THEATRE ROYAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4431, 30 May 1893, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL .

The Rev. L M, lsitt and the Drink Traffic Tho Masterton Theatre Eoyal was well filled last night when the Rev L, M. lsitt. delivored a powerful address on the Direct Veto. Tho chair was occupied by Mr W. Lowes, who briefly introduced the speaker, Mr lsitt. said that some peoplo had told him he was lowering his profession by stumping tho country and preaching Prohibition. He did not think so. There had been too much preaching an impossible Heiven, wkilo the real welfare of the peoplo was neglected, Ho had no apology for his action in Iho matter, beinj! convinced it was the right one. When ho went away ho bore a good character, and if he had dono anything wrong he had not heon found out. He was now known as tho man with " a notorious bias," simply because ho took tho side of tho question ho did. INo notice was taken of persons who had a notorious bias towatds the traffic. The present Licensing laws wore found to be useleiß, but if nothing else had beon dono they had served to show to what lengths people would go to bolster up the trade, Prohibition would not be easily obtained ; there would bo no easy and speedy victory oyor the liquor traffic, because tho strength of the publicans was enormous, and thoy hardly knew how great is was themselves. When- thoy [tho publioans) realised that it was their destruction orthe defeat of Prohibition, then would the publican's m ney How lik" water. If beaten the Prohibitionists must come again, until the end in view was obtained. It was not in New Zealand alone, that, we found tho ovil effects of drink. In Germany tho Emporor has had to take strong measures to put duwn tho drink traffic, in Franco likewißO, though it is tho country where light wines are principallyconauniDd, soßroatly has drunkenness increased that the Govornmont has had to intervene. In America, during the past 20 years, wars had cost 700,000 Ikes, and in that period fully I,(iCD,OOO persons had been destroyed by drink. If astart wore make at onco and a year's victims paraded before, and they kept on passing continuously till Sunday morning still 300,000 would have to follow. At leaßt 1,500,000 were annually destroyed by drink. It behoved them to tako drastio measures, Somo 20 or 30 years ago, there was three or four timeß as much liquor drunk in New Zealand as at tho present time, and yet there was at least ten times as much liquor consumed as there ought to bo in the country, Tho 'Hereford,' in Ohristohurch,has nover had \m than 200 in one hour on a Saturday night onter its portals, and often as many sb SBO (mostly youiiß men) had been counted to enter this hotel in that space of time. Alcohol was working degrada« tion from one end of tho trnrth to tho other,

The rev. gcntloman cited manycasiis, which had come under his personal notice, of the havoc caused by drink, and went on to say that it was tho absoluto duty of every Christian man, to endeavour to stom the awful tido, He was sorry to see Mr Bracken (against whom ho had no ill-feeling) in tho unfortunate position of Secretary to tho Associated Brewers' Society, becauso ho thought him worthy of a better cause. It would not be right to spare Mr Bracken, however, as they had to remember he once wrote a most powerful indictment against drink, entitled, "The Vilest Fiend of All," and now he appeared as the publicans' servant. The record strong drink had achieved In the colony was without parallel. Prohibitionists were not foolish enough to say that drunkenness was the only sin in the world, but there were only two sins that could approach in magnitude tho sin of drunkenness. One was gambling and tho other was tho social evil. What about gambling, The licensed public houses were the gambling hells and gambling schools of the colony, and were doing in tho towns just what the totaluator was doing on the racecourse. If they dealt efficiently with the drinking evil they would lessen gamb'ing by one-third before the colony was throe yearß older. Take the social oviL It was one ot the most difficult problems to face. He maintained that the social evil had not inflicted the evil, the Buffering upon the people that the drink traffic had from one end of the colony to the other, If thoy deaft.efficienrly with the drink ovil they would lessen this evil very considerably also. Judges had declared thatalcohol was one ot the chief factors of crime, and by doing away with the drink traffic the way was paved for oveiy other kind of reform, Tho traffic was doomed and the handwriting was on the wall. The pub. licans were afraid to leave the question in the hands of the people. They had a Licensing Art with 230 clauses in" it, and despite all this tho public house traflio was the most contemptible in tho World, [They could not regulate the traffic, bocause they could not regulate ont of alcohol the power of creating a thirst for itself. Police supervision of the traffic was a farce, because the police were hampered in their endeavours to grapple with the traffic. No doubt many a zealous policeman was anxious to do his his duty, but he ran the risk of being degraded arid rapped over the knuckles for his energy, and; this was tho case: all oyor the country. In this town there might be four publicans keeping every clause of tb.e Licensing Act, but, if they were, then thoy deserved wrapping in cot«

