THE PROHIBITION LAWS.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 188, 12 February 1896, Page 2

THE PROHIBITION LAWS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — Allow me to congratulate you on your fair, outspoken leader on the above subject. My only fear is lest you may go a step further and become " A rabid Prohibitionist." I notice a strangely mixed up, illogical letter by Mr Goodbehere on the Prohibition question. Of course he indulges in the same language as mostly marks his utterances on this question, re fanatical persons, etc. The Prohibitionists can afford to laugh at such old-fashioned ravings which are the antipodes of arguments. He says " These fanatical persons think they can make people sober by act of Parliament " Of course they think so, and such has been done. Of the 3759 prisoners in gaol in 1893 were they not all made sober by Act of Parliament. "When intoxicating drink is removed from any district by Act of Parliament statistics abundantly prove that the people are becoming more sober, and very often the persons who are given to drinking are only too glad to remove the drink from their midst by Act of Parliament. To say that people cannot be made sober by removing the drink is like saying men cannot be kept from drowning themselves by keeping them away from water. Now, Mr Goodbehere certainly believes in Prohibition for he would scout from society and severely punish all drunkards, especially when they make themselves " nuisances to their ■ neighbors." He is a hard headed unpitying man. The maddest ProhibiL tionist I ever heard speak I have never 1 heard use stronger and harder langI uage than the above. The worst the r Prohibitionists wish the poor drunkard r is not to punish him or scout him from f society, but to irake him sober and fit I for society. If Mr Goodbehere pro--5 fesses to be the drunkard's friend, he [ may pray to be saved from his friend. . Then, very often it is the nearest , friends and relatives and sometimes . the prohibited person who applies for ■ a prohibition order. The prohibition • laws are based upon that famous k axiom of good government laid down 3 by Mr Gladstone, that it should be f the duty of all Governments and laws c "to make it easy to do right and bard 1 to do wrong." Thanks for the splendid 3 quotation from Blackstone, it is one k of the best quotations in favor of 7 prohibition orders that I have seen for ' many a day. I have seen on the 3 doors of workshops and offices the t notice "No admission except on busij ness." That is what the prohibition 2 order means to the prohibited person. B As he has no business in the public house he should not go in. c . I am, <kc., Feeb La*ce.