BEER v TEA.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, Volume 1, Issue 33, 15 November 1901, Page 2

BEER v TEA.

TO tHE EDITOK. Sir, I noticed in your columns recently two letters on the above subject, the writers of which deal in the same old washy .platitudes, that together with, the more intemperate attitudes characteristic of the prohibition paity, I have caused mea ©f (li-scerhniest &u'l

.sound judgeuKuit to ; alienate ;tlietii* pelves from a cause the nialu pvipcip'o ,pf Avhich they have ; neyer differed frpm.

That drunkenness d.s : a .curse no wise man has.ever denied, .but i'.unhesitiitingly gay, -that the nifHiudy being adopted by ;tl,Ve .prohibitionists will never cure;tl).e eyil ' In niy • pinion a w.yll cqnduqted hofel in charge of a man qf good character in a cpihmunity tends 'more ; to the sobriety of tlie people «tirav anything I know of. I\i so calle.d prohibition di.^tiicts sly grog.selling is always rampant arid nien are often injured mentally and ph'ys.icall3 r by the yile .dd'coctions obtained in such dens. Your space wi;ll not per_mit jue at present to go in^to lung arg.uments, but I w;aild,ask these writers to think seriously .about getting ,jtp work and try to gain the sympathy and influence of <tha ; t .class of men .wh'9 are ppposed tt > ; the drink : curse, but who Ivnow that true -reforiu can only be attained parallel -with the^eleyation of-human-nature—a matter .of centuries—and -who treat f the question acCDrdingly. Tliis class of man can hold no sympathy with the shallow ranting- -prohibitionist, -whoso methods may be likened .to the fooj trying to ''wash .the shadow £ tijui pf| the pavement.v A gain their .extremely unwise manner : pf jtr.e t£ing .such :ine\i as myself—who hayo for -the <bfis;t part of my life : enti,eavpur,ed ;tp foster jteiibperance—as .ciiininals. "moderatq drinker, -the m«anufaet\i,rer of .druiik^ ardsv etc, 'because I .caiino-t thiatk with diem, and bec.f},us,o I .occasionally .taken glass ,of Is ithis <nojs enough 'to m^ke ; a man -wkh a-n-y in? dependence go i-o : a pivblic bar, an 4 gall for -fl. gla«« of ibee'r, ta'kb ji .out m* io <th© midfjle of ifche ,s.iree^ and di-ink it before #11 rt%e woiid, dimply as § jji-jotesfc against sueli insult a-nd arrog.ance? Pardon n^e, .siaj for 'tr^spassKig' on sq uiiiieh .oi your space.

I am

■''True Reformer."