"B. ENROTH."—AN APPRECIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 204, 7 December 1910, Page 3

"B. ENROTH."—AN APPRECIATION.

To the Editor. Sir,—Will you allow a grateful man to express his appreciation of the vo—luminous defence of the Licensed Bar appearing in yesterday's News over the name of "B. Enroth," because so mucin has been advanced in condemnation of the system that it seems quite refreshing to have the arguments for the other side put in a lucid manner by a clean, logical miad. Yes, clear as hiud. And then, again, how consolatory to have Scripture so beautifully and toucliingly woven in,' like a dash of whisky on the Christmas pudding, to give a spice to the whole lot that has gone before! As I says to my young hopeful: "Josh! you ought to learn to quote Scripture. Evei-ybody does that pretends to know anything. Why, even the Devil can quote Scripture, and surely you count yourself a notch above his Satanic Majesty. Why, your great-grandad even did, for when he felt bad because he kept a few niggers in 'ole Kentucky,he would just say, 'Blessed be Canaan,' and he felt allright and good at once." Powerful cure for weak consciences, Scripture is, almost equal to Schnapps. Ah. well! "Canaan" has gone and perhaps some day ".Schnapps" will go to look for it—'"Where the liquors cease from troubling, and the beery are at rest." The "sorrow" and "sadness" of "B. Enroth," in view of the danger of losing that palladium of British liberties, that seed-bed of Christian loveliness and virtue, that school for home-making and paternal self-abnegation, the Licensed Bar, is truly pathetic, and makes one glad that some bold' hearts still remain to us, to contend for 'liberty and— license. Who the dickens has the right to say what I shall do, or not do? St I like to take a nip of whisky, or a whiff of opium, a mustard plaster or a "prohibition" order for myself, or, for that matter, for my "old woman" either, who shall say me nay? Who cares for what such fanatical dunderheads as Horslev, Kitchener, Sims, Woodhead, and Roberts, and now the French Premier, and all the rest of that acidulous crew, say? Let us stick to our text, "Thou shalt not steal." No! not thy neighbor's brains, nor his wage, nor his children's

bread, nor his self-respect, nor his manliness, nor his paternal love, nor his wife's breaking heart. Neither shalt thou allow any one else to steal thy neighbour's goods any more than thine own. I trust "B. Enroth" will accept this measure of konest appreciation in a grateful spirit from' HARDSHELL.