The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1886. THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1636, 16 February 1886, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1886. THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

The following sensible remarks on the liquor traffic Are taken from a San FiancUco paper : — " License " is an unfortunate word, and because of its teohnical definition, is, somehow, looked upon as encouraging, or, at least, jnstifying and legalising, what is considered an unjustiSable and immoral occupation. We do not so regard it. Licensing is the penalty which society, imposes m restraint of a traffic that can not bo at once prohibited. The use of nlcoholic drink is a custom^ so fixed, so interwoven into the habits of men, so closely identified with our social life, so largely connected with money-making industries, so interwoven into our laws, so old, so fixed, so uuiveisal, that experienco has .demonstrated the difficulty of restraining it and the impossibility of preventing it, and we are willing to compromise with it by some practical, common-sense effort to control it. We may limit the use of alcoholic drink ; we may not permit the dealer of family groceries to keep a bar ; we may trust the sale oi it to men of somewhat better character and higher responsibility ; we may prevent the sale of impure and and poisonous adulterations ; we may. hold tho dealer responsible for the consequences of his acts ; we may impose penalties ou the dealer who supplies drink to minors and person* who, by reason of partial inebriety, are m an irresponsible condition ;we may, at least, take from the gin-mill some of its more repulsive features. In this, attempt at correcting abuses, temperance people would have the sympathy and co-operation of all intelligent classes, and even of members who, are themselves victims of the habit, and m their sober moments would vote to place temptation beyond their reach.