THE PROHIBITION GRAZE

Waikato Argus, Volume I, Issue 39, 8 October 1896, Page 3

THE PROHIBITION GRAZE

TO TIIK frMTOK Sin,—ln luoking through t lio Ilun'd I came pcrcsstho r. port of a meeting of pioliibitir.il w inkers h'l'i at the Y.M.C.A. llconis, Au-.kland, at which the llev. F. vV. Isitt ami the ]>..v. L -M. Isitt were pnsotit. Wo all ki.ow that I hose gentlemen are very anx : ous to "stop our grog," auel that when carried away by enthusiasm they often fay very extravagant, anrl fotr.ctiir.cs, peihaps, nithtr iutempcra'e, things, but at this n:< etirg they appear to have outdone thcniEcht". Mr F. W. Is : tt siigpjrstcd that the el urehes thou'd their ministers fiom as many other duties ns possible for about six weeks before the election, in order that tiny might advance t!ie cause it' the ( o-callcel) tempor.inoc party ; and Mr L. M. Isitt wondered how it was that the churches did not go mad over this matter! Why the churches, ot Mr L. M. Isitt, or anyone c's,-, should go nnei on prohibition is not quite clear, seeing that Mr Isitt told the people of Hamilton the other day that New Zetland is the most sober ot a'l the IJri'ish colonics, and is far ahead c f the Mother Country. At aayrite, it is satisfactory to knowthat the churches have n<>l yet gone mad, though as no protest apptars to have been mr.de by any on • of the other ten reverend gentlemen present against the particular form of mania proposed by Mr F. W. Isitt, it might seem doubtful whether the sanity of some cf the cliurehts ni-y not be in danger of giving way under the strain of too much excitement. Mr L. M. Lilt suggested that they should have a week of special prayer throughout the e lony, before the election, to make Christian people think. If people could be induced to think they might begin to perceive tint the touching of the rabid sort of tee'.o'alU is is antiChristian. We h.ve it on the authcrity of our Lord Himself (Mattlnw XI. IS and l'.l, and Luke vn. 83 and Ml) tliat he was not a tcetolal'cr like John the Uiptist, but that be ate r.nd drank like other men, and to say that it is wrong to drink wine or st org drink is tantamount to saying that tur L-id was a sinner. Tee tot ii ism teems to me lobe dulling into idolatry, and it I may be permitted fur i nee to proieh to the preachers I vouhl siy, in all humanity and chanty, Id these rcveiMid g■. ntlomen who ore taking ]>;ut in this agitation: Take heed to 3 ourselves, lest in setting up this idol j oil I.c found even to condemn your Lord, I; k<j the Khar-sees of obi, who culled the Son cd Man a glutton and a drunkard.—J am, etc.. William P. Ciii'P.mki.l.