PROHIBITIONISTS' CAROUSAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1295, 25 November 1911, Page 7

PROHIBITIONISTS' CAROUSAL.

AN EXPOSURE. CHANGE OF HYPOCRISY PROVED. .£3O FINE, OR THREE MONTHS' GAOL. The Prohibitionists avo strong on KoLicense. They aro determined to. put down the "cursed" drink at all hazards. Nothing will save this Dominion, or any other ■ Dominion or State; except the power of Ko-License and Prohibition enforced by the bayonet and the police. The Prohibitionists tell us that if all men and women wero as they are, No-Licenso advocates and total abstainers (?), no alcoholic beverages would be used", but as the subjoined cases show that amongst thoso who profess to bo Prohibitionists personally and No-Licenso advocates especially, thoro aro at; times thoso not averse on the quiet to a beer-drinking carousal with their friends; and tho'meanness of the whole business is that these Prohibitionists protend to treat their friends and charge them for tho beer, and are themselves in turn caught, charged, convicted, and fined for sly grog-selling. It is altogether B pretty picture of tho metheds of certain Prohibitionists end advocates of the NoLicense party.

[Extracted from the "Evening News,". November 2.] The- offence alleged against William Sydney Leonard, 15, and Frederick Haddon, 31, was that they sold beer at a house in Shepherd Street, Darlington, on October 30. the facts wer3 that Sergeant Allen sent Constable Jones to tho place .where tho defendants were, with , certain instructions. ■ Later on,. Sub-Inspector Kelly and tho sergeant approached the house, when 11 mei. ran out of a s-ide gate. Constable Jones was then inside. As'soon as the sntwnspectbr and the sergeant got into the premises. Jones pointed out Leonard as one of the principals of the place. Leonard was taken into the kitchen, where Haddon was seen standing behind n table. A glass jug, containing beer, was on tho table, as well as some glasses, n flask, and a corkscrew. ' Jones pointed to' Haddon, and euid, "This is tho man who has been serving, and who has also got the last shilling I paid him." Haddon was searched, and he was found to bo possessed of 21st., among which was a marked shitling, which tho sergeant.had previously paid to Jones.

The two defendants were taken to a louse in Dean's Place, whoro the sub-in-spector asked Leonard if a number of jarsj some cf which contained beer, were his property.- He said that they were, and thnt he had brought them there the previous night. "You know," said Leonard, by way of u further explanation, "I put K]f for Parliament. I am giving a party, and I got the beer for those tbat acted .on my committee." Both defendants 'were taken to the Redfern Police Station.'

Sut-Inspector Kelly told the magistrate that Leonard had been a candidate for Parliament at the recent elections in the No-License interest. . : The magistrate (Mr. Clark), smiling: What, In the No-License interest? Sub-Inspector: Yes, your Worship. Magistrate (addressing Leonard): You aro fined »C3O, or three months' gaol. Of course, I,could fine you .£SO; and Tm-not sure that you don't deserve it," seeing that ypu-vwe a candidate on the No-License fc'cket. .'-'l'll givcfyoiU'thfe'o 'months '■ to" pay, on your finding a surety. . Haddon's case was similar to Leonard's. He, too, was a Prohibitionist and'.a strong supporter cf the \o-Licenso candidate Loonard, and he likewise was fined ,£3O, or one month's imprisonment. Tho eleven men,-who .escaped wore also supporters .of the No-Liceuse. candidate, and favoured members of Leonard's Prohibition party. . These cases need no comment. "What Khpnld be done is to strike out tho bottom line on both ballot papers, so that the Prohibitionists themselves will be saved from becoming sly grog-sellers. It may be observed, however, that it was conduct like this among avowed Prohibitionists in Maine that turned a majority, of decent citizens to vote against the dirty Prohibition business, and make a clean licensing system possible. They saw that the professed Prohibitionists and the sly grog-seller, if not one and'tho same person, ,as in this case, were supporters of one another, and that they fought hand and. glove, the one to retain his fetish and tho other to continue his nefarious trade. To prevent New Zealand being dominated by ' Prohibitionists-cum-sly fjrog-;eller9 wo must strjke out the bottom line.overy time.*