ZEITGEIST V. WAILKATO TIMES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2683, 8 June 1889, Page 2

ZEITGEIST V. WAILKATO TIMES.

TO THE EDITOI!. Sin, —Will you permit me to speak a word in defence of ;i correspondent to your paper of Tile-day 4th mst. Referring to a statement in " Zeitgeist" that a large nuinber of Sunday-school children are ruined through drink, he concludes that Sundayschool teaching is responsible for the, result. Some of your readers may feel inclined to judge hi in harshly for this illogical conclusion and oil him a fool. I plead for charity on his bell df, for he is by no means a solitaiy instance of a peculiar mental phenomenon which is found among the uncultivated. Lit me, quote similar eases: A working man was persuaded to put his weekly savings in the bank and not spend them on drink. At the end of twelve months he drew out his accumulated capital, and overjoyed in carrying the precious burden, stepped into a public house fcr a glass. lie got drunk —on the way home fell and broke his leg—was carried to the hospital and tended. When the doctor had dressed tin leg and tucked the patient up in bed, he said Xow, tev man, you've learned a lesson this time I hope." "Yes" replied the penitent, '• I have indeed, and if 1 get belter I'll never put my money in the bank again." In this case the man's reasoning was affected by the drink. Yet another. A Scotch minister was being shrived by a tippling barber. The artist, shaky from the previous day's intoxication, cut the holy chin. As the parson wiped the blood away, he said, "There Sammy, you see, what too much drinking doe,.-." " Yes," replied the sorrowful barber, " It inak';'. the skin very tender, I

see." In this case, too the nun's reasoning was affected by the drink. Indeed, Mr lOditm', every 111:111 tli:it reasons like yimr eoi respondent of Tuesday last is cither drunk (ic daft., and charity prevents our thinkiiijr, even fur a moment, that lie was drunk. On« wmd more. Tiie ediPr of " Zeitgeist "is charged in the sanio paper with grossly exaggerating the "drinking all'iiir " among the Alaoris in Cambridge on the Queen's birthday. I'ermit mo to say I was an eye-witness of all I de-cribed, and seeing a member of the Licensing Committee watching the scene, I afterwards read him my description before publishing it ; he thanked 1110 and endorsed every woni. Those who saw nothing 1 of Ul3 allair have too high an opinion of their town to beliere "Zeitgeist," for which perhaps ho ought to feel thankful—nevertheless we speak what wo do know and testify what we have seen. — [ am, &e. C. lE. (jrAKLANI). Cambridge, June Oth, ISS9.