A STUDY IN CONTRASTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 27, 26 October 1918, Page 8

A STUDY IN CONTRASTS

PROHIBITION ORATORS. ■ ANTI-DEMOCRATIC IDEALISTS. ; Tho Kaiser: Germany must win the war. Wo aro on to victory. I will dine in Paris with you on Doce.-nber 14, 1914. God is with us, wo must tuccecd. Gott init uns.. Rev. L. .-JI. Isitt, M.P.: No one can doubt the'sanity of our cause. To Prohibitionists victory must <oino because God is with 11s, and victory is ours on December 14, 1914. • . December 14, 1914, was a great.disap : pointmont to all autocrats. Tho soul's desire of 'ho' Prohibitionists is to place all other men in subjection to their will. Such ambitious autocracy is only equalled by tho soul's desire of Germany. The Germans would plunder and overawe the world, for, as they say, the good of all. The Prohibitionists would dominate and overawe everybody for their alleged good. The Germans in their aims of world domination cry: "God is with us. and will give us the victory." The Prohibitionists, liko the Germans, areiiho enemies of democracy and freedom. They abolish democracy and deprive free men and women of 'their individual liberty. Can such advocates of autocracy triumph ? God forbid. , Vox populi, vox Dei. In 1914 tho free; electors of Now Zealand by a determined majority overthrew tho enemies of democracy, patriotism, and freedom That was tho voice of the people. God was>not with tho -Prohibitionists anj moro then He is with the Kaiser and his Huns. It is 'blasphemy to invoke God » aid in a political or warlike campaign, although the object in each case is the subjugation of others to the will, domination, and autocracy of either. ■ Tho Rev. L.'M. Isitt and the Rev. R. S Gray were tho chief speakers at the monster (only 400 present) Prohibition gathering. It is sound in law, ethics, and religion that if a witness delivers himself of erroneous statements his wholo evidence is damaged or disregarded.'Thus let it bo with these vory reverends. ■ Thp Rev. L. M. Isitt said,: "To any thoughtful man patriotism must spell the prohibition of tho liquor traffic. . There was no getting away from that. Lloyd George had said that every sixpence, was a bullet." This is first a libel upon the majority of the electors of New Zealand. They declnred against Prohibition in 1914, and is tho patriotism of our peoplo doubted? ' . , . The Prohibition movement Is entirely devoid of patriotism because it is spending large sums of money that should be devoted to war purposes and endeavour--, ing to divide the people in a political party strife, embittering the wholo nation, when 1 "Unity," as Lloyd George says, should ibe the watchword of the Empire. Mr. Lloyd George never said, "Every sixpence is a bullet." Tho Prime Minister's words were (April 30.' 1915): "Every man who drinks a glass y of beer is now- contributing one hnlfpenny to the War Fund, and providing silver bullets to destroy the German?." So much for the perversion of the Rev. L. M. Isitt. The Rev. R. S. Gray said on the same occasion: "For all time the .people of '\merica had dono with .lo.uor. _ (Applause.)" How ready the Prohibitionists are to endorse a fabrication If they think it suits them! Hero is the cablegram from Tun Dominion about America and Prohibition:"Washington, August 30. "The Senate has voted in favour of Prohibition, to tr.ko effect on July 1, 1919, as a war measure." No one, of course, would imagine- that these Prohibitionists would 'be praying with Kaiser-like linctuommss for the prolongation of tho war till after July 1, 1919, so that their pet god, called Pro hibition, mav have a chance of dominating America; The Rev. R. S. Gray supnresscd the truth about America, if he knew it. so that, like the Rev.L. M. Isitt, he was guilty of misleading jus hearers either from ignorance or by intention hoping that no i-xposure of their methods would be made—(By Arrangement.)