"PROHIBITION" IN CLUTHA.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8989, 31 December 1894, Page 4

"PROHIBITION" IN CLUTHA.

Ws are not surprised that our article on the working of the direct veto in Ciutha has fallen like a bombshell in the camp of the prohibitionists, or that they are showing their mortification by a characteristic ebullition of intemperate language. The letter which is published in another column of to-day's issue of the Pness, is probably a mild sample of the abuse and bad logic to which we shall be treated. Rub we certainly do not feel called upon to regret, much less to feel ashamed of the part we took in the matter.' "We have always held thab prohibition does nob prohibit. We said that the system had proved a complete fiasco in America, and it would be an equally ignominious failure in New Zealand. When it was put in force in Ciutha we waited till a reasouable time bad elapsed, and then took steps to find out the actual results of the operation of the law. We sent a reporter, iv whose care aud impartiality we could trufet, with no othernnstructions except thab he was to visit Ciutha, to find out how the Act was working, and iefc us have a pLtiu, unvarnished account of what he discovered. The result was the article we published on Saturday. Naturally, one of the first things our reporter did was to endeavour to find out) whether the Act was being observed in the district. The faob thab he, a complete stranger, was able without any great difficulty to get as much liquor as he required, showed that the law was a complete farce, as all such legislation must bo wlteu.it is not in accord with the general sentiment and sympathies of the people. We have been held up to opprobrium for leading a number of innocent, unsuspecting hotelkeepers astray and luring 'them into sin. - Ib : 'is even suggested that our conduct is likely to hurb the~~ feelings of. her Majesty the Queen and all her loyal subjects, aud we are nob sure whether if our correspondent had his way, we should nob be hanged, drawn, and quartered for high treason. Of course, ail this is the merest balderdash. Our special reporter has simply lifted the curtain on what is going on, and ,as to criminality on the parb of ! the publicans, their 'action is much more likely to be received with ; sympathy than with condemnation I among the great majority of the ! general public, who are opposed to 1 tyranny in any shape or form. Before I the prohibitionists find fault with our I methods, however, they, will do well ito reform some of their own. We 1 have called attention to a system on public grounds,- but. we have-not attempted to malign or injure individuals. We do nob fill our columns with personal lampoons of respectable citizens, or sneer at their religious views and church work simply because we disagree with them as to the amount of alcohol it is right and proper for a man to take. We do nob play the part of informers, sneaking ab street corners and endeavouring to catch publicans in a slip, so as to bring them within the grasp of the police. Disregard of facts and violence of teoper have done much to alienate public support from the prohibitionists' cause. They certaiuly will not regain the sympathy they have lost by resorting to practices so peculiarly un-English as Blander and espionage.