Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878]
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1892.
Being the extended title of the WiiRARiPA Daily, with which it is IDENTICAL
The appearanoe of the member for Mnßtertou on' the Temperance platform indicates the interest whioh politicians take in Temperance voters. They have counted noses, and find that many, very many of their friend?, aro numbered in the ranks of the Prohibitionists, and what are they to do ? A candidate may say to a pub. liean, "Vote for me; I take my whisky like a man," and to his teetotal friend, "I nm on tho side of sobriety, and.believo in everyone (present company exoeptod) being temperate," or he may profess, " I would sopport Prohibition only I belieye it would do more barm than good to the cause of Temperance which I have at heart." Such declarations for meeting a vory Berious difficulty are futile, Tho Temperance question is no longer" a cloud no bigger than a man's hand," Two powerful and well-equipped army corps are in the field, face to face 1 There is the Licensed Victuallers' Brigade and the Prohibition League. In another year a pitohed battle will be fought between them. There is a tbird party, a Moderate party—a non-combatant party, whioh decided in favour of the publicans at the last general engagement, mainly on tbo ground that they were taken by surprise, and were entitled to some further notice before being dispossessed of their licenses, This Moderate Party in the next contest will be smaller, because the members of it will be driven to take sides and vote either for the publicans or for prohibition. Botb publicans and prohibitionists will bo apt to regard the man who is not with them as being against them, and tho politician who tries to obtain the support of both sides, or evade sup. porting either will be dished by both. -A correspondent in our last issue referred to the question of cotnpeneation.' We regard this as a sort of red herring whioh politicians find very useful to. drag aoross the scoot. Nothing is more certain than the fact that in practice, compensation will never be paid. The Temperance brigade, in its advances, has left its tide mark on the value of public-house property. A licensed house, which, 1 seven years egg way worth, two thou-
sand pounds, is now to bo bought for one. At least, a quurter of a million of money invested in Hotel propertwb has already been lost and written off as a bad dtbt, Yet the Licensed Victuallers do not demand compensation for this enormous Iobs; for the simpli) reason that they know they would not get it from any Government or any Legislature. They tako the fortunes of war, and they will fight for their reirtaiuing capital, knowing full well that if they lose the campaign they will sustain a further severe loss which willnoverbe recouped and which even now is being discounted, When the battle comes, moderate men will, we believe, be compelled more or loss to take sides. The Government on this question is weuk and timid and will not attempt to interfere. It is true that it has helped the Licensed Victuallers by killing female suffrage, but this was done sub vow, in a hugger-mugger fashion and though it may show which way tho wind blows in the minist'dal party it does not amount tu much. Should the publicans win Ministers will congratulate tbi'iti, declare that they were always their friend and pat them on the back, but should, tho Prohibitionists triumph Ministers would probably wear their hair a la Tennyson Smith and take the pledge as _ often as they consider that their health requires; stimulating. Probably the time for half measures, the time lor compromise has gone by. The Prohibitionists seem to he gaining grouud and if so they will undoubtedly secure and exercise the control of the liquor traffic. Whether Prohibition is suited for the Colony and whether the result • of it will be favorable or unfavorable is very speculative. Sooner or later it will have a trial in New Zealand at all events, and we oan only trust that it will prove as great a good ub it is represented to be by its advocates. That its hour of victory will occasion much strife and much bitterness in the community is pretty certain, A man who has been wont to take his ease at his inn, will keenly resent the stoppage of his liberty to enjoy such comforts as he has be wont to indulge in. If by a somewhat hard and oruel experience the Colony disoovers what, on this question, is the greatest good for the greatest number, the end may justify the means.
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Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4284, 2 December 1892, Page 2
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787Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1892. Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4284, 2 December 1892, Page 2
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