CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 138, 4 November 1914, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

A CONFIRMATION. ' } (To tho Editor). , Sir,—Mr Colvile's explanation, though, mdly and m some sense explanatory. 28 not enough to convince your readers . •flat on tlie liquor question hj« holds no •pinions. He complains that lam too aident, and consequently rush into'an unfair interpretation of his epoech ab synod. He says, "my plea was for a ' postponement ot the prohibition question at the present time as one calculated to embitter tho election." Now tliat is not at all a complete pre cis of his ■ ' speech Everyone, i think I may say, uad the .speech as a strong condemnation of prohibition, and a plea for continuance of tho liquor trade. Otherwise, what docs the last sentence mean about "vexatious, irritating an d (to him) unnecessary.' Mr Colvile complains that I am too hot on this subject. well, I have read somewhere about < a condemnation of "neithw cold nor ' a „ , l 1 would apioear tili'at (Mr Col- - fh«+ i • a iflicult y in avoiding that condemnation if he adheres to his - " lettir ra "| on^ ill tbe , of lis first letter i do not intend to speak. ' preach or write in this town either for " or against prohibition." It is to ma most amazmfi, I had almost said alarming that one who is sat forth as a leader of the people, especially in morals, cannot, or will not, give any open guidance on a subject that looms no largely in, -: the public mind that he thinks there is ' ■ a danger of liit.ternoHS ibting shown. At ' least he nrmfht confess .that he is not in ' V touch with the liquor question, and then. , tell his people t, O read' far tlmmeelvea ■ s ! 4i ,8 - W nM t f n on cach Bide > -Mwai to L'- : i uad their Bibles, particularly .Isaiah V. and, alter prayerful consideration, to a> vo the polling 'booth and do what they, ' -ee to be riglit. How serious that a ' 'i Vjj!ritual guide does not help in this.' It ' lUiiy be that the people will.g 0 ~ , an 4 Av striking out the top liny will banish for ever from his beautiful land a "good creature of God," or else they may vote to retain amongst ua what Lracicen, a man of experience, too ' called " lhe vilest friend of all." This' is not a personal matter with me, and I! i 1 hope not with the. Vicar, I was not always so ardent, but nearly a half-cen-tury of study and otiservation has led iw.; where I now am; tliat, is, to accept bracken's definition of alcoholic drinks I am, etc., GEO. H, MAUNMSR.

"THE MODERATES." <?. (To the Editor). Sir,-—Reading the letter in your is- *<■' s;io of the 2nd I anticipated tka signature irenld have teen "ntixed" 4>ut X A find it is just "-Moderate." Your cor- > respondent's argument thati.,* erase for i;' .pictures is equal to, if noti vonwilaii tile liquor habit is wonderful. Mod** ato asks what we will bar# to forfeit in order to make up the deficiency in the revenue. Howailly! /Kay Moderate spends £1(0 per annum* in liquor, he •' will contribute two pounds to the rave- >l niie. i\uiv, say he sends the £2 to the Minister of Customs, and gives tho 1 i; o'ilium' £8 -to the View of St. to * assist some of the women and children , in a'hiit parish, what iv benetit he will '' • confer on the parish and himself! Wo ' spent last year four millions of money ' to get back £950,0 M&. Whati about the revenue, aye? Moderate would like t lie Ten Commandments on wki«k aJI ottr moral and civil laws are baked to read - somewhat like t.his;—Thou shalt not i<' covet Ay neighbour's wife (only tuoderatelv). Thou snalt not steal (only anodiei'-' - ■ ately), thou ishalt do no murder (only : 'C-\ moderately), and m 1 on through the ■ ' ten. They are all prohibiting. Wli-/ -- not make them moderate? There is no .' ] place in the constitution for the law "'J for moderates. Thoy art) simply (tlia "0 "Trade" travelling and beguiling tfie un- -'M wary in the garb of -moderate. Outwardly they are roepectaible looking citf- tyS sens; inwardly they lfevo tho Tiuuor;sß and support the "Trade." Ye that are . iSg not with me, arc against me.—l am, etc. t : fl nrass&s3M:\3:. -j, ..am .^JJ