A PLEA FOR COMMON SENSE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 568, 24 July 1909, Page 10

A PLEA FOR COMMON SENSE.

Sir,—Your issud of. Saturday last contained a letter concorning tho absurdity ;of ."NoLioouso.'.' It was a cbrollary to a previous letter signed' "Jason," both of wiiioli Suggest; food : for ' reflection 'for- rational thinking pWsplo. In thcSo . timos of depression, all sorts of ■ quacks assign causes for it, and suggest worse ' remedied, and it is a singular 'thing that but fow, assign this temperancc' f orazo"as a contributory Cause, it is l not lack of lisonoy that'is causing depression, but a laiclc- of faith in tiio 'stability of- legislative .onnotiiionts What can l)e' niCro unstable than conditions which' mako-it possible for, a few fanatics te band themselves together,• and, with tho assistance of followers more ignorant than themsolvcs, ruin propcrtyvand deprivo people' of their legitimate . rights P Under theso conditions there caii bo no ccr- . tjvinty'; about legal lights, Tho legal rights' of to-ilay' may bo worthless' six montliS lionca. ' It is open to any wank to cdiieoivo a notion of spcculativo ' rigiite, •; and 'then , if: ho can indiico, by sophistry;,.a majority to, 'agreo with his irrational ideas, they hceonto legal rights. TWs is'nothing short'of robbery. and if it is possible for a combination of this sort,to ruin 0110 industry thero: is nothing to provent 'the' destruction of otlieis. . • ' '''

Thoro aro pooplo who pose for the admi'ration of ! the world and console themselves, with tho- thought that they get it,' whilo fclioy only' invito.iridiculo ally get classed-ns 1 , dangerous l monomaniacs, . Such are those who 1 ehginoor tJiis' holy or unholyoru'eada

ngninst an established usage that goes baci to tlio early ages, They are, forsooth, going, to: malsotins a land of "golden haj-pa," wlie.ro everyone-will, live in luxurious repose. ;Gtuitavo-Doro, in Ilis most enchanting pictures of Paradise, never described a land of sucli goldon promiso., Theso reformers ara removing'tbrnntdtion-from people's paths, whilo giving them tlio alternative of evils: inoro (fcJ)asinj;. Doing away with licensed housKis will 1 introduce, a very' undesirable citizen; in' the shape of the common in-'-; formor. not to speak of midnight wassail hold about tho .unliconecd and., unprotected suburban slianties. Thoro is proof of th'B along tlio Hutt Road already. Advance agents wore out hero a, fow days before tha hotels' closod,. soliciting tho patronage of would-bo customers. The.grog.is now brought in gallons, and young boys with a ; decided distaste for' manual labour ' aro getting chance, bo - develop - their- commorcial in« . stincts, wliilo' realising an';, honest penny, by retailing "legal" gallons up "tlib. c gullies, ta tho great , annoyanco, of -their'., neighbours. Those law-abiding., people, . when .thoy 'need a drink, Jiavo to niako their- way down to the Railway Hotel,pondering jsorioUsly on .tho curious anomaly im; law. which compelj them': -to • walk - a couple iof. rnilefe;.' to' obtain: tlibir requirements, ■ while ' peoplb of tho oity proper'can obtain theirs, with' less oxertion. Then it is even: moro; anomalous to find Acts of Parliament one fman whilo robbing another. ;;Such a:thmg cfinnoi be reconciled with justice. * The ■ injustice of .the tiling. is . obvious to, ahv' -rigTit-tliinking' person. • Doiibtlcss the fnddistsXrbsponcibio jfor- this state-of!affairs justify ithei-r-: action ■on moral; grounds ,or ; prospective good yet.ta como. ; Well, _"Paul. Clifford" justified hia action in taking ; .to, tho. highway on . tho grounds that ho.gave-. sonio of tho spoil to poor, people. ; • A . Gorman> Heinricb; Hoino, liaa said tin Frencli aro tire comedianß in ordinary of the Almighty,;and if wo bo permitted .to- com* paro the insignificant with tlio mighty tho No-Licenso party must.; be the comedians of sOrno, other invisible< power. .'What comedy or fairce could bo mora amusing than thai meeting held at Newtown- lately: to celebrate. tho closing of a." fow. hotels ? Wo cannot find anything more amusing "in < Offenbach's ex-travaganza-than to. express sympathy with a man after closing up his business, and to express' regret 'that ~a doad man, was _hot. there to , rejoice. ; , I am a. total abstainer on my own,,when- it suits! me, and I havo but ; little/ sympathy for, mostly because the-ro is no fight, in thom.- ; .To mo this ; unwarrantably intorfercnob viith what people: may. or. may..not, drink, is an j invasion of personal, rights which I resent. Tho correspondence so far . in your columns goes for what it is-worth.- ■ One lilro tilting at bogy. men. or women. If- they, b'elievb in.thoir principles, \vhy cobpeal .their : ideiititiy'.?,''' If; a; man is .(tfiaad .'to.-.do, so, lio should loavb tho oounbry.' ,''lndeed, if tbo Prohibitionists arid the ' Socialists woro doported, without violbnce, te' oiir'island';pos'sossions, 'it' would'bea' guarantee^,of ..permanent peaco and a prosperity' that, would oilsuro agair.st ' uriemploynient.—l am, ', P r SHANNON.

