OUR POLITICAL G.T.'S.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 991, 4 February 1882, Page 2

OUR POLITICAL G.T.'S.

."' '".[To. the Editor of the Dajly.| '■■ Sir.—AVe appear to have a curious combination In this town called tho "Temperauce Political Association" who : evidently deem disoretion the better part of valor, They must be a remnant of those who supplied good old Dr Watts, with the line,- s -, '> but timorous mortals start aud slmhk:" ■' ' These humble-minded hion. conscious of their- weakness, 'iind-i-it would seem—doubtful of the righteousness of their principles,-. : shrink from the nomination for the election of Licensing .Commissioners in thoir corporato r capacity lest ; they' should "provoke a cotiflict.; " .'.' they are not strong, enough to provoke a ■battle." Dear I dear!" Wliat a 'serious / [■thing to provoke a publican, •anyhow :;terribly destructive ho is when hestirs up his strength. Now, Sir, would it not be well to require men, before thay are perEmitted to join the so-called Temperance, ■ Political Aaaociatidn; -to atibiuii I ; cal examination \ Had this been the caße' '' it would have been Been that these gentlemen .were suffering from " nervous debility," and were therefore ineligible for admission. For what purpose was the Association formed ?-Gpnomlly, to use all constitutional means for the arrest and ■■'■ diminution of drunkenness, Particularly, : to-place a majority : of" su'u'iid temperance '■■. .•■-. reformers on the Licensing Bench. And '■' are its functions discharged 'tehert, after) r f agitating for years for the: regulation' ?of! f\■■ the liquor traffic to be placed in the hands-" :*' of the ratepayers, it should'refuse, as a body-to employ the power-tor- good thus ygiven, and in a critical time >'ltke this'it'v Tsf should break up into iucojierentpartiojes ? V l' Their conduot appears to tne, ;iigt only to i " bo simply ridionlous,.but supremely eon- itemptible, How truly rjoes, history, repeat itself, There were of'oljTfo men" ?i :i sent out to spy out a goodly. UdLteo.of ! ivhom returned saying "We'he imt" anle tcvgo up agajnattkeAeopJetor WmU *V stronger, than we," the others-were made - * ■': 'ofcbefcterutuff, aHdltfieyrgaidC VWt"uT{[o) ' up at once und possess it for ff-j are - well

I. »ble to overcome it," and hv n singular J coincidence thqre wero twain : .i. >. -id in f' Bolemn conclave im Thursday nigut; ten [ of whom looking Bttho lull Bona of ]3iicchuß with their mighty mills nil maimed and L guarded, said "We are not ..strong -' enough to provoke a battle'," and thore with strong faith in the right- [ eonsness' of their cause, who declared ; " that they we well, able ;■ at any rate ••• we will conquer or die." Whether the >.• latter two are deserving of a similar fate v; to their pietleceaaors I will not say, but '■ the honest outspoken aiateiimnu of our Caleb and Joshua at that meeting will '■ commend them to the approbaiiun of all moral reformers., I,fully endorse, Sir, your editorial via, that the Mas- [ J tertoh Political Association has lost «a prestige by its timorous policy, and for the credit of the Temperance causq, and of the town, I hope colonial papers will please not copy. lam, &0., Goon Templar.