The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1891.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2929, 23 April 1891, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1891.

Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

The ratepayers of Sydenham, a populous suburb of Christchurch, have elected a Licensing Committee, all the members of which are pledged to prohibition —in other words, to close all the public-houses within the area over which they hold sway. Sir Robert Stout- took an active part in bringing this state of aflairs about. The speech he delivered on one occasion was calculated to stir up the people to act as they have done, lie said—"lf there are in this room any women or men who believe in immortality they should vote for prohibition. There are many in this room who believe in tho heaven of the Christian. I turn to the revelation granted to •St. John. Tho heaven found there is described as a city ot clean streets and clear waters. Its inhabitants were pure, their raiment white, and no centre of moral degradation existed there. 1 have heard Christians defend earthly grog-shops, but L v.-is!i to say that I. have never heard one picture a public-house in Ihe heaven they hoped for. I ask you to try aud in ike this earth as good as tile pictured future state of existence. If you think we can enjoy the brightest happiness of which we can dreatn without publichouses, then why have them here ? Every religious man iu the town, if lie be honest to his creed whatever it may be, will vote for prohibition. I ask the orthodox and those who Look at this question as 1 have put it to them to make this earth a pi act! of bliss. iS'o matter how humble an occupation a man may hold, how menial may be his work, he has a part to play.' lie can help his fellows, and he will be doing so if he votes for prohibition. 1 do ask you women and you men to think of what I have said. Go forward ; you may have to bear reproaches from some who do not. agree with you. Think not of that. Dare to be unpopular. Go forward iu your light bearing the banner along which will lead to victory. One, not like those we read of in history where the field is lefL covered with the slain, but a victory which will prevent the slain from being seen iu our streets, iu our gaols, iu our asylums, and in our hospitals." The speech we have quoted was calculated to have the effect of influencing those whose actions are guided by sentiment rather than reason ; those who look at only one side of a question, and if they find it bright and shining presume that there is no dimness appertaining to •my of the ethers. This class would not have felt indignation at the covert slur cast upon their religion and its teachings. The Sydenham people are the first who have declared that they will have no publichouse iu their borough, aud the result will he carefully watched by the rest of the colony. Thoir action, as was pointed out by a southern contemporary, implies that they accept as indubitable that it is the existence of facilities to procure liquor that creates the demand, and not, as iu the case of a grocery or drapery store, the demand which leads to the opening of the store. There is no more arbitrary form of Government than that which places absolute power iu the hands of a majority, regardless altogether of the minority who may possibly be only one fewer iu voting power. We go quite as far as Sir Kobert Stout in depbring the results of excessive drinking, and would vote for prohibition to-morrow if we believed that the public-houso was the sole reason for the demand, and that its closiug would do away with the thirst for intoxicants, and, for the further reason, did we not believe— we are justified in tho belief by American experience—that tho closiug of public-houses does not only uot promote sobriety, but on tho contrary loads to worso evils aud a worse form of drunkenness than that which the abolition of tho licensed houses was meant to extinguish. Tho most enthusiastic prohibitionist must accept the proposition that so long as human nature is human nature, (he desire tor stimulant will never be eradicated, and thoso who have the desire, presuming thoy live iu a free country, will gratify their appetite no matter how stringent the laws may be to prevent their doing so. A law which is looked upon as oppressive by a large section of a population i 3 certain to bo abrogated, and tho authorities whose duty it is to put it in force, to blink at its evasion.