THE LIQUOR QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 56, 30 November 1918, Page 9

THE LIQUOR QUESTION

Sir,—Under this heading a correspondent, "Veritas," in your issue of today, calls mo to order for not using the. , exact words of Mr. . Masscy's reported reply to the Moderate League's deputation, on this question. The extent of my offending, however, is the difference between the terms "splendid men," as reported, and "able men" as used by me. True, as your correspondent supposes, it was Mr. Massey's reply to the Moderate League I had in mind when writing, but 1 had no thought of discrediting Mr. Massey in the statement, nor do 1 consider the substituting of, the word "able" for "splendid" in their respective connections amounts to an injustice; there is certainly a- close analogy between the words. My object—as the" tenor of my letter showed—was to point out tluvt when a. nation becomes a hotbed' of political agitation, law-making- tends to drift into the hands of men who are willing to sink what convictions and principles they have and trim /their crafh to any wind of doctrine that will., blow., them across, the stormy-seas .of the -hustiuge. Mr. Massey's reported words, for which I thank your correspondent, bear out this contention. ,

Sir, with your permission, I .wish to eay that politically our case is hopeless as long as vital'issues of State are subeeryient to organised clamour and an ill-informed democracy is bent on inflicting indignities and 'injustices on itself through its laws. In such a case it is tha bounden duty of those, who suffer through •• this anomaly to nrotect themselves, for in so doing, they'bring to light the foundations on which national stability rests. AVe hold up 'our hands in piteous alarm when the horrors of war, revolution, pestilence or famine affect us, but I assure you, Sir, these conditions are but the ripened fruits tho seeds of' which have' been sown by ourselves or our predecessors, and until the cause of the scourge is removed its ravages will, continue in one form or another. We.have as yet made no attempt to penetratfe to the law of social coordination, by which only social harmony and good will can be secured and established. In our lust for .political action we have quite overlooked the broad principles, sympathies, and concessions on which alone .society can exist, and 7 our inane desire to thwart and restrict each other at every turn in life

ehows a mischievous disposition that sooner or later must end in national disaster, lien aro chosen to make laws who probably don't know the- purpose for which laws should exist, and who certainly iiro ignoraut of the- principles on which laws should he based to ensure their stability and benefit to the people; and we call this state of affairs "liberty" and yell ourselves hoarse about tho blessings of freedom. Is it surprising that when trouble overtakes a people, fortified by no surer defence than a conglomeration of ill-conceived laws, that they become funky and terror-stricken? And the last twenty years of emotional campaigning has not strengthened our minds and constitutions to withstand the searchings of our visitations.—l am, etc., WM. BAKU. , November 23.