OUR POLITICIANS.

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 13, 8 November 1904, Page 3

OUR POLITICIANS.

THE DRINK QUESTION,

The Hon. Mr. McDonald (replying to speech by Hon. Mr. A. Lee Smith): Why, New Zealand is the most sober countiy in the whole of Australasia. If you want statistics about Great Britain, I will let the honourable gentleman look them up. They will stagger him, as compared to New Zealand. It is in the Mother-land where the reform is wanted, not in this country. I say, the young men in this colony and the people in this colony are sober, decent, law-abiuing, honest citizens, who do not deserve the opprobrium put upon them in the speech w r e have just listened to. CONTINENTAL SUNDAY. The Hon. Mr. McDonald ; One of the peculiarities of the London society of to-day is that Sunday evening is the special evening for entertainment. It is practically the best evening for many men engaged in professional work, and also for actors and journalists—men who are busy day and night in the work of the world. There is no fault found there as regards music on Sundays. I am afraid that in the blood of my honourable friend there is a little of that Scotch intolerance which objects to men whistling on the Sabbath day, and so he does not want the unfortunate working man to pipe his little tune on Sunday evening. I w r ant the w'orking-man on Sunday to have more amusement, more art galleries, more recreation, and to make his life and that of his class in this and every other countiy brighter and better. " LEATHER-LUNGED.” Sir R. W. Russell: The honourable member for Lyttleton objected to the phrase " leather-lunged,” which he said he (Sir W. R. Russell) had used. He did not invent the phrase. He would recommend the honourable gentleman to read a Utile in an interesting book called " Rejected Addresses,” and he would find some reference there to leather lungs: “ Who’s that cries silence with such leathern lungs ” —a combination of dumb dog and leather lungs. So it was in poetry long before he (Sir W. R. Russell) w r as born, and therefore lie should say the phrase “leather-lunged” w’as a very good one indeed. He could remember on one occasion causing some annoyance to the Right Hon. the Premier by saying ho was possessed of a brazen face and leather lungs, and he thought it was a very apt description. He could only compare the honourable member for Christchurch City, with his iteration, to a gramaphone; and he spoke with the virulent vituperation of a venomous fish-fag. He contended that the honourable gentleman ought to show’ a better example, coming, as he did, from a cathedral city. His wearisome attacks w r tre distinctly injurious to his own political welfare. FANATICAL HUMBUGS. The Hon. Mr. McDonald: Any faddist, no matter how wrong, will, if he is in deep earnest, find people to believe in him. I am a temperance man myself. I w’ould not care twopence if the whole liquor traffic were abolished to-morrow. Nature has blessed me with a palate that has no liking for anything but. water. I can, if necessary, drink wdiisky, or champagne, or beer, but I have no liking for them. I would sooner take water or a lollie than any of them, so this licensing question is of no moment to me personally ; but I hate w’ith a holy hatred the humbug that is associated with this cry. I say that the prohibition party, speaking of them as a whole, are fanatical humbugs. There are many honorable, straightforward men amongt them who havo a real belief about the question, and are of opinion that they can make people sober arid moral if they can stop the manufacture, the sale, and the use of alcoholic liquor; but above and beyond them there are a considerable number who are pure humbugs a.nd agitators, who are making their living at it, and who are working the churches of the colony to assist them, and have been doing so for years.