from it, to answer it.; but since another champion has stepped into tin; arena, in the person of ''Siquamcn Optimum," I I must crave ;i little space, in which I will endeavour to refute their arguments. I will first deal with " Anglo-Saxon." He heads his epistle with the quotation: ".Man, being reasonable, must get drunk,'' and gives Byron as the author. _ Now, I think that everyone—dipsomaniacs excepted — will agree with mo that he could not liavo chosen a more unreasonable heading for his letter, as it is one- that bears the stamp of untruth upon its face. That the wriU:r must be an able man 1 readily admit, or ho would not liavo known where to find such a quotation ; but his reason, I think, must have become impaired, or he would not endeavour to uphold such a tenet. Byron is recognised as one of our standard poets; but there are editions of his works in which " Don Juan " does not appear. Why? Because it contains lecherous, erotic, lascivious language, and appeals to the lowest passions ; and yet this is the poem which Anglo-Saxon has to quote from to support his cause. .For every quotation that supports drunkenness, a thousand may be found that commend abstinence from strong drinks, so I do not think further comment need be bestowed on Anglo-Saxon's text; but 1 would inform him that I have not been deceived by "scandalmongers and gossips," as 1, unfortunately, know my statements to In true. We are not all constituted alike, but I must admit that personally I should prefer a cigarette, a game at lawn tennis, or any other healthy recreation, or even " spooning," to drinking, lounging, and sponging. I presume Anglo-Saxon would not. If the Britisher of the future is to be the immaculate dude, towhieh myadversary refers one, tiling is certain, viz., that he will not drink to excess, or he, would soon be a sloven, and would not have sufficient coin to buy decent clothes, which, I believe are necessary to " dudeism" if we are to take the illustrated papers as our guide. j\[y censor .states that the brave men who fought England's greatest battles, were not trained on weak tea anil cigarettes: I'erhaps not; but neither were they trained on strong drink taken to excess, as our dipsomaniacs would have us believe. At the present time there are thousands of soldiers and sailors in the British Army and Navy who are temperate men, and who do not require " iHitch courage " when they have a foe to face ; and these are the men who are gradually working their way to the top of this tree, leaving their drinking brethren in thu lower

bram-hes. When a publican supplies a drunken man with any int"xicalin._ bever-a-n, I say it is an " accused tratlie," and I d.i not. consider he. is conducting his Imsi in ii straightforward way, as my antagonist would imply ; and moreover, 1 believe the drunkards are the greatest nuisances that liottil-k.v'i'or.s liave to contend with. Let Anglo-Saxon east aside his " unite," and 1 .vill endeavour to pet rid of my "beam." Now for Siquamen Optimum. This opponent is more verbose than Anglo-Saxon, and writes as if he was the mouthpiece of the publicans, but 1 do not think that is the case, my own conviction being that he is an individual who likes to write long letters and append a Latin nen-do plume. 1 shall, therefore, be very brief in my reply. S.O. —f t'.ust he will not be offended nt' my following his lead-state- that T have assailed "most prominentanil respected e.iiizensby most scurrillous and ill-mannered remarks,'' and further " that I endeavour to throw the blame on the inoffensive publicans." I think if ho will refer to mv letter, or our respected citizens and publicans, he will find lie has made a slight mistake. He then spins a long yarn about Gospel Army, temperance, drink's, which ho calls rank poisons— largely sold by the aforesaid much abu.-ed nublieans—upstart preachers, fanatics, and letter-writers to the Tress. Ye Gods! Think of the latter awful crime, 1 wonder does S.O. know what it is to be hoist with (■tie's own petard? Ite I lien proceeds to "butter up" the publicans -.villi singViiuss of purpose, generosity, kindness of hem t, disinterested (?) attachment to the district of their adoption, and all the noblest and best traits of human character. The temperance societies then come in for a good share if abuse, and are taunted with being the well-known enemies of the publican. Undoubtedly they arc ! But, nevertheless, they are not, half as much trouble to them as the drunkards, and do not inlet fere one quarter as much as they initdit if they thought fit so to do. And, Mr S.O, .1 should like to know why you "chipped in?" Do you want to raise the temperance people to a frenzied state similar to the " dips ?'■ You are on dangerous ground my friend; for if the publicans have the generosity that you attribute to them, (and cangulph down the doso of salve that you have endeavoured to administer) you are doomed. In a month you will be a blatant, bigoted, intolerant "dip;" but oven to them "the door of the lunatic asylum is always open "—but no one will take Ilia trouble to pop them in. Take a | little advice, cute the cacoethes scribendi,— [ am afraid 1 have almost caught it from you—remember the eight Commandment, and don't call our most prominent and respected citizens dipsomaniacs', or "some dark night, when there is no one about, you will be slain with a big stick." And now, Mr Editor, I have done, and shall not again return to the charge, and can only thank you for having allowed me space to speak 'a. few truths, which I had hoped would have resulted in good being done; and indeed even now I do not despair, for I believe several "hard cases" have slightly softened riming the pa.-t week. The cap was only made for those whom it lifted, and was intended to have been w..rn in private ; but unfortunately some were so proud of it that they wore it publicly. The "dips" and 1 can both put. 1.0. G.T. to Our names ; but theirs stand for "[ often 1 get licht." I trie-tit may soon be turned to " Independent Ordor of G ITeniphus," when tlicv will be gladly rec-ivi.nl by Oknkiiai, Goiinox.