The Prohibition Question

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 56, 4 September 1893, Page 2

The Prohibition Question

The Rev E. Walker, of the New Zea« land Alliance, addressed a public meeting in the Forester's Hall last night. The llev H. M. Murray presided. The Key E. Walker spoke on tho Christian obligation of " Self Denial " for the sake of others, in respect of things that individuals might consider lawful in themselves, and applied this to the drinking customs of the ace. In support of this contention that these customs were responsible for frightful ravages, he quoted the following from an article in the Fort* nightly Review, of September, 188G, written by the late Cardinal Manning: — "Is there a National Vice ?" Is there nny one domiuent vice of our nation? To answer this let us ask : Is there any vice in the United Kingdom that slays at least 60,000, or as others aflirtu 120,000, every year? Or that toys the seeds of a harvest of diseases of the raost fatal kind? Or that causes one.>third of all the madness in our asylums ? Or that prompts 75 per cent of nil crime 'i Or that produces a secret world of all kinds of moral evil, which no human eye can ever reach? Or that ruins men of ever 3? class of life, from tho highest to tho lowest, and ruins women of every class from the most rude to tho most refined ? Or that is the nios>t potent cause of destruction to the domestic life of all classes? Or that has paralysed the productiveness of our industries in comparison witb other countries? Or that renders our seamen less trustworthy on board ship ? Or that spreads these accumulating evils throughout the British Empire? Or that has, and is, destroying the indigenous races wheresoever the British Empire is in contact with them, so that there goes out from it, not the virtue of civilization and of Christianity, but of degradation and death? " Is not drinking this vice ? " Mr Walker promised that on Tuesday evening he will speak on the present position and prospects of " Direct Veto Legislation," and have something to say on prohibition in the United StaU-.s.