THE PROHIBITION POLL

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 286, 2 December 1896, Page 2

THE PROHIBITION POLL

(To the Editor). Sin,—Whatever the ronson mny bo, the fact is that tho Star Vhowa an unfairness towards vn that is not at all creditable to a journal which was called into existence, and on tho whole juotiiies itu continued success as tho people's pnpor. About a fortnight since I wrote you ft'iv'wfi fact? mid names respecting tho luobtmt: wo hiid to choose temporuocu candidate?, that you did not publish. You now reiterate similar charges Tho writer who wrote that " Wo are (ioiug our utmost to confuse tho two iaauoe." must have written from hearsay. All through the campaign wo Uavoktpt thofacb prominontly beioro the penpie. I can appeal to thouaancia or people in confirmation. Who tho clevor leaders are who are endeaviay to uiawipulato tho toraperance voto I will aelc you la namo. As in my previous letter, so now I repeat, that no person «aw the replies senb by candidAtes prior to the meaLiug excopt tbo freeident and tnyaolf. On my motion afc the nxocuci^e meeting, the meeting was made a.-* ffeneral as it could possibly be. and was responded to in the earns spirit. No canvassing, no manipulation, the replies read, the ballot taken, the votinf.' published. Scores of the beet known persons in the community including your reporter were preeonr. If my statements are false, let mo bear the odium I should then deserve

Your quotation from the Voters' Guide : was no misleading as to bo its reality false ; it was a portion of an article on the medicinal use of alcohol, by Dr. W. A. Chappie, of Wellington. I think id rauafe have escaped your editorial supervision. The other portion of your article re the Floral Fete, tha figures showing that coincidentally with tho decrease of (ho liquor bill i* the decrt'aNO of crime, simply corroborate;; our contention, that remove tho caui>o —alcohol—and the evil etl'ects will oiaappear. In tho interests of our movement, and tho public, I ask the insertion of this letter in full.—l am, etc., X, French, Secretary A. P. and T. League.

[We gave a report of the conferenca at which tho prohibition candidates were chosen, occupying one and a-third columns in letigtfj. Wo subsequently published a long letter from the Rev. YV. J, Williams', Chairman of she meeting. We also pubHalted the only clau-e in Mr French's lettur which iiddarl anything of importance to tho information given in 1)10 report and by the Chairman. Considering the heavy demanda at present made upon our ppaco, «-s think we gave tho meeting of 144 electors in the Woaleyon schoolroom q'jno as much prominence as it was entitled to. VVith regard to Mr French's denial that prohibition leaders are confusing the two iseuea before the electors, wo maintain that thevery fact of their making the prohibition views of a candidate tho sole tost of his fitness for Parliament, and Beleecing individual candidates from a number whose viewa are almost identical on this question is confusing the issues in v most objectionable way. To that, and the efforts which are boing made to return candidates on purely prohibitionist grounds, we referred chiefly in the remaika Mr French challenges.—Ed. E.S.]