False Beliefs.

The second primary cause for the continued power of alcohol in the world is falseness of belief as to the effect of the agent upon the body and the bodily powers. From the hilarity produced by wine, and which was originally conceived to be its only virtue, to "make glad the heart," there has crept into the habits of men the desire to be made hilarious at every meal. From this desire has come the practice of introducing wine or other spirituous drinks at certain meals regularly; and from this, again, by association of wine and its allies with food, has come the idea that the hilarity-provoking stimulant is also a food.

To this view Science herself, in opposition to common-sense experience, gave, some years ago, her sanction. It was a sanction slowly rendered, and never perfectly rendered. It was a sanction founded on the analogy of physical action of alcohol outside the body, its property of preserving from putrefaction and its burning, rather than on any correct observation as to its true physiological action on living animal organisms. But there is no denying that the sanction was given, and that it has inflicted, for a time, an incomparable wrong. It has given a reason for the habitual use of alcohol, which is, I repeat, a primary reason. It suggests not only that alcohol is a food, but that it is a necessary food. A food man cannot do without. A sustaining food, which in this overworked day is more requisite than ever.

A few persons, whose eyes are opened to the fallacy of this reasoning, use it, notwithstanding, because in their hearts they are infatuated with the liking for alcohol, and are glad to find any excuse that shall minister to their own inclinations. The majority of persons whose eyes are not opened to the truth, believe in this reasoning absolutely, and act upon it with implicit honesty. These often tell you with perfect candour they regret as much as can be regretted the evils they cannot fail to recognise, but, say they, of what use is it deploring evils that spring from a necessity? I have never yet met with a legislator who declined to legislate against alcohol who did not express as the reason for his action this theory of necessity. I have never yet conversed with a member of my own learned profession, who was in flavour of alcohol, who did not assign the self-same argument. I have never yet spoken with a clergyman on that side of the question who did not follow the politician and the doctor, and adduce not only their reason but their authority.

It is the duty of us who have seen the true light on the question of page 8 temperance to deal plainly and faithfully with the reasoning on this point of necessity. That false doctrine eradicated, the power of alcohol for all its evil is undermined. That left in doubt, the power of alcohol to continue all its evils remains practically untouched. X believe, therefore, that from the position I now, by your favour, occupy, I cannot do better than tackle this reasoning again on scientific evidence: and on the ground that—

"Truth can never be confirmed enough,
Though doubt should ever sleep,"—

venture in a few sentences to repeat what I have spoken on many public occasions on this vital matter.