From W. M. Moorsom   13 September [1877]¹

Dear Sir,

I am very much obliged to you for your courtesy in replying to my note— I am disappointed at having to consign the elephant story to the region of myths, but I unfortunately have only my memory of what the book said to trust to—² If I come across it again I will send you all particulars—

The idea which I want to get people to attend to is that the passion for Alcohol in excessive quantity is natural to mankind and when surrounding circumstances are favourable to the indulgence of this passion, all human beings will indulge except those who are more developed in the higher moral qualities than the mass of mankind are or are likely to be for a long time to come— If this be so we are wrong in looking to Education (in the every day sense of the word) as a remedy, better sanitary arrangements may do a good deal for us, but so long as the stuff itself is openly sold as a drink by respectable people in profuse quantity, so long it is vain to expect that the mass will resist the temptation to drink to excess—

To my mind we might as well expect chastity among men in a country where brothels were at every corner held by respectable people and licensed by the state— If then the passion for Alcohol in excess, be not a disease in its first beginnings (though if indulged it may produce disease) neither due to physical nor moral derangement, but a natural desire; it is evident that it must have irresistible power over the majority—

Although we may do much in individual cases, yet it will be very long before the majority will be sufficiently elevated morally to resist the passion— Meantime the indulgence produces disease which intensifies the passion & when transmitted to children makes them almost inevitable victims to a desire which in them is unnaturally strong & so the evil must increase in every generation—among the masses—³ The conclusion to which I am driven is that the public sale of Alcohol except as a “Poison”, should be forbidden—

This would reduce the temptations enormously & would give time for other influences directed to physical, mental & moral improvement, to take effect.

As a follower of Stuart Mill in his Economical ideas & in his principles of Liberty and also as one who believes in the principles of developement set forth by Herbert Spencer in “Social Statics” &c, it is with great reluctance that I have come to adopt such a view as this—⁴ But the facts seem to me to point to a gradual deterioration of our nation by Alcohol, unless we restrict its sale in public—

You have expressed so great an interest in the Temperance movement, that I have been emboldened to bore you thus with a long letter  Pray forgive me for doing so.

Your opinion that most monkeys would take Alcohol (I presume in excess?) if they could get it; is exactly to the point—

Am I at liberty to quote what you have written to me as to

1 your interest in the question,

2 your opinion as to monkey’s tastes

3 & the publican & his monkeys?

A Post Card with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ will be quite enough—⁵

I am Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | W M Moorsom

C. Darwin Esq^r