Jj(ttttttWtitt I{wU> FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1880.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 41, 16 January 1880, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1880.

SIR WM. FOX'S INTEMPERANCE. Although Sir William Fox has during the last few years lost nearly the whole of his political influence, and been driven into an exile over over which his foes rejoiced and his friends shed no tears, the Colony has given him credit for manliness and honesty in his temperance crusade, and it was hoped the remainder of his life would be usefully spent as a leading spirit in the temperance cause. It is therefore with regret thnt we notice he is throwing away his influence for good, and descending to coarse attack upon gentlemen who in their official position are compelled to perform acts which do not fit into his ideas. In a recent number of the Rangitikei Advocate we find the following report of a speech delivered by him at the Oofton Hall : — Sir W. Fox, who presided over tho meeting, made some passing references to the Foxton Licensing Bench in granting licenses to Messrs Belve and Schultzo. He remarked that the chairman of that bench had been a Chief Ruler, and a professed sincere member, of a lodge of flood Templars, and presided over meetings of fhe Order in tho veiy building in -.vhfeh they were then assembled. He had, it was true, left the order, but had returned to it after some twelve months' absence. He had, howevev, been a prominent officer, and had given evidence of his devotion to the cause. Now he is to be seen in his position as chairman of the Foxtou Licensing Bench, sanctioning the offering to the community of further temptations to drink. He only wished the Chairman were present, to hear what ho had to say to him ; and he would also have been glad had the other persons who occupied the bench on that occasion, been there. No doubt his audience would be equally surprised with himself at the action of a former active and professedly sincere member of their body. The " pith and niarrow " of Sir Win. Fox's speech evidently was, that Mr Ward, having been at one time or other a Good Templar, should, in his Magisterial capacity, as Chairman of the Licensing Bench, oppose every application lor a license brought before him ! A more ridiculous and abominable doctrine was never before promulgated. When a Magistrate is raised to the Bench he is sworn to lay aside all prejudice, and to consider each case on its merits. On all licensing matters, Sir Wm. Fox would have the Magistrate gorged to the full with prejudice ; he would have him take his seat on the Bench determined to shut his ear to the evidence in favour of a license, and with the one absorbing idea that "the liquor traffic must be put down." Any Magistrate who would act according to the ideas of Sir Wm. Fox would be a disgrace to the Bench, and should be howled into obscurity as unworthy to hold the scales of justice. It is very easy to see what would be the effect of Sir Wm. Fox gaining power. He would constitute himself Minister of Publican's Licenses. Kesident Magistrates would be removed to make way for Good Templars, who would veto all licenses ; the first consideration as regards a Licensing Commission would be, "How does he stand with the Order ?" and the wants and convenience of the public would be trampled upon by the creatures of Sir Win. Fox 1 Seriously speaking, we are surprised that Sir Wm Fox should promulgate ideas of the character we have mentioned, for anything more calculated to undermine public confidence in the purity of our Courts was never uttered. If Prej udice is to preside over our Courts in licensing matters, it will be an easy transition from thence to the E. M. Courts, the Chief Magistrate of the district being Chairman of the former. If a Good Templar R. M. may be prejudiced against a publican because he is a publican, an Orangeman on the Bench might allow the same feelings to blind his reason when dealing with a Catholic, or vice versa. There would be but little difference. Sir William iterates that Mr Ward was a "professedly sincere" Good Templar. If he uses the expression in sarcasm, Mr Ward may appropriately hurl it back. " Sir William is so ignorant of the Licensing laws, that he did not know until informed by the Clerk of the

Convfc that certain fees require to be paid when an objection is lodged, and that official had to advance the money for the leader of the Templars. Sir William lodged the petition, and that was all the trouble he took ; he told the Clerk he might attend the Court, and fight the applicants, but when the day came he never appeared on the scene, and since then has written a letter stating the petition was not supported because of the discomfort and inconvenience of persons being compelled to go away from their homes for a night ! Surely if Sir William was anything more than "professedly sincere," he would not have allowed one night's inconvenience to stand in the way of the deliverance of the " hundreds of bodies and souls " of whom he writes so glibly. The fact is, Sir William likes to occupy the high position of a social reformer, without working too hard for the glory. If a thousand people are to be addressed, and a few old dames made to weep at some tragic anecdote, and a score of youngsters caused to laugh by a theatrical display of antics, the great reformer is there ; bnt why should he leave Westoe for a night to save " hundreds of bodies and souls" ? why should he fight a couple of cases in the Court, without the inspiration of a single woman to cry or a child to laugh during his oration ? why should he single handed be left to go : through so discouraging a conflict ? • The spirit may have been willing, but the flesh was undoubtedly weak. If Sir William Fox is " sincere, "' the ghosts of those " hundreds of bodies and souls " will haunt him through life, for we verily believe had he appeared in Court, and fought the case, one, at least, of the licenses would not have been granted. He reminds us of pictures of battles, in which the general occupies a safe hill, and directs the attack, whilst others do the fighting. From Westoe he directs the battle through the columns of the Advocate, but when the opportunity of a hand-to-hand fight presents itself, he sinks to slumber and dreams of " hundreds .of bodies and souls being consigned to perdition,'' never thinking for a moment that lie might have prevented this nightmare by a little effort. Our own opinion is, that the Awalmri license ought not to have been granted. We were begged, some days before the Court sat, by an individual interested in the license, to write in favor of it, but sternly refused to do so, on the ground that there was no necessity for a hotel there ; but whilst differing from the] Bench, we feel bound to accredit them with a desire to discharge honestly the functions conferred upon them by the Crown. Such opposition as Sir William brings to bear in his speeches and letters, will drive thoughtful men into a contempt for himself and the work in which he is engaged.