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THE SUPPRESSION OF VODKA 163
it leads. It seemed so cruel to deprive the Russian peasant
of the only distraction he had in his hard life of toil, and it
would be very cruel indeed if reformers were to stop at the
suppression of liquor without giving the people something
better instead. Herein lies the whole crux of the question
of how to fight the drink habit in the future. A human
being who is accustomed to spending his leisure in imbibing
alcohol must be saved from such a habit, not only by
deprivation, but by gaining the taste for other enjoyments and
pastimes of a healthier nature. In this respect the use of
coffee and tea, which also quickens the pulsations of the
heart without the concomitance of the disastrous effects of
alcoholic poison, have proved of enormous value in Russia
as most effective and valuable substitutes, although, of
course, they alone are not sufficient to cope with the
emergency. In order to obtain the full benefit of the temperance
movement Russia needs a widespread establishment of
institutions devoted to elevating pleasures. In this respect
Great Britain may serve as a model for Russia. It would be
the salvation of the whole problem to inculcate the sportive
spirit in Russia ; to create all sorts of unpretentious
workmen’s or peasants’ clubs, libraries, lecture-halls,
meeting-places ; to found societies for the propagation of useful
knowledge, and to teach the peasant how to lead a thoroughly
healthy, clean, and pure life. The more certain forms of
social intercourse are cultivated the more the human mind
is improved, because it is then necessary to live in a more
thoughtful manner. By teaching the peasant the secrets of
more elaborate forms of life it will be easier for him to give
up the vodka glass, thus making him more efficient in all
he does. The suppression of vodka has been the first and
necessary step in this evolution.
It has also an important bearing on religion. The law
of Moses and Christianity do not specially prohibit the use
of alcohol, but there cannot be any question that the use of
this drug, especially with regard to its consequences, is
contrary to the tenets of both. Religion means the raising
of life to a higher plane. God, as the Principle of Life, is
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