PROHIBITION LECTURES.

Feilding Star, Volume XIX, Issue 84, 6 October 1897, Page 2

PROHIBITION LECTURES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — I &m a law-abiding citizen of this towo, ith no particular leaning to " Mountain Dew," " Nnt Brown," or rea l " Old .Tamaica." Neither am I given to immoderate fits of laughter, bnt when I read the letter of " J.B.R. " I was in danger of coming to the same lamentable end of this transient life as the famous frog of yEiop's fables. I laughed intemperately. The letter would have raised the risibility of the most stoic-like nature. He evidently suffers from Anti Prohibitiun rabies and some person, knowing his state, has taken advantage of it by feeding his credulity with unsound information. He calls Mr Crabb " A star of the fourth or fifth magnitude." Really when I saw him I thought by the size of him he was of the first order, and listening to him did not remove that impression. Is " J.8.R." an authority on lanterns ? He says Crabb's lantern is of no very grout power. The lecturer told us it was newly imported with up-to-date improvements, with a mighty strong lens and I believed him [until I read " J.B.R.'s " letter. Who can a poor mortal believe ? He commends the lecturer for adopting the moral Biuision pystem ay being tht; proper method of advocating the temperance movement, and concludes his letter by Raying " Mr Crabb, you are offthe track. There is a right way; seek it." First tolls him he is on the right track, then off it ; then tells him to seek the right way, and then allows the poor fellow to go floundering on in the dark without taking him in hand and saying, " Follow me and my methods of work." "J.B.R.'s " treatment of the poor lecturer is cruel. He'corupliments him on his light which enables him to discourse fluently on his subject, and then tells him he is darkly following a disused path. • J.8.R. " admits alcohol is superfluous, but advocates its vise as the drink traffic builds up the State, like building splendid houses which find employment and give life to the labor market. Is it better for a man to spend ten thousand pounds in building rv splendid house or to spend it in alcohol ? If "J.B.R" is the best teacher in the town on the subject, no wonder teachers are imported. "Will come one mercifully put the matter plainly bsfore your readors? O dark ! dark I dark ! I still must say Amid the blaze of day. I am, Ac, Thbofhrastus Such.