THE TEMPERANCE FAILURE 145 



scale, and has everywhere proved successful. But 

 it is slow and exceedingly cruel. The cost is 

 enormous. Humanity pays in millions of lives, 

 and in incalculable misery and degradation. On the 

 other hand, the temperance reformer's plan promises 

 immediate success. Abolish drink, and the plague 

 ceases at once. Two-thirds of the crime and a 

 great portion of the misery of the world will dis- 

 appear. Which then is the better plan ? Surely 

 every one will admit that the temperance reformer's 

 is the better, provided only it be practicable. 



But is it practicable? It, also, has been tried 

 on an enormous scale. Every civilised or semi- 

 civilised race has its history of prolonged temperance 

 effort and legislation. Nevertheless to-day the use 

 of alcohol is more widespread and general over the 

 surface of the globe than at any former period. 

 Alcohol is a potent cause of the extinction of many 

 savage races to which it was previously unknown. 

 Every civilised race possesses practically unlimited 

 quantities of it. Amongst the most civilised of all 

 races, the North Europeans and North Americans, 

 it is the main source of poverty and disease. Owing 

 to special causes, with which we shall deal presently, 

 the temperance reformer's plan has achieved an 

 equivocal success among some Buddhists and 

 Mahomedans. But elsewhere its long record is 

 one of failure relieved by a few transient and very 



K 



