THE CAUSE OF TEMPERANCE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 48, 20 November 1907, Page 11

THE CAUSE OF TEMPERANCE.

''"., NOTES AND COMMENTS.' . m-this column is supplied by ft, representative of the Now Zealand Aliianco r .and Tjie.Doslinion is in no way responsible for' the opinions oxpresscd therein.] . DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT. Bare Majority Democratic

'It;.is contended that, the bare .majority is entirely in accordance with tho principles of demooracyj and .'that you . cannotj . establish any other majority,"whothor it be;.two-thirds, three-fourths, or : thrije-fifthe, without immediately imposing, a, 5 : disability upon those who are .the victimsof this' artificial arrangement. ■■ It may bo urged that old-established customs ought riot to ;be interfered , with by a hare, majority vote. Whatever^force tfiera may sometimes bo in this contention, it certainly, does novrcst upon 'prjnbiple, and there can be no force whatever in it where the oldestablished habits of a 'people are in their nature*-or■ have become a public nuisance';-. Where, such habits, threaten the health, capacity, ihd morals of thepresfiriE and succeeding • generations, and involve ,a ; .loss of business, !qf character, and oMife, 'npt to bo estimated in 'figures, the State is bound,' in selfprotection, to abate tho nuisance and restore the pilblic weal j and the Handicap'against BUch self-protection which is imposed, by the requirement of a thfee;fifthsvina]ority, is not merely, pbicctionnblej. but is "an outrage against'society. It can'hardly" bo'necessary in.New Zealand to declare that bare, majorities'should rule. .To deny this is'to affirm the absurdity that a minority of the people is entitled'to'rule. '"To slay that .'government by majorities is riot perfect government is only that , it ?is a human method,.but it must be conceded that for our day. and our. pure democracy is the higher ideal, and even'whero-it-has-am-alloy. of evil it.is. the best practical arrangement which can-bo suggested. It is a system which, like everything.based upon principle, has within it.thV elements of self-purification and -of ■ growth towards perfection. It has well been said that'the cure for? the veils of democracy is more' democracy. It is also an indisputable fact.that our country- is governed on , the theoryiand. generally on the ..plan, of tnajor- :\ ,'-■(>•- |;,. '.:::.. : ',' .

The Liquor Traffic No Claim to Exemption. The-liiqubr 1 Traffic has nti.giist claim tp be eXempt'froni the control of tho democracy. It,,like all pthor.legalised, trades: or traffics, owes its : eXjsti/)ce to .tlio roepgnitiqn. and protection of it'bjj the,State'..--' it exists on the theory, ;ih&t-{it'-iV a 6'ene'fif'to the State,, i.e., the people,'and as suoh it may bo regulated or aided. If it is found to be noxious anil hurtful to the Commonwealth,' then it is not Only.thp right, but it is the duty of the Qpmmonwealili to Abolish if.'" a flat it is noxious and hurtful has been demonstrated upon tho physical, mental, and moral oondition of our people; and by its acts' it'stands self-an-nounced as ', ■ ' . "A Sin Against God and a Crime Against Humanity." , It is the.especial foe 'of our'rafio and nation, persons hayo > for generations pas't : seori in''its perpetuation , the inevitable decay and downfall of" our Empire The. damage already done by it to our national j.-oharaofrer-is serious-beyond descriparid, it is the testimony of living Btatcsmeii of note that delay in its annihilation will iilvolye ;us .in irremediable national .catastrqphe.,.l'';- ','■. .' -V : - ''■'.' ' . : .of Prohibitionists have hesitatod to d«nian"d'the'bare majority as thoicentral LiconsiVig legislation'beoauso they ■.have-Doen induced to Deliero that the enforcement' of'the-law would''bo rendered casier'/by; the p'resenoo of a strong sentimont-m favour of tho law suoh,as. the three-fitths majdrityYimpiies; Apart frpni the impossibility; of'proving' this contention and the awkward .fact ihafej Ashburton, oyan, with.! its thrfeflfths, Tpbrid'jt task-- tp, l conviQfes)&g]to^ i eell6rs JS evident that law-breakers dp not consider •public opinion, but only ' the likelihood of im muifrty from-punishnientr-Given an unfettered, alert, and honest police, an unbiassed Magistrate, and a Government desirous that the police force should give effect to statutory law, laW'brealtere.would be.as milch deterred under bare majority as undor threefifths. .-. V; ■ ~, .-'.

Temperance W all Sheet. .. In New South'' Wales temperance wall sheets have been issued'by:■ the Education Department, the, following being the matter contained on No. 6:— Introduction: Dr. Parkes, a . recognised authority, on theeffeots of alcohol, says: "1.. strongly- advise every young man and woman,to bo a total .abstainer. !■ oannot sea that'slebhol can do any , good in the period of growth in. healthy porsins." (The aboW is m specially largo type). Paragraph Iso. 1. —Alcohol contains no particle of nitrogeni It cannot therefore assist in building, up the tissues of tho body. No. 2.—lt, does notaid musoular force. N0..3.—1t does not aid nervous force. It certainly lessens the real- noww of tho mind. N6. $.—Alcohol itself is a stimulant, a spur ' nothiiig more. Often ueoful in tho hands of a doctor as a medicine, but always dangerous and treacherous! as a common drink/ . ..s<>• ; 9 -;r-Mr.-. Ncijson's statistics show that if a man becomes intemperate at 20 ychrs of age, he will shorten his life by nearly thirty *ears ; If ho becomes intemperate at thirty, he will shorten his life by twenty-two years. It surely is high time that our own education department made arrangements for temperance teaohing in our day schools. A Publican's Sensational Statement. Quite a sensation has been caused in New South WaloS'by the remarks of a publican at Bathurst. Ho is olio llifthard Kcrtiia, and owns the Grand Hotel, tho largeet and best appointed place, 1 undorstarid, in BathurSt, and-has interest ift two other ljocneod houefes also.'' In reply to cortain strictures passed upon those publicans who would not holp to fight tho No-License Party, he said:— "I havo an interest in three hotel propertios, and \tnder thc«b circumatandes it is compulsory for. me to hattdlo tho filthy )«mc irom tho'sale'ef this tlotostablo iiqiiori .Tlib public will bo'Burpriscd-'to-hear'that "1 abhor hotftl aeeociftfeionsrr Five years' '. esporioiice cortriiiees me that any phase of the liquor trade which the Union is attempting jtp defend is a iurso urtd huhianity. 1 could wade ; .illfoug'h a category- of dfijilorable reriee'of 'crime, starvation, aftd ruin of which lmvo. been an oyo-,*itnfiß6, through this cursod, lifiuor-trnffic. I have' made: a, deep study of its dpbasing offeots, Were lin the poeitioii of some multi-millionaires, 6r eVeii possessed of tho wealth of sonio local mag' nates," tnf .great aim ii) life would bo to en* dow 'institution's arid libraries, aftd COmpon-sat-o jicensed victuallers tfho came Under tho No-Licenep Acts. Some poet tvroto, 'As in body,...sb.inmi > nd-;..f!-e.ika. in both we find, . This surely applies to my case, when u liconnwl victuftller proclaims prohibition broadcast, nnd is eager to help the Alliance of New South \Vnlos to further its NoLicenso airosi" (NiplWtfno "Argus," July 8. 1907.) No dortbt advocates of No-Licpiis'e all :heortily wish that Such a state , of mind Was as Oatohing as tho moasles,