GOOD TEMPLARISM.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 35, 10 February 1875, Page 2

GOOD TEMPLARIS M .

[communicated]. The Hon. Mr. Hastings gave his second lecture on the Prohibition of the Liquor Traffic, in the Provincial Hall, last night, to a large audience. Mr. J. T. Smith occupied the chair. Mr. Hastings commenced by saying that on the previous evening he had endeavoured to show the right and duty of prohibiting legislation against the liquor traffic. But it was objected that such legislation had been unsuccessful in the United States of America, where it had been tried. He quoted from two leading editorials from the Auckland Herald to show the character of the statements and testimony presented to prove the failure of prohibitory legislation, and after a thorough analysis of the testimony showed that when considered in connection with conflicting testimony from known and responsible witnesses, it proved nothing against the " Maine Law." He then gave a history of prohibitory legislation in the United States, showing the date of the passage of the Maine Law in the several States where it. exists, and also a brief statement of the legislation on the liquor question in other States. The Maine Law was now in force in the following States, viz. : — Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Massachusetts. He made the following points : — " First, that when these laws were first enacted they were generally enforced, and with the happiest results; that there was a great decrease in drunkenness, pauperism, and crime, and that there was a corresponding increase in the material prosperity of the people; that there was a great improvement in the peace and good order of society, in public morals, and that the interests of religion were greatly advanced." This point was proved by the testimony of such men as General Neal Dow, Professor Silliman, Dr. L. Bacon, and others. His second point was, " that after a while in many localities these laws were to a great extent disregarded." The great war in which the country had been engaged was one of the chief causes of the non-enforcement of the law. The atteution of the people was absorbed in the war. Another thino- : after the laws were passed and put into successful operation, the friends of temperance seemed to think their work was done, and relaxed their efforts. The liquor interest took advantage of this state of things and gradually com- | menced their traffic again. He then raised the question as to what was the present state of things in those States where the Maine Law was enforced. After twenty years trial, what were the results, good or bad ? Had it diminished drunkenness, pauperism, and crime, or otherwise ? In reply to these questions he made

the following statement :—That from the time of the enactment of the law in the States, where it now exists up to the present moment, it has been enforced over a large portion of the territory, entirely suppressing the traffic in intoxicating drinks, and that the results iv these localities have been all that its most sanguine friends ever anticipated ; that it has diminished drunkenness, pauperism, and crime ; has improved the material prosperity of the people, aud advanced the interests of morality and religion ; and that in those portions of the States where the law has not been enforced the condition of things is no worse than it would be under the best system of license that has ever been devised, and hence that which has been gained in those portions of the States where the law has been enforced, is so much real, substantial gain, to bo placed to the credit of the law! He gave the facts in i elation to one particular town in Massachusetts, as illustrative of the great good which had resulted from the enforcement of the law in hundreds of towns in that and other States. He then introduced testimony to show the good results of the enforcement of the law in Maine, giving the testimony of Horace Greely, and referring to the testimony, which he had in his hands, of the Governors of the States, of all the members of Congress from that State, of the Mayors of the large cities, of clergymen of all denominations, of public officers of all kinds, whose position was such as to render their testimony very valuable, all showing conclusively that the Msina^LaH was generally enforced, and that it 'was accomplishing great good. He showed that the Government reports proved that the amount of liquor consumed in i the Maine law States was much less per head than in the license States. For a period of two years the law was very thoroughly enforced in Massachusetts, even in the large cities, by their State constabulary. During these two 3'Giirs, the increase in the material prosperity of the State was most striking. The increase in the aggregate value of the property of the State went up from 30,000,000 dollars per annum to 87,000,000. In Bostou, the increase was from 10,000,000 to 36,000,000 dollars ; in Salem and Marblehead, from two per cent, to eighteen per cent. In Ames' great agricultural implement manufactory in Massachusetts, while the Maine Law was strictly enforced, so that the operatives could not procure liquor, 377 men produced Bjper cent more than 400 men when the law was not enforced, making a difference of 14 per cent. This ratio applied to the productive industry of the State ' would make a gain of over seventy • million dollars in a single year. This is simply the increase in the , value of labor of the State from the fact J that the temptation to drink is taken* away ; and this is in addition to the I immense benefits which accrue in other directions in the decrease of pauperism and crime, and in the increase in the peace and good order of society, and in the advance of religion and good morals. The speaker closed with the following words, " I am willing to rest my case here, and if I have not shown prohibitory legislation to be a success in comparison with license, T am at a loss to know how it can be shown. During the evening some excellent music was discoursed by Messrs. Corrick, Jacobs, and Webley. The Carnirial from Rosini was beautifully rendered by Mr. Augarde, aud the Misses Augarde. Votes of thanks to the lecturer, chairman, and those who assisted closed the proceedings.