JOHN B. GOUGH ON MORAL SUASION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1682, 8 October 1887, Page 3

JOHN B. GOUGH ON MORAL SUASION

+ A young man once advised me to advocate pure moral suasion. At a meeting where this young man was present. 1 said to the audience, pointing to him. 1 Some Bay we onght to advocate moral suasion exclusively. Now I will give you a fact. Thirteen miles from this place there lived a woman who was a good wife, a good mother, a good woman.' I then related her story as she told it : *My hueband is a drunkerd ; I have worked, and hoped, and prayed, but I almoßt give up m despair. He went away, and was gone ten days. He came back ill with small, pox. Two of tbe children took it, and both of them died. I nursed my husband through his long sickness — waohed over him night and day, feeling that he coald not drink Bgaln, nor even again abuse m% 1 thought be would remer_ber all this terrible experience. Mr Leonard kept a Hquor-shop about three doors from my house, and soon after my husband was well enough to get on, Mr Leonard invited him m and gave him some drink, He was then worse than over. He now beats me and bruises me. * ° ° 1 went into Mr Leonard's shop ono day, nerved almost to madness, and said "Mr Leonard, I wish yoa would not Bell my husband Bny more drink " " Get out of this," said he ; " away with yon ! This ia no place for a woman ; clear out." * " But I don't want you to soil him any more drink." •"Get out, will you? if you wasn't a ffomio, I would knock you Into the middle of the street." " But, Mr Leonard, please don't sell my husband any more drink.' 1 '"Mind your own business, I say." ' " But my husband's bus : ness is mine." ' " Get out ! If you don't, 1 will put you out." I ran out, and the man wbb very angry. Three days after a neighbor came In, and said, "Mrs Tuttle, your Ned's just been sent out of Leonard a shop bo drunk that he can hardly stand." 1 " What ! my child, only ten years old ? " '"Yes." ' The child was pickod up m fhe Btreet and brought home, and it was four dayß before he got about again, I then went into Leonard's shop, and said: "You gave my boy, Ned, drink." ' " Get out of this, I tell you," said the man, * I said, " I don't want you to gi?e my boy drink any more. You have ruined my husband ; for God's sake spare my child ;" and I went down upon my knees, and tears ran down my cheeks. He theu took me by tbe Bhoulders, and kicked me out of doors." ' Then,' satd I, pointing dlrectfy to my friend, ' young man, you talk of moral suasion ; suppose that woman was your mother, what would you do to the man that kicked her?' He jumped right off his seat, and said, • I'd kill him ! That's moral suasion, is it ? Yeß, I'd kill him, just as I'd kill a woodchuck that had eaten my bsanß." Now, we do not go bo far aa that ; we do not believe m killing or prosecution, but we believe m prevention and prohibition.