THE PROHIBITIONIST

Wairarapa Daily Times, Issue 3866, 22 July 1891, Page 2

THE PROHIBITIONIST

Published by the courtesy of the Editor of Wairarapa Daily under the auspices of the New Zealand Alliance for the prohibition of the liquor traffic, Masterton Auxiliary.

When ratepayers demand the entire extinction of all places for the sale oj liquors their prayer should be granted. —Charles Buxton, Brewer. [Communications tor this column must be addressed to " The Prohibitionist," care of Editor of Wairarapa Dailt:.] The Publicans cf Masterton are congratulating themselves on the result of their petition to the .Resident Magistrate to declare the recent election void. They are rejoicing that they have been able to trample under foot the expressed will of the ratepayers. They are in a condition of jubilation because through legal technicalities law has triumphed over justice. The Prohibitionist 3 are by no means troubled about the new aspect of things. They look upon the success of the tactics of the publicans as really a defeat to the liquor traffic. They are convinced that the anveiling in open court of the mystery of the publican iniquity in the recent election has done more to advance the cause of Temperanoe Reform in Masterton, and to fill the mmds of just and honorable citizens with disgust at the liquo) traffic, than mouths of prohibition agitation could have done. They recognise with gratitude the services of Messrs Beard and Pownall in this connection. These gentlemen, the servants, of the publicans,in their efforts to get law to triumph over justice, threw a flood of light into a very dark region. The opponents of Temperance reform at last election were known as the moderate party. The Editor of the Daily advocated the claims of this party in the interest of partial prohibition. Anonymous appeals to the electors were published in which the ratepayers were invoked in the " Holy name of Justice" to voto for the moderate party, and to put to rout the Temperance Reformers. Thanks to Messrs Beard and Pownall the public are now undeceived as to the nature ot the moderate party. This party, with its canting appeals to the " Holy name of Justice," waß really the publican party. In open Court sworn testimony was given that disclosed the publican party hawking nomination papers round the town for signatures; and where the signatures could not be obtained from citizens honestly they were obtained dishonestly. The reference of the judge in this case to a proposer being " tricked " into nominating a person whom he did not intend to nominate furnishes an interesting commentary and illustration of the sincerity and honesty with which the " moderate " party could appeal to the ' t ' Holy name of Justice." The citizens at the next election will have an opportunity of showing their abhorrence of a mode of election warfare that reeks with injustice, trickery, and hypocrisy.

r Oae in teresting feature in this election > inquiry case was that Messrs Beard ' and Pownall, in pleading the prayer of j the publicans, could only adduce m , evidence the trickery and blundering , of their own side. These legal gentle- ■ men could not say that the Temper- • ance candidates had been guilty of a ' shadow or a shade of blundering or ' trickery. We have in the previous 1 paragraph remarked on one startling disclosure made in Court. Another : matter that has caused some little talk is the conduct of His Worship the ; Mayor of Masterton. Now we wish tp say a word of apology for this gentleman. It is ungenerous to sup pose that he is capable of any sort of moral twisting and turning. Mr Pownall is quite an honourable man, but he is a humourist. The proof that he is a humourist is very strong. First he come 3 on the scene of the Licensing contest as the solioitor for Mrs Leonard of the Star Hotel. He makes this knosvn through the advertising columns of the Press. Second, while advertised as the solicitor for Mr 3 Leonard, he gets himself nominated as a candidate for the Licensing Bench. This was peculiar. It is not usual for a man thus advertised as having in a sense a money interest in the liquor traffic to pose as a candidate for the Licensing Bench. But then Mr Pownall is a humourist. In the third stage of this business he withdraws from the contest. The Town Clerk calls His Worship's attention to the fact that his withdrawal is not in proper form. Itis not inaccordance

with the fitness of things for a Town Clerk to correct a Mayor and lawyer, aad so in a very peremptory way by the use of strong language His Worship insisted upon the aceptance of his withdrawal. In the last stage of the proceedings advantage is taken of this informal withdrawal. Mr Pownail, it is maintained, was a candidate; he never withdrew; his name was illegally excluded from the voting paper. Of course all this is peculiar. AT r Pownail, however, is a humourist. Hud-headed logicians who argae that Mr Pownail is either dishonest or stupid because his withdrawal was either in good faith cr it was not in good faith ; who argue that either his moral character or professional character is affecied; these people have failed to perceive that His Worship is a humourist, and his humours not of the highest quality.

There are four positions taken up by different parties in Masterton with regard to the liquor (ratfic. There is first the free trade in drink party. This seems to be the position of the 6tar. In a recent article the question was raised, on what principle of equity does the State restrict the publicans and leave all other trades alone? The political influence of this party is nil. Then there is, Second, the existing Publican party. This party says let the existing traffic alone. This party is the foe that Temperance Reformers have to reckon with. Third, there is the Moderate party. The platform of this party has not been made plain. Some people say that it means the reduction of the number of licensed houses from six to four. If the Moderate party indicate the two houses they would crush they would find support in an unexpected quarter. The other four publicans would rally round their flag. It is currently reported that at present the six houses are in no sense a financial success. The crushing of two of the houses would be the financial salvation of the other four. At the last great liquor battle in Masterton, the temperance party remembers how I willing the publicans were to plough with the temperance heifer- No persons in Masterton were so anxious to keep down the number of houses to four as the four publicans. We do not believe that this party has any real weight in the community. Generally where this policy has been tried in places like Masterton, a violent and speedy reaction has set in. The public has seen that the drink monopoly only increased in strength, and that the drink evil was as great as before. The other party is the Prohibitionists. The strength of this party was seen at last election. The present election, like the last, will be a fight between the publicans and

Eketahuna in the trial Cup match at Eketahuna ou Saturday, July 25th: — Full, Usher; f, Dowsett, Rowse, Hunter; Ross, Pelling, Foden; .Eorwards: Anderson, Tarr, Ashdown, Materson, Wool?, Driscol, Dowsett, Reardon.