v THEWAIL. OF THE 'PEMIMIST. r , .Sir/rrTli©••Waii..of7r!'N®w.i Bora" 'ia' your, yesterday's - issue -reminds one of.JijEatk . ' Antony's lamonts/.for Oa^, - only, iMs'. loss manly and moro vindictive. Boiled down, 14 amounts to\a weak-kneed 'slobber ovoronr • lato Premier and an anonymous >and virila . stab at absent: Sir' Joseph Ward—unsubstanti- ; at-ed, inconsistent twaddle, conspicuous only by its length;ignorance, /and anonymity.; Our lato'Premier ouco:quotcd, : "Savomo front my friends,'-' and* could -tlio good Man now ariso ■ho would promptly denounoQ "New Zealand Bora? ' "as: a'- pessimistic scar -on this • good doraitry. lloro are a few, \of his Epasnis:—■ fEmigi-ants" afe'''tnet ■ at tho wharves by ai leiast/oOOVwLai-f. labourers,• hungry for food.'' (Had ho signed himself "Ananias" ''instead of ■ •'Now Zoalitid Born" .'tlio emulation' Would ss'rionymiso!tho statemont.) . ' - . 'Another ' spastf:*-' He' - saye: ■ "Tho, rotten.ness';of -t3«3 labour laws* - appeals 'to mo." I v should think'it would. I. prcsume ho is an ompkiwr, but Mark. Antony (sic), should ro- 1 , who 'drifted 1 ' and.they/ .aro S^sp'stoeSmnw^i , • Noxt'effusion"Public opinion is so strong on . vthe i of rcccnt retreirtions. . 'Jhoro is'no question at'all-;;'tis'draii!;' but '•" 'Mark:.shiuld' a3tofl>';that to make this V. Owit Country" Caesar loaded tabor* nacles'vrith' sooWisayers niid; bequeathed U •Sir Joseph the pruning 'knife'. - "'''; ' Sit : Joseph 1 hallowed his - too sacredly tp-'cOmplain' of the liugdvtask left : j him; Ho set to woiVsilchtly and grimly; ;As I charity; tcgan' at home', - ho:.cleaned',,up his Cabinet, ill a workmanlike and resolute • manner fo/'commenco' with;': .His; every'political,' movement has boon' masterful and 'tactful, ]3is roybrenco, for his departed: cKief 'in ' his. 'silent"work.: It -.is. premature for tho tnasses to ijudge'himj but; to the; observant,: " nhbiased t "lt is palpable thit New'ZcalMjis enviously.forttmato' in tho • possession'of' a.• statesman . vof. i Sir Joseph's calibre. '.. .' ■•. , '•'■ lii sirj: I \would ask- .thoso . who gather (impressions from; pessimistic and} anonymous writers to; always first consider tho motive. 1 believe' there'.'is'a; good'and-glori- ; ous.timo ahead for us. , We liavo' ovor-livod oiir incomes; we. have over-valued our,- subiir-,: ',- . b'aii ; properties,, wo' havo draiiied the cup of; , past..' successes,- leaving : only the dregs - ef; a .temporary, reaction, t .which; will- bettor .qualify • us for a more mature'and surer bucccss. '■ AU; rovorenco to the memory.of - our : - departed' llichard Joh-nASeddon. : God test: his' noble spirit; But. "The king is'dcad.; long.livo tho king," and thoso who hooted Sir Joseph when ijie left will- be, his heartiest cheerers.whea 1 h« returns,... Thanking'you,: Miy Edjtor.-r-I am,, ptc.,' : ■ ■' " ■ I : r' - ' ■ V:'- : . , i GEORGE GOODALL. 'Willis' Street, July 19." "i'.'lV'.-