NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE FAILURE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 25, 24 October 1918, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE FAILURE

THIRTY-TWO YEARS OF BARREN EFITOHT. ■ SERIOUS MENACE TO RELIGION.

Of nil the orators I have heard argue for Prohibition, I have never heard one of them addressing , hiinseii to this vital fact, that is: Does or will Probibition root ont the evil of intemperance?"— Samuel Gompcrs, President U.S.A. Labour Federation, it is now tuirty-two years since the New Zealand' Alliance was formed. Its wject was the abolition and prohibition of the liquor traffic in -New Zealand. ■When the Alliance was formed it was composed mostly oi temperance advocates, who muterstooct they were joining tt Christian organisation, for tluyiromotion of temperance. 13ut within a few years it' was discovered that the organisation was a political one, and Mα adopted all the lubrications, tricks, and manoeuvres with organising agents and paid advocates of n common political party. It is a matter for regret that many hundreds turned away and resigned membership on account of the abandonment of Christian principles and practice by the J.' ew Zealand Alliance, llow ninny ministers of religion have given coiuitenanco to (ho Alliance and do so still? They are rapidly coming to toe conclusion, however, that active contact with a political organisation, based ttpon unChristian principle, advocating an- unchristian policy, is not consistent with the spread and adoption of true religion in the community.

It must be admitted that the clergymen who have become dissatisfied with the Alliance have many notable and honourable examples to emulate. The experience ol (lie -Kev. Dr. Wright, tho Methodist Minister of die United States, shows how Prohibition has not tended to improve the morals or the religious condition o£ the people in Brohilntion States, whe.re, li'o says, preachers have had to compromise with their congregations on a beggarly percentage of their salaries. There is same ground for the charge in New Zealand that Prohibition advocated by Christian ministers has driven many good Christians oat of tho churches, and lias filled many other ministers with concern as to tho future of the religious life of Kew Zealand. Many are now endorsing the opinion of the E«v. Mr. Wright, who says: "If 1 wore an enemy of democracy ami the Christian religion, 1 would 'oe delighted at the threatened triumph of Prohibition."

It must Ijo confessed that the nwk of thi! New Zealand Alliance has not met ■.vitli much success (luring the past thirtv-two years. It is true that in 1604 'they made Clntlia "dry,' and have succeeded in c.pturing eleven other electorates but there has been j>o diminution in the uoLsuniulion per head by the population of tilcoholic beveragts, and the expenditure irns risen from .43 Is. Id. to £3 IBs. per head in the period under review. It is worth noting also that the Alliance, notwithstuud iiig all its activities in the political arena, has been no deterrent to intemperance, for in ISM tiiere were only six casas of per 1000 of tho population, but in 1913 (the year preceding tho war) there were ten cases. It must bo confessed, and now the Executive of tho Alliance regrets, that tho Executive is neither a promoter of religion nor of temperance in -the community. ,

'Prohibition agitation for thirty-two years has not only-injured true religion, but it is a greater menace now to perMiiial freedom and a greater hindrance to true temperance reform than (he Gfir. mans are to the freedom of the worldTo further nullify the Prohibition agitation you should sign the National Council's petition -with the three issues, for i'reedom, Patriotism, and Democracy.(By Arrangement.)