THE NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12640, 30 October 1905, Page 7

THE NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

MR. J. G. WOOLLEY AT THE

OPERA HOUSE

Mi1. J. G. Woollev, one of America's most brilliant and successful lawyers, and perhaps the foremost temperance orator of that great Republic, addresss§d two meetings at the Opera House yesterday, in connection with the "No License" campaign. In the afternoon ho addressed a largely attended gathering of men. His remarks were for the most part addressed to young men. In liis own inimitable style he pleaded for « clean manhood. He was pleased, ho said, to find that tho young men of this colony were entering into the "No License" fight, and were ranging themselves on the side of those who sought to overthrown the greatest enemy of our modern civilisation. He dwelt forcibly upon the responsibility of the individual, and eloquently appealed to tho men of this electorate to cleanse their hands from the taint of the liquor traffic by voting to close tho licensed bars. In concluding his address he re- [ ferred briefly to a leaflet which had been handed to these present as they entered the building—a leaflet issued by or on behalf of the L censed Victuallers, and purporting to show that "No License" had proved a failure in America. The statements contained in tho leaflet weve based on the authority of Messrs. Rowntree and Sherwell, who, it was statod, "were advocates of Prohibition in England, but changed their advocacy after a personal inspection of the effects of the system." Mr. Woolley pointed out, in the first place, that the authors had never been advocate." of "no license," but had, on the contrary, consistently opposed it. They had written an excellent temperance work, but it was marred by the one weakness that they had allowed their antagonism to "no license" to prejudice their American investigation. They had visited the United States, spant a brief time in going through the prohib.ted areas and 'picking up evidence to suit their views, and had, as the result of their one-sided observations, published the criticism of which the publicans made such good use. As against their testimony, he ,- : himself coi:ld 6peak as one who claimed America as his country, as one who had event a lifetime in the temperance crusade, and who, in connection with that work, had visited and become familiar with every State in the Union. He knew America as well as any man, and he thought he could claim to know more about the effect of Prohibition than Messrs. Rowntree and Sherwell. And his testimony was that the poorest enforced prohibitory law was better thari ihe most rigidly enforced licensing law. He said emphatically that "no license" had proved a great success in America. He did not say it had proved a perfect success: that was lr.oro than could be said of any human law, but he did say, of lm own knowiadge and experience, that it had proved a great success. They had learned in America that "local option" was better than State, or national, prohibition, and to-day they were working successfully along those lines. They had experienced a set-back a few years ago, when some of the States had gone back on the prohibitory law, but the j best evidence of the prevailing sentiment of the American people was to be found in the fact that every one of those States,.save one, had»of their own initiative, reverted,to "no license ' under local option. But, he added (picking up the leaflet), does it not strike you that this sort of thing is the mo* convincing evidence of the sore straits to which the liquor men of this colony are pat for arguments wherewith to bolster up their trade. They, the publicans, ask you to try their case here, in Ne>v Zealand, with evidence produced 10,000 miles away across the ocean. Why don't they call upon Clutha, and Ashburton, and Mataura, and Gore to prove their case? Here aro the witnesses, right at their hand, —why don't they call them? In the evening Mr. Woolley addressod a meeting in the Opera House. Unfortunately, rain fell in torrents, but ckspito that there was a good attendance. The Rev. R. M. Ryburn occupied the chair. The meeting was opened by the singing of "Onward Christian Soldiers." Mr. Woolley gave a general talk, mainly confining himself to pointing out ths Christian's responsibility ia regard to the liquor traffic. In the course of his remarks, Mr. Woolley spoke of the advance "no license" was making in America, and said that since tho last local option poll in New Zealand an area larger than that of onr three islands had come under "no license." He was perfectly sincere when he said he was of the opinion that in nine years from the next poll there would not be a licensed bar in the colony. Judging by the interest which was being taken in "no license" in America, he felt safe in predicting that there would not be a licensed drink shop in the United States in 20 years' time. He believed that the Stars and Stripes would fly entwined with the Union Jack patrolling the world in tho interests of sobriety, righteousness, and peace. In concluding an address, which was brimful of humorous com-mon-sense, Mr. Woolley likened the coming fight to David and Goliath. After predicting David with his sling and stones (votes), he went on to say —"And there stands the Goliath of the drink traffic, Speak to him next election day: Thou comest with sword and spear and shield, and, if you like, tha flag of empire above your head, and with a license in your hand. But I come in the name of the Lord of Hosts, in the name of God of Israel, whom thou has denied. This election day shall tho Lord God Almighty deliver tbee iv-to my hands, and I will smite thee and tako thy head from thee, and all the world shall know by that sign that there is a God in New Zealand."