THE PROHIBITIONIST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4129, 3 June 1892, Page 2

THE PROHIBITIONIST.

'Mvhei hj'th qourfesy of the Editor of '■■) Wamrapd 'Dai'y Timts, under Hie '' "aiupices of the New Zealand Alliance for the prohibition of the liftor traffic, Mtulerton Amilhry.

When ratepayers demand the entire extinction of all places.for the sale of\ liqiws, tfoirprayershould begrankd, —Charles Bvxton, Brewer,,_

[Communications tor this column must bo addressed to "The Prohibitionist," care of Editor of Waibarapa Daik Times.]

■ There is every prospect, that the next meeting ot the Master ton Borough Licensing Court will be of an exciting character. The : members of the present Licensing Committee when tho; posed 'iis" candidates for office> were; through their mouthpieces,. Messrs Walker arid'Pow'nah? very loud in; their professions of determination to n-gulate the drink traffio so that the true interests of the Borough would not suffer 1 "Does the hißtory'rif Maslerton since'; August last sliow'that thesp'.p'rofessions'have been"in any way realized?:'/ We tnuoh question it I The. Police, Court, trials have opened the eyes of the public, and people can 80-' longer-blind. themselves; to-the cloak 'and scope a liquor "license affords for evil influence. Sergeants of Police that' Masierton has had for many years have tried in vain to control the traffic that, is at present so successful in debauching our young men and filling many homes with shame and sorrow. The Sergeants of Police have done, and will do, their duty in. exposing iniquities, anil the Licensing Bench will have an opportunity of clearly showing its attitude. Will the Licensing Benoh slap the police l in the faoeand tell' them to have two blind eyes with regard to future abuses of the Licensing Act, and to,keep on good terms with the additions to the population of Mastertou in the shape of vagrants, gamblers, and pugilists? We will not insult the Benoh by supposing it capable-ot such infatuyi The members of.'tha Benoh are honourable men, and'will show that they are in no way th patrons of disorder and riot ? : '.

' .As Regards .the advancement .of Prohibition pure and simple nothing Iwould help our cause more than for the Licensing Bench to be bossed into becoming patrons of infamy and the avowed foes bf the Police., What a lift it would give to our cause.if, the Bench, were.tq tell the, Police to .'desist and 'to live at peace with those who. : are fattening oh the moral and material ruin of their fellowß I What a lift it would give to our cause were the Bench to tumble the petition of tour hundred men and women into the basket and say that they were not worth listening to I What a lift it would be to pur cause were the Bench to grant license's to houses irrespective of their repute and method of conduot and regarding which thq.besb citizens in the neighborhood might say that they were not desirable nor needed I Nothing, :we say,'would help Prohibi-, lion better than for a Licensing Benchto' commit outrages ; suoh as these. We are satisfied that .tho : liquor traffic cannot be regulated, andwearesurely educating the public mind with our principles \ but for thoLiqensing Benoh to give such gigantic object lessons showing the grotesque impotence of regulation would help our cause more than anything else, Prohibition may become'an. actual fact in Masterton in two ; v/ays.':'either by 'evolution or by revolution. We are seeking to bring it about by. the first method ; we are slowly and surely educating the publio mind...But Prohibition may become a reality by social revo* lution, Were a Licensing Benoh to beoonie the patrons of gambling, ■prize fighting, obscenity and vagrancy, by throwing the mantle of its pron, teotion over, those who. glaringly violate law, we would have no cause to complain. 'We are satisfied that suoh conduct would lead to Prohibit I tioh by social revolution. The Bench would thus fire'off the social dynamite that would blow it and its regulation policy to tho four horns of Jupiter. ■.'•

i The member for Masterton will have a noble opportunity of setting himself right with the Prohibitionists and the Publicans on tlie matter of ihe drink curse at bis meeting this evening, Mr'Hogg, M.H.R,, is looked upon as a friend of both parties,.. He voted fbrlilr/Joyce's,: Prphibition. Bill one day/ast session in PHrliumentand tor Mr,; Hutchison's Publican ;J3ill another day, But our member, cannot continue running with the; hare and htintihg'wilh'the hounds in this way;. Will the Liberalism of'Mr Hogg prevent him from giving the liberty, to the people in districts to protect' themselves from: the! drink ourso? Will.befollowJohnMorley and other.true: Liberals on this queß'< tion, or will he say ditto to Mr BaU lance. and ibis-. Public .House En-, dowment crank under the name of compensation 'to "publicans ? This profession of faith in Prohibition with compensation'to publicans is hollow and worthless. It is simply drawing is red herring across the scent, -The politician who frankly says that he, is opposed to Prohibition is honest ; the politician who says he is infavour of Prohibition,' plus compensatio'n/is' a humbug, Who,will pay.the compeni, satiori? "Will the'lbng-suffering tax payer who is burdened with the drink* made, paupers,, bankrupts, -lunatics and criminals'? Who should receive, tbe compensation I Barmen, barmaids', pawnbrokers,-policemen, ' official, dispensers of charity, would find their occupations-to .a large extent gone under Prohibition. ; Should tfiey be compensated? >

1 We have' referred ,to .Mr.'.John Morley and his Prohibition views, There is-little, donbf that next to Gladstone he is the strongest man in the Liberal ranks in, England, In hia place in the House of Commons the other month Mr Morley'spoke as follows on tb'is.'queetioii:— ; .'.

,!'Ever since the reduction of the franchise and the redistribution of political power, the reduction of tho franchise and'the' redistribution : of political power nave been followed by louder and louder .voices in favor of the kind'of control: which we are advocating here fco-riifijHfc. The more clearly you hear trie popular voice the mere loud, and distinct is that voice in favor'oi legislation'of this kind, I do not know why we should wonder at it: \yould anybody, in this House like to nave iiearhis own door a flaunt-' ing gin palace with its reek of liquor and scenes of disorder, Would he like to, have it evo'n "in' a' well-conducted house ? Why then should we be aurprised that, workmen, with wives, and sons, arid'daughtors, object aB we would to. the proximity of theso oentres of annsyanpe, disorder, and.distßrbance.,l believe that feeling was"at tho root of the opposition in 1889-90 to compensatiqn,; . : Workinen : .who had;.to suffer all the annoyance springing from these houses oould not understand why"they should have, in order'.to; abatei.the: liuisauoe, to put their hands into, thoir pockets and buy out the tneu whs baa

been the means of tormenting them. This tide of opinion ia bound to go on and swell. Lord Salisbury aaid In 1886, and said most unwisely, that the demand for legislation was a temporary oraze, and would pass away. I think that was ' a most unfortunate piece of misjudginent.It is not a temporary craze; it is a rational demand. It is not a temporary craze, because the more clearly gather the popular voice the moreiP?. distinctly you perceive the , deter nunntion of the people to get die power to proteot themselves against the ■ what is admitted now oh all sides to bo • tho greatest curee that can afhiot humanity." ■, ■, ■ ,-. ;