SPARKS FROM THE ANVIL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1278, 6 November 1911, Page 6

SPARKS FROM THE ANVIL.

SOME POINTS FOR PROHIBI. TiuNisrs. PROHIBITION BARS TEMPERANCE PKOURBSS. "Prohibition is a complete farce. All the evidence obtainable points to the (act that there is jufet as much grog drunk in Clutha as in tho old license days, but it is consumed on the quiet and not at public bars."— "Tapanui Courier." "I got some methylated spirits, your Worship, and I don't remember what I did alter that," was the elefenco of ono man who was charged at Dargavillc, before Mr. Fraser, with a breach cf his prohibition order. "Well," replied his Worship, "that is not a very creditablo confessiou to mal;o here." It is stated that more methylated spirit is consumed by prohibited persons in that district than many people would believe. Prohibition introduces the sly grog-sc-llor with bad liquor and the death-rate increase?. Prohibition is a death-dealing movement. Strike out tho bottom lines on both ballot papers and live longer. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain: If it were desirable absolutely to abolish drinking of alcoholic liquors in this country it would be impossible. We have to deal with what is almost a universal tendency, and to demand abolition is impossible in these circumstances, and prohibition w-ould be both futile and absurd. "Prohibition effectually stops all temperance progress, by tho substitution of a Criminal Code (in New Zealand, ,£IOO fine or three months' imprisonment) for an- appeal to the moral attributes of men. This is sure to weaken men morally, and in time will develop infinitely greater evils than any now existing."—"Prohibition: Fatal to Liberty, Temperance, and Morality." Great races, it may be argued, have pegged along without alcohol. Yes, but not without some other stimulant. Tho Chinese lean to opium, the Malays to tho bt-tel nut, the Hindus to hasheesh, the Puritans drank blood. But the Turks— what of them? Well, let the Turks come into court. They have no drama, no music, no poetry, no painting. They aro strangers to romantic love. Half of the population of the United States are supposed to be living under NoLicense, and according to statistics, tho people of the United States drank 03.000,000 barrels of beer in tho 12 months ending June 30, 1911, and whisky amounting to ,£3,000,000 in value. The beer consumption shows an increase over the preceding year of 0.21 per cent., and the whisky 5.06 per cent. And tho prohibition movement is spreading! Really? In Maine its 50 years' progress was dammed back on September 11. Whisky and beer poisons? Never fear; they only lift a man out of himself and make him soar and give him temporary forgetfulness of his wife's lack of beauty, his bank account's anaemia, and his own ungraceful figure, growing baldness and bad digestion. Why do women drink? This question was asked by Mrs. Brnmwell-Booth, at one of her Salvation Army meetings, and sho got' her answer thus: "Have you ever stood over the wash-tub for eight hours at a stretch?" asked "tho voice." The negative was promptly replied. "Oh, then," came the answer, "you don't know what' it is to want a glass of beer!" Tho good Salvation lady took the question and answer in tho spirit in which they were made, and genially admitted that there was probably something in tho washerwoman's argument. And that is why they will strike out the bottom lines on both ballot papers on election day. Tect'otalism is tho most rabid form of intemperance to bo found in the world.— Admitted. Prohibition advocates aro the most violently intemperate controversialists known to mankind.—Admitted. The No-License areas in tho United States and New Zealand furnish the worstexamples of humbug and hypocrisy known in tho world.—Admitted.*