THE BARE MAJORITY.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13159, 4 July 1908, Page 10

THE BARE MAJORITY.

TO THE EDITOR OF '-THE PRESS." Sir,—l am only an ordinary working man, but I hopo you -will insert Ibjs leitter in your paper as a prtf&ost. against the misleading and unfair letter on "No-lioenee" appearing in your paper of 29th June, written by one ot tiho Prohibition leaders Who signs himself J. McCombs. I ibave never heard of him before, 'but I am sure fee must be a Prohibition leader or he would not have started his letter by abnsing the newspaper he -writes to for not agreeing with everything be> says. First of ail he says brewers, publicans, their employees, and all others (including wives, of course), whose Irving iv any way depends on them ehoukl have no vote ait all! This, he siavs, is because tTioir living in some way would be affected by the result of tihe pall. Thon, according to this, all Civil Servants and Government employees (amd their wives) wonld lose thoir votes if it could be 6hown that their positions would 'be affected by any fileotion results.

I am -neither brewer nor publican, but my wife should not have to lose her vote supposing o/t any time I migjiit be earning my living working, cay, in a brewery, to tho letter of this Prohibitionist leader, this should Ho bo in tho opinion of the Prohibitionists. '

My wife says that J. McCom'be's letter his decided her to voto agaiinst fhe Prohibition t>arty, who seem to want to have all the voting to themselves. Of courso, paid Prohibition secretaries, organisers, and persons who benefit by keeping their names before the pubttc on t-his question should not have tih-cir votrs taken away! Ne-vt ho tells, ns that a minority of voters in Kaiapoi are dictating to the majority. Nothdn" of tho sort, I say A man who votes for contirnnance doe? no* toll the others tiha-t th«y must d;rink: it is the Prohijbribilwnists t-hat say a man muet not drink (unJess ho i* rich enough to order 'by the oni=e or cn.sk. as thoy have to do in No-h'c«niv» di<*tricts). A.nn-rt from this, his fieurce about the votrn" are imtrue. or very as my -wife w-ent *.he Public Library, and r«i<J thnt 23<5S out. *vf 4804 votws cm tn* rolT voted No-Ti"env> at K-niniwi, and th's T will a frriT-ority. I think also it is very n-nfnir to say tihtft a man who votes for ono ii"i~iw>. coT! + i-nu'"ir«i. Tv>« morn vote*! thr>n ' th*> Pi-nhiMt'Oiiwt just because tho three-fift ,l "! is to carry i+ H w.riv rihont. for t.h<> Probib iti<i>nvTt is nN'-wed -bro vot<w. nnd γ-i n vote for botih reduction airld Nolic°i.ve. i rest of t>>is mislondinsf letter rn"tn : n<; ■e v rirr' , d Iftiw, I cannot understand, but i fricid of nv'ne tellfs. Ti-o they are Twt lm-rn to do with tho <",f l : "«n,cn^

Ho-nina; you will publish this letter Rf> tfint mr Wlc-lV TrovV,MiorTr<»Ti !»nd tri-rp* may vh» wi!iift+ +h* ProhiiWtior>;"'r*-« ■"■« «'■««'* Tier r».f.—V«.n>n. <\tc.,

A WORKING-MAN ■"tttt vn AXE TO GRIND