THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. TUESDAY. JUNE 20, 18 9.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 10, 20 June 1899, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. TUESDAY. JUNE 20, 18 9.

On Thjhsday evening, as imported in another column, there was a lmeti ig of thos? interested in tho No Licjnse mo /em nit in view of the poll to be held in a few months ti m 1 , in connection with the triennial election of a member for the Ilousa of Representatives. We are aware that it was not a meeting at which much criticism of thos.? who are not Prohibitionists could b^ indulged in, but there were occasions during the meeting when a little unplcusautne u might have easily baen thrown into th.3 discussion. There was, however, an entire absence of that kind of so-called argamenfc, and we trust that tlu leidei'ri oi tlu party will themselves continue to exhibit the liscretion and good sense that characterised that meatmg. If the rank and file do not allow their enthusiasm to smother the 1* sense of justice an I propriety \v? feel sure that the large mass of voters who are on the borderland, swayed easily one side or the other, might be attracted by tho extreme temperance movement, instead oC, as at present, being 1 re-pelled by the over&ealousness of some of its advocates. In one p r.'ticul ii"instance,soine irritation an ght have been shown. We rcier to the Rev. McKenzie Gibsons- note which was read to those present and commented on in a friendly manner devoid of all feeling. It should ' be vevy clearly recognised thp»t there are churches in which, the body of the parishioners do not favour the complete extinction of the liquor traffic ; and that the minister should become a violent partisan i means the splitting up of his church into factions. Thus it may happen* that rather than

sacrifice the good influences oi the Church as a whole, its ministens may feel in some instance?, mat it is wiser to foiego that prominence in the party stri-ix that would necessarily result from a too public and too 'enthusiastic advocacy oi one side. The entire Church should not bo sacii.iced for the sake of one only of the many blemishes on society, . though the excess we writo of is one which it is undoubte Ily its duty to assist in removing 1 . This, at any rate, is not an unreasonable view, and we were gratified to See that a non-compliance with the wishes of the party was not made the excuse for any uncharitable remarks. We have felt impelled to make these comments, because both sides in this discussion have ■seriously failed in. their duty 1 itely. In referring to a certain matter recently before the Licensing Bench, the editor of the tempeaance column allowed himself a very large amount of license' so much so indeed that we tiling both Prohibitionists and the Moderate section of the community regretted the offensive epithets used. The application of the 'No License ' principle might with benefit bs applied to those \vlios3 Writing? are calculated to aarrn their own side. Those who followad m tho discussion unfortunately had to ba allowed to reply in similar terms, but who will say that the personalities' provoked by the contestants did any good or reflected any credit on either side ? The problem of Prohibition is not affected one way or other by gross personal allusions. To be possessed of one great out- ' Handing virtue, the absence of a desire for the use ; of alcohol in moderation, does not seem to imply that the other virtues are as highly developed, and this feeling is indistinctly recognised by those who protest against the violent language sometimes used by those who attack the Moderate party. In another column, it will be seen that the Rev. Isitt has been engaged at Stratford in a squabble so unseemly that it has been telegraphed all over the colony. V/e are not concerned with the rights and wrongs of the case, we say that " scenes " such as these should be beneath the dignity of the clergy and those who voluntarily ascend the platform to teach the rest, of us how to do right. If the gi-oat bulk of the people are not convinced lhat their teachers are at heart much better than themselves, how can they be exne^ort *r> ' M v them ?