Public Opinion.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1581, 2 June 1874, Page 237

Public Opinion.

THE MAORI MEETINGS Wellington Independent.

There is something not a little interesting in the meetings we have,lately been called upon to report of the Native race. We have already dealt with those which were held in the Waikato district, and we now desire to say a few words as to that which has just been concluded at Kaiwaiki, and which our own representativchas reported so graphically. Why did Henare Matua cross the country from Napier to Wanganui, and with but a small force following place himself in the heart of a country not hitherto supposed to bo particularly friendly to him ? We have no sympathy with those who see nothing in a movement like this but a desire to eat the indigestible tui, or drink the.rum which the Maori seems to affect. It is according to Native custom that there should Le feasting and dancing. It is according to Native diplomacy that there should be some preliminary ruffling of feathers. It is the Native custom that there should be a quarrel over nothing at all, before the real business for which they have met is entered upon. Thus, at Kaiwaiki we havo seen two chiefs, men of mark, who arc capable of holding a position in any society, quarrelling as to the power of a poor old greybeard to bewitch the visitors of Wanganui. The two principal players in that introduction to the pantomime knew that they were only pretending to deceive themselves. The quarrel as to the arts of the suspected wizard ended in a confused talk ; there was unlimited licence afterwards in the whares of the natives; and after a large amount of pretence the real business of the meeting was arrived at.

There is no disguising the fact that the Maoris of the North Island have now discovered their real position, and their real strength. It is obvious that the King is a forgotten thing. He may shut himself up in Kawhia—he may tapu the country—he may or may not find an expert in the business of distillation. He is a thing of the past. But a much more important thing than the King has been discovered. At Ohinemuri and the Waikato lately, the Natives who are yet unfriendly had the idea that they would be invited to " cross the stream," and be welcomed: They were not so; They are now satisfied that the mere is no match for the Armstrong. They hftve come to the conclusion that submission is best, and '.' the law" is the thing. Nothing more important—nnless we are greatly deceived—has occurred for many years in Native history. The East and the West have not been right hand and left liand, working together in their own affairs. .Now, however, there has come a change, The King has been set aside,

The East and the West have recognized the fact that in war the}' are nothing ; but the brain of the Maori is acute, and in peace they may be something. In this there is no doubt they are right. They have now taken a course that will be commended by all who wish well to the Colony. They have abandoned all idea of hostility in arms. They are " under the law," and the King is forgotton. But there is a great depth and power in the remarks that—as our correspondent has written to us have fallen from the assemblage of the chiefs at Kaiwaiki, They are shrewd, in a very remarkable degree, in resolving that no more laud shall be sold. In determining that portions of their territory may be leased, but not sold, they show an appreciation of the future; in determining that the ]N T ative race should bo better represented in Parliament, they exhibit an acuteness that we canuot but regard as very creditable. Whether the Maori race have been properly represented in Parliament hitherto or no, is a matter which they will have to determine for themselves. They have only begun to realize that they arc part of the New Zealand people. They see now that to contend against the institution of the Pakeha is a mistake. Henare Matua is right in asking that the Maori people should be properly represented in the Government of the country. They are the owners of the soil to a very large extent, and it is matter for rejoicing that they now see that the interests of the two races are identical. No Government can stand in the way of so open and honest a claim. If we are to judge frcm the results of the Kaiwaiki meeting, the complaint of the Native race is that they are imperfectly represented in Parliament. The remedy is in their own hands. If the number of their representatives is insufficient, the matter can be adjusted. This thing is certain, that the hatchet is buried, and that between the Maori and the Pakeha there is now no question which need- be referred to the arbitration of the club.

THE WOMAN'S WHISKY WAB. London Times.

While the publicans of this kingdom are enjoying their triumph, a voice comes from the United States whispering 1 , though somexvW loudly, a lesson of humility and moderation. Our friends the licensed victuallers have only to look across the Atlantic, and they will see what they may come to. Without any Licensing Act, Permissive Bill,or other obnoxious legislation, a certain " Alliance" has contrived, in the course of a fortnight, to shut up half the liquor shops in one of the most considerable States of the Union. The drink-sellers have been beaten, and the women have done it all. It was at the beginning of the present month that the women in the chief towns of Southern Ohio determined to put a summary stop to the sale of intoxicatiug liquors, and for this purpose devised and organized the operations of a campaign already known as the " Women's Whisky War." The cactics employed were simple, and appear to have been signally successful. The ladies met for action in a church, from which, while the bells were ringing encouragement, they marched in solid formation to the particular public-house or saloon selected for attack. The first proceeding was to " summon " the garrison by requesting the publican to close his doors and give up his business. Upon the refusal which was naturally returned to this invitation the operations began. Exactly in front of the public : house door an encampment was .formed and a meeting opened, at which appropriate hymns were sung and prayers offered up, for the conversion of the obdurate liquor-dealer. Perhaps this might be endured, but the women adroitly brought up other forces in aid of the siege. As the publican's customers passed their lines they took their names down, and afterwards published the list of the offenders, with sundry particulars of their families, the number of their children, and the way they treated their boys and girls at home. Meantime the investment is maintained without remission, one band of women succeeding another on duty, and " this thing,'' says our American correspondent, " which attracts large audiences, goes on until the saloon-keeper surrenders, when the whisky barrels and beer kegs are stove amid great rejoicings." As the actual and visible results of the fortnight war ourcorrespondent enumerates fifteen towns of Southern Ohio in which " nearly every liquor shop " has been shut up, and we are assured that in this division of the State the drink trade generally has been reduced to one-third of its former proportions. It will be asked whether the publicans of America are so devoid of courage or resources as to submit without a struggle to this annihilation of their business., and the answer is that they have tried many means of defence, but without effect. The persistence of the besiegers has been almost universally successful. At Franklin one bar-keeper hired a band of music to drown tho voice of the psalm-singers, and gave a ball in the saloou exactly at the time of the prayer-meeting, but the women outstayed both dancers and musicians, lii the end the man succumbed, and "now religious meetings are held in his bar-room." At M'Arthur negociations were opened, and all the publicans in the town, with one exception, offered to shut up their shops if they were only allowed time to dispose of their stock on hand. The women, much to their credit, forbore from any " intransigent" assertion of principles, and

