BLUE RIBBON MOVEMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1518, 12 June 1886, Page 2

BLUE RIBBON MOVEMENT.

There was a large attendance at the Volunteer Hall, Temuka, last Thursday evening to bear the lecture given by Mr J, Harding, of Hawkes Bay, on the temperance question. The chair was occupied by the Rev, Mr Thomas, who delivered a stirring address. He also read a letter of apology from the Rtv, T. A, Hamilton, who was unable to attend owing to pressure of parochial work. The Rev. Mr Cecil opened the meeting with prayer. After the choir had sang some hymns splendidly, the Chairman called upon Mr Harding, who, on coming forward, was received with loud applause. He said that some temperance people were like a certain kind of eel got in Cook’s Straits; they bad no backbone in them. They were ajrsid of letting their opinions be known. When he became » teetotaller he resolved to be one In earnest, He studied old writers, and found Dr Johnson had said there was more nourishment in one grain of wheat than in three glasses of beer. With regard to moral suasion, it only failed when the people were not enthusiast!* enough. One of the rules of John Wesley was that his followers should not touch

strong drink except in case of life and death, and any of his followers who did so were not complying with the rales of the Methodists. Hogarth, the painter, painted Qiu Street and Beer Lane, and the Government put on heavy duties. John Wesley preached temperance, and drunkenness lessened. Then the Father Matthew movement showed what moral suasion did, but a good many of thoss who took the pledge bad no backbone in them. A few years ago when we were sending money home to Ireland on account of a famine, there was more grain destroyed in Ireland in making drink that year than would keep every man, woman, and child in that country for nine months. Where moral suasion failed was where the people bad no backbone in them. They ought to study this question, road books, and see for themselves. He lectured to th« Industrial School in Dunedin, and the Master said that more than 90 per cent, of the children were there through drink. Hard-working colonists had to keep (hose children as well as their own. It was enough for them to support their own children without having to support the neglected children of drnnksn vagabonds. Then there were the gaols, Be once askei Mr Philips, the Go* vernor of one of these gaols, how many teetotallers be had in lbs gaol, and bs said “ Not one.” Doctors told us that eight out of ten lunatics ware driven insane by strong drink, and the cost of keeping them all came out of the pockets of •; the people. Moral suasion would not do. An American said that moral suasion bad driven all honest men ont of the trade. It was bow their duty to drive the present class ont by legal' suasion. They ought to pat tee* totallers on the Licensing Committees. He had been the means of shutting up four public bouses in a distret of which he was Chairman. It was laid it would ead to sly-grog selling, but the fact wss hat the merchants of Napier said there was no districts which paid so well as Norsewood and Ormondville. That was the result. Our Licensing Act was not all that they could wish, but if carried out properly would do what was done in the district he referred to. A brewer in the district referred to bongbt a small lot of land, cat it up into small allotments, and put the names of 25 men on the roll so as to get bogus votes. A man who had a section could lease half of it to his wife, and each of them would have a vote, that was a wrinkle. (Laughter). They spent 2£ millions a year in drink. How many railways would that make? For every'£l spent in drink another £1 had to hs spent through drink, and that made millions a year. They had the Act, but they must get more ; they must get their wives and sisters and daughters votes, and some of the women would make better Committee-men than thoso who where in at present. (Daughter). They ought to elect a teetotaller in prvference to anyone else. Their present House of Representatives was a disgrace and a scandal to them. He did not know how some of the present members had the audacity to ask any man for his vote, and bow any constituency could have elected them. (Cheers). He wound up by urging them all to vote always for teetotallers. Ope object he had in visiting Temuka was to resuscitate the Good Templar Order, so any one who desired to join might stay to speak to him on the subject. The Rev. Mr Cecil moved a vote of thanks to Mr Harding for his admirable address. He urged that the only way to deal with the drink question was to kick it ont of the way. The vote was carried by acclamation, and acknowledged by Mr Harding. After singing a hymn the Rev. Mr Cecil pronounced ! the Benediction, and the proceedings came to an end.