THE DRINK QUESTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2588, 12 February 1889, Page 2

THE DRINK QUESTION.

TO THE EDITOR. Cilii,—Tlio "good (ilrl Uiues" when a nun l):ul to drink till he ivas blind and insensible or accept the alternative of fighting a duel, lime passed away, and have pi vim lilr.ee to the modem niin'.tfr.'Mili century style of lnun&ing around public-houses and lampposts and waylaying any unwary soul wh>> pops into a pn''\ for i.lu- purpose <>f cadging a booze from hi'n. Toe. nineteenth century has in this respect seen littl' , pn>;;-re-.s in the noble art of fire water consuming. The professional loafer who ornaments the front of public-hone's, becoiiv-s uHiniluiiiras, and in short makes himself as intolerable n nuisance as the eedlin ir-i tli, potato or other vermin. As an ornament the " P.L. "is a decided failure. Mis use—yet remains to be discovered. V/hon we come across this species of tho fjenns homo, we inay easily recognise him. His leorinp eyes, bloii'ttaJ face, unsteady gait and jjenoral disreputal.ile appearance inspiring one with minded contemnt and pity lend one to say " Well, if teetotal men do rave and fume to extremes, is there not some excuse for them." Tlito is little doubt that "(leneral (iordnn," when writing his diatribe against this class of individual was actuated by humane motives to say nothing of cacoethes scribendi and other ills that flesh is heir to. Sir,. Opt., if we may jud<n: from his ebullition, should wait till he "has thoroughly neovered from (he D.T's before he inflicts Ins eltusions upon an uiisns|)C.ndiii(? and inoffensive public. We wonder is ho the sample of " man" Anglo-Saxon speaks alwv.t as having exhibited such wonderful fe.aU of prowess a!, Agincourt ami Waterlo.i, and havm<X composed the mighty and irresistible phalanxes which scaled the wallsof Badnjos and painted the Crimea rod, and decorated the smiling landscape with defunct Russian?. I can picture to myself what a confounded aggregation an army of Cambridge professional dipsomaniacs would be. Ifurrah forthe (J<«d of Bottles! Let us hope our modern armies ai<; a more formidablo host than Anglo -.Saxon's idea of an army. H. t>. objects to respectable peoplo being reproached in scurrilous and libellous terms. A worthy objection on his part, and one which "Oeneral.'Ooidon" and nil other rightminded people will endorse. S. (.). flies off at a tangent in advocating moderate drinking. As far as I can gather Cγ. 0. lias not raUcd aUhis.unlcws.indeed tin-class nf'.whnni H. 0. is evidently one, is considered by him b> be only moderate, drinkers. If so Siquamen, trot me out an excessive drinker. S. O. thus begs the question, and commits a fallacy in Iniric, which one, not knowing him, mirfht think uiuvorthy of so talented a

logician.— l am, etc., Ne Sutor UVniA CRF.riDAM. Cambridge.