accepted the compromise. But is there no law, wo shall be asked, againt this molesta-

tion, " picketing," and conspiracy ? There ' is, and it has been appealed to, but with no decisive results. At HUsborough, after five out of nine saloons had capitulated unconditionally, one publican took courage and served the women with due notice, warning thera to desist from obstructing his business. As they paid no attention to this process, but set up their " tabernacle " at the door with the manifest determination to win, heapplied to the court, and obtained an injunction,by which eighty-three women were restrained from " singing, praying, exhorting, or making a noise or disturbance in front of the said drug store, or on the sidewalk, or on the steps thereof, or in the vicinity thereof." As even fanatics are law-abiding in America, the women obeyed the writ, but they have raised money to contest the case, and they are in confident expectation of getting the injunction dissolved and recommencing the siege. For the most part however, the publicans have given in with very little resistance, insomuch that in one place the women proclaimed a day of 1; Temperance thanksgiving " for their great and glorious victories. But the most memorable incident of the war occuired at New ViennaIn that town there are, or rather were, altogether some forty li all of whom save one-surrendered upon summons. The exception was kept by Mr Van Pelt, who not only defied the besiegers, but threatened them with an axe. His business, however was brought to a standstill, seeing that no customer, however thirsty, cared to run the gauntlet of the women on picket; but he kept his post nevertheless, declaring that he would neither be bought out nor scared out. Unfortunately for him, the capitulation of his fellow publicaus enabled the besiegers to concentrate their efforts on his shop, so that his endurance began at length tofail. Taking gradually a "kindlier view of the situation," he seut the ladies out some beer-kegs to sit upon—a piece of civility which they acknowledged by arranging the seats in a semi-circle around his front door. Still the siego went on, Van Pelt proclaiming that he " would hold out as long as he could raise money to buy a pint of rum," and the women rejoined that "they would keep at it till vncy prayeu mm out. jui ine end 'they succeeded and Van Pelt gave way. Great were then the rejoicings; the church bells rang, and a vast crowd followed the women, who marched in procession to receive the surrender of the saloon. The proprietor then came out, authorized two clergymen to roll his stock of liquor into the street, and stove in the barrels with the very axe he had brandished against the besiegers. , In this situation ho was photographed, after which ceremony he went over bodily to the enemy, netted £4O by a lecture revealing his experience as a liquor-seller, and is now a missionary in the cause, doing zealous work in the neighboring towns. While these vigorous but informal proceedings were pending in the West, the law of the State was suddenly enforced with unexpected rigor in the East. The city of Boston is under Prohibitory Law, but the operation of the Act has hitherto been limited to small offenders, while the large establishments of the place were left undisturbed. At the beginning, however, of the present month the police made a raid upon the leading hotels, ransacked their stores, and carried away their slocks of wine. At the Trernont House, as we are told, about £OOO worth of liquors was seized, " the officers going through the wine cellars, and capturing choice old wines which had lain there for years;'' At another hotel " £2OOO worth was seized, including racks full of champagne and other choice wines, barrels of ale, &c, &c.—five hours being required to load and cart them away." Other establishments suffered in like manner, and we are not sure that this legal act of force will not appear to Englishmen more astonishing than even the self-asseriton of the temperance ladies of Ohio. Taken together, however, the stories may well teach our publicans a little reason. It is not, wc trust, very probable that we shall ever come in this country either to such a liquor law as was thus roughly enforced at Boston or to such feminine enthusiasm as the "Women's Whisky War" expresses. It is, however, very certain that large and influential classes among us would gladly see the publicans' trade reduced, and that many persons would compass the desired end even by means inconsistent with our ideas of freedom. " Bruce's Bill" gave the licensed victuallers deep offence, but our American letters of yesterday and the day before will have shown them how very much further, even in a land of law and liberty, people arc prepared to go in the cause of national sobriety.