LAST NIGHT’S MEETING.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 319, 21 January 1902, Page 3

LAST NIGHT’S MEETING.

There was a good audience in the Theatre for the Rev. F. W. Isitt’s second address. Mr John Somervel was in the chair, and opened the proceedings witli a short speech ; after Rev. O. B. Fox had offered prayer. Mr Isitt said that after the meeting on Sunday night it had been suggested to him that he spoke witli a sense of discouragement, but he assured them it was not so ; the difficulties were great, but the reasons for encouragement were greater. “ Every plant the

Heavenly Father had not planted would be rooted up," and there was no evidence that He had planted the iiquor traffic. Their opponents were dismayed, eleven only attended the annual meeting held in Wellington. There was no prayer at the opening of their meeting, and no hymn sung. What hymn could they sing ? What prayer would be suitable except "Forgive us our trespasses ? " They referred to prohibition as the most fallacious of all fallacies, and suggested tliaL able men must he . imported to combat prohibition. Well, he (the lecturer) could say that the prohibition party would welcome them. ' All they wanted was free discussion. Mr Isitt then went on to speak of 11 Clutha,” and to furnish evidence of the success of prohibition. Speaking of Parliamentary representations, he said they did not want them to be prohibitionists, all they said was, “ Take yourself and your prejudices from between the people and the ballot-box and let/

them settle the question for themselves.” The fashionable cry, “ Prohibition does not prohibit" was then dealt with. There was no prohibition where the liquor sellers were allowed

to set the law at defiance. There were 466 sly grog shops in Washington whicli might be taken as proof that regulation does not regulate. In America 3000 negroes had been burned in five years. In that case prohibition, did not prohibit. Then why not license the burning of negroes ? This illustrated logic of the liquor party. The traffic laughs at law all over the colony. In Scandinavia, where there is State control, a special railway carriage is provided for drunks. They had State ownership in the military canteens, and not only so but State ownership plus military control, and yet it failed. The address was delivered in a masterly and powerful manner, lit up with humorous illustrations, and evidently fired the audience. The meeting closed with tiie Benediction by the Rev. J. G. Paterson.