Facts and Fallacies in Up-todate Temperance Reform.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3549, 20 July 1905, Page 2

Facts and Fallacies in Up-to-date Temperance Reform.

“ iti{+iiieaiJ&o a nation blit sin is d reproach to any people'.” P’rov, xiv. 34. it efo're proceeding to deal with the above- subject last Sunday evening the Rev. t, FeathefsiOn read part of an article mi “ up-to-date' piofmers ” which appeared in these columns on July (jfhh He wanted it to be understood, howev'cY, that lie was not dealing with the subject bOC’ause of any personal feeling between hmlsdh and the editor, or because he had not a high opinion ot the press. He recognised the fact that a well cotiu Acted newspaper was a powerful influence for good in the community and was pleased to say that the general tone of the local paper was good, and on more than one occasion a very high note had been stfddk. The conclusion he drew from the fact of tbd newspaper’s power for good or ill, v/as; that no hing should emanate from the printing room that'might be calculated to give wrong ideas to the general public on great questions affecting the welfare of the colony, and on the subject of temperance reform he held it to be extremely desirable that every voter should have a true grasp of the question and understand the motives and aims of those who seek to guide public opinion in this matter. Dealing with Fallacy No 1, viz , “ The old idea that a people can be made better only by strengthening the character and raising the tone of the individuals is regarded as obsolete, in short, that moral suasion as a reforming force is now treated as ot no effect even by the Ministers of the gospel,” Mr Featherston said : “On behalf of ministers in general ot New Zealand I deny that statement. It is untrue. The church does not stand for compulsion but for moral suasion. The gospel on which the church is built stands for moral suasion and every sermon preached is preached with this end in view. No class of men preceive this truth more clearly and act accordingly than do the ministers of the gospel, and I think that even the writer of this article must confess that we have not regarded moral suasion as of no effect so, far as this subject is concerned. Moral susasion has been the prominent factor in 'the growth of temperance sentiment in this colony and the increase of the no-hcense vote at each succeeding election is proof enough that moral suasion has been used to some purpose. “ Fallacy No 2 is closely elected to No 1. viz. It is because we regard moral suasion ot no effect that we invoke the elements of law to enforce such a virtue as temperance and our maxim is said to be ‘ By the power of the majority shall men be saved from viciousness, by act of Parliament shall they be as Rechabites.’ The writer objects to the majority rule._ I always thought it was an accepted fact that rightly or wrongly the majority must and does rule. That being so, if one portion of the community by eating or drinking or in any other way so act as to injure themselves and so lessen their value to society and also affect the social and commercial Well-being of the state in addition to lowering the moral tone of the community I hold that the majority has the right to interfere and in that way best calculated to further the best interests of the public in general. But when the author goes om to say that we are trying by Act of Parliament to make men become abstainers he 'has gone too far. He has coupled two things together which have no right to he coupled because they are not related. Majority rule is one thing an Act of Parliament quite another. No temperance reformer favours no license by Act of Parliament. As temperance advocates we know that no reform can be successful unless it is backed up hv public, opinion and all we ask is the right foi the adult population of N.Z. to say at the ballot-box whether are in favour o ,: licenses or no.

“ Fallacy No 3. ‘The methods of up-to-date so called social reformers a’-e altogether contrary to the principles of religion.’ From the attitude of Jesus Christ to suffering humanity I infer that He believed in bodily perfection as well as in perfection ot the soul. He believed that a man with evesight was preferable to a man without evesight and a man with t u e use of his limbs was preferable to m impotent man and to-dav we balFvn that a sober man is preferab*'- to a drunkard, and a toM abstainer preferable to a moderate drinker and when we are told that our methods are contrary to the principles of religion we point to the example of Jesus Christ and think ourselves honoured to be in such company. And when we are taunted that we do not use moral suasion as a reforming force we say that by the principles of the Lord Jesus we are taught that Christianity has a mission to prevent as well as to cure.”

In conclusion Mr Featherston dwelt upon the fact that the liquor traffic is a rn pace to the cdonv’s welfare because it is an enemy to that righteousness which exalts a nation and a prolific producer of that sin (lawlessness) which is a renroach to any peop'e and urged unon his hearers the duty of. not only abstaining from the use ot strong drink but also doing their utmost to promote righteousness by “ striking out the top line.”