THE CAUSES OF DRUNKENNESS 83 



Moreover, the assumption that temperate men 

 are necessarily strong-minded, whereas drunken 

 men are necessarily weak-minded, has no founda- 

 tion in fact. History and everyday experience 

 abound with instances to the contrary. It is a 

 simple truth that the will of man, as of all animate 

 creatures, is exercised, as a rule, to gratify, not to 

 cross, his desires. The man of powerful will who 

 has an ardent craving for drink is, therefore, 

 generally drunken, not sober. He uses his powers 

 to gratify his strong desire. The weak man will 

 often use his opportunity ; the strong man will 

 generally make it. 



A somewhat stormy controversial experience 

 assures me that the foregoing argument will be 

 misinterpreted. Because I have stated that, in 

 most cases, men are sober through lack of tempta- 

 tion, not through the exercise of self-control, I shall 

 be said to have decried the virtues of self-control. 

 On the other hand, I daresay, the average reader, 

 guided by his own experience, is wondering why 

 I have devoted so much space to demonstrate that 

 which seems to him, as to me, self-evident. But, if 

 he have patience, he shall see that the question of 

 self-control, not less than the question of the trans- 

 mission of acquirements, is a hinge on which turns 

 the whole question of temperance reform. If self- 

 control be the principal factor in the causation of 



