The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1893. THE PROHIBITION CRUSADE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2909, 27 February 1893, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1893. THE PROHIBITION CRUSADE.

With a general election fast approaching, at which many questions of great importance to the whole community will fall to be decided, it is not surprising, though it may be embarrassing, that the Prohibitionists have determined that the "direct veto" shall be a test question to candidates. According to a resolution passed by the Wellington Prohibition League last wee k—•• lhat members of the League be requested not'to vote for any candidate for Parliament who will not pledge himself to give the direct, veto of thedrink traffic without compensation," State questions are to be disregarded, or at any rate have only secondary consideration, and the prime recommendation of a candidate for Parliament is to be his willingness to give a pledge to place in the hands of a bare majority of voters at a licensing poll tbe power of depriving the rest of the inhabitants of the district, and travellers who may be passing through it, of the opportunity of obtaining alcoho'ie refreshment. We will not now discuss the possibility of making-people sober by. Act of Parliament—^such a law might have no more effect than that which I ordained that they should go to church on Sundays—but we will poinc out the inexpediency of such an issue being made the crucial test at the elections. There is iv the present House of Representatives a very considerable majority in favor of " local option," although—or possibly because —that question was not made a vital one at the last general election. The Prohibitionists cannot claim that they possess a majority in the constituencies —the licensing elections told a contrary tale, and it is doubtful if many adherents have been gaiued smce then, and also doubtful whether the woman's vote, it in force at next election, will | bo cast so unanimously iv favor of j Prohibition as its advocates appear to ' anticipate. It is, therefore, qufce probable that a direct trial of strength on th<s question would leave the Prohibitionists in a minority in the House^ and their desired end farther off thun ever. Further, the Prohibitionist and other teetotal societies can no more command a block vota of their members than can the supporters of the Roman Catholic education claims, the Bible in schools, cr any other object on.which a particular section of the community may set their minds, This was conspicuously demonstrated at the last election for a member for Ashburtion, when the most energetic supporters of Air Wright and Mr Sawle were alike prominent Prohibitionists. | We will go so far as to say that social reforms cannot be effected by the return to Parliament of men pledged to one idfa without regard to all other considerations. Such objects will rather be gained by the election of temperate, upright men, well educated, and with a capacity for public business, who will approach the difficult problem of dealing with the liquor traffic in the same judicial temper as they will bring to bear on other questions of political and social reform. And looking at the proposed course of action of the Prohibitionists in the light of expediency they must remember that the average voter will have none of men of one idea.