ton wuol and putting in the Wollnigtoh' musouin as curiosities. The force was dominated.by the' liquor traffic, and that could be seen'- by 'the re« marks of Judge Richmond at theWeU lington Supreme , Court . recently. What the poople must strivo for waß • the power of Direot-Veto. Tho present •• wns tho day of liberalism. There were. 1 no Tciies, all were Liberals. Therowero however. Liberaleaud liberallorLiberals, and they all knew that the one plank of the Liberal platform was novernmcnt by the peoplo for the people. He went tho other day to an M.H.U., and>he said" I want you to vote for uur drroot veto-" The M.H.R. replied," Well, I don't be, lieve in prohibition, Mr lsitb" Ho replied, " I don't caro what ykn behove in this matter Are yon a Liberal?' 1 "Yes," the M,R,It. replied,"l am a Liberal." Mo said, "Tbepno plank in the platform is government by the people for tho people ?'' " Yes, it is." "We want to know then how it jb you allow tho people to govern in .every other question, but as soon as wo begin to talk about this liquor question you back down upon ynur principles, and you are a Liberal no longer ?" If any man .wore a. true Libernl he would recognisethst the peoplo had the right to say whether thoy wanted these public houßea." in their midst or not. A publicfibuse was a publie convenience Whythenjflbtfijftjiho public had the right to say whetlrraey wanted inhere or whother they did'not. If tho pubiichouse was. the poor mau's cellar; then give the popr'iaan the. key of his owifcollar-ddnr. all .they asked, and'they simply asked thera to say that their representatives' in Parliament should end avour to bring it about" that thoy ahould get this dirMveto,and if the veto was against them, they would dojuetaatheydid.in Sydenham.. The veto was at first against them in Sydenham, and what did they do 1 Did they go around appealing to law courts to help them? No. They ciirtimriiced to educate tho people, ..and iu. twelve mouths they educated » one half minority into a two-thirds majority. That to what wm necessary, to educate the people bo that they would oily sup. port, those candidates for Parliament who were in favour of granting the Direct Veto. (Prolonged applause). Mr Isitt thanked those present for their kind attention, and invilidaiießtions. '^r"^*T' Mr Herbert Marsh roßo'and made a somewhat rambling statement' to the effect that the loading members of the Weslcyan and Presbyterian Churches in Masterton, put in a publican's Licensing Committee, and asked Mr Isitt's opinion on tho matter.

Mr Isitt said in that caso they mnst be vory degenerato mortals, but he really could not behove Mr Marsh's statement to be true.

Tlie Chairman said it wbb not the in. tention to moya any votes of thanks or resolutions until after the lecture oa Tuesday ovening, ' Mr lsitt said ugavehim great pleasure to again address a Masterton audience. He had spent three very happy years in Masterton, and should ho ever bo Rtationccl hero again he should accept the appointment with more than resigns- ■ tion. He felt he owed something of au apology for his address, which had been delivered under difficulties, as he was indisposed. Ho would now, in conclusion, move a hearty vote of thanks to Mr W. Lowes fur presiding at the meeting, Tho voto of thanks was carried by acclamation, and thegathoring dispersed To-night Mr lsitt delivers' his farewell address.