THE TEMPERANCE CAUSE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 125, 19 February 1908, Page 5

THE TEMPERANCE CAUSE.

■ A CROWNING' SUCCESS. (By T. E. Taylor.) This year is tho year of battle. On the *ido of the prohibitionists it will be a period of. earnest, self-denying labour for social progress and a healthier environment-for man- ' kind, the side of the liquor interests, it will be a campaign of insolent misrepresentation and fraud. The motives prompting the liquor, interests in : their' struggle to retain the privileges' by means of which they 'enrich' tE'emselves oiid humanity aro callously "selfish. This year's struggle is a phase of tho weary strife between heaven and hell— between'' barbarism and Christianity—of which the issue is iin no doubt, although tho harvest-homo rejoicing,is; delayed. . ..;jn;.the''prqliminary struggle with the liquor interests,' we contended .that the abolition of the licensing - system would justify itself brilliantly; 1 wherovor :it accompanied - by - honost 'enforcement of-' law. Invercargill • determined to abolish the licensing system very deliberately. r . No spasmodic sentiment helped the voto in favour of No-license in 1905. -Pub-lic-opinion based itself upon the deadly social influences .exerted upon the common life of the people, by the bar system. The moral < degradation of, drinkers; the deterioration in, the;character; of.,the. youths who came under ihe influence • of;;the • drinking-bars; -the social, discordj poverty.and iunhappincss; the loss of lifo by. drowning, suicide, burning, acciand; other means so often directly -refrom' or semi-drunken-ness ; tho ireary procession of 'tho debauched men and.women, whoso drinking habits so constantly'"bring' .them before . our magistrates—these, .ind other evidences of the na- ■ tional^folly^:in perpetuating the . liquor >■-in'-. • terestsi so biirned- into the' minds , and hearts ! of' tho' Invercargill people that : they ' banished '-the - bars 1 from / that . city' as 'frbin July .1, 1906. ' •' - :} l What lias hannened? Not one of the lying prophecies of tho liquor, party as to what results would inevitably onsuo have been verifiol. 5 . ■' 1 - - •' . Tho 'Itev.-W.- Thomson, Chaplain 'to the Liquor: Interests of New Zealand, has'been raking up evidence m America and elsewhere of a brand ; likely . to; further the interests- of the Kingdom of God asi it is conceived by his employers. -.' If tho evidence he adduces bo true,;.we cannot verify it: if it bo false, we probably cannot.expose its falseness. '.... . Because they have deliberately gone abroad for their alleged.facts. If they lie, they will lie so.noar. the pollmg-day. that no appeal to America will. be. possible before the people's decision, is recorded. . . v.--.-. somo American evidence to placo before..the... electors ofi New. Zealand at an early,,date, and it will be clean evidence,- not stained-: by mercenary interests. .:. tho liquor men's do produce their .foreign evidence,-will they pleaso ■ explain; -.why.,-the : great historic State' of Goorgia,-■ withvits -. population. of . over .2,000,000, just, .instituted, , by ; almost unanimous. votes of .boi;h branches of its. Legislature,'' the ■■ most drastic State prohibition law yet enacted in America? ; ! i] r ., . ...In the meanwhile we:..print,an extract from thq .last annual, report Pohco Inspector Mitchell, of,lnvercargilL- : LOOK AT THIS. i 1 ; Commenting on- the Invercargill' police - rc,turn's foi'sthe year, .Inspector - Mitchell say's: ''Ihe.-public generally Uiave taken kmdly to' tho . No-license: movement, with tho result that,there: is'-httlo/or -no evidence of drunkenness .in. tho streets. . Invercargill .. is a grand ,testimonial for No-hcenso, which I think is hero a success." • ; What-do-the.liquor interests.^'of New/ Zealand- say of this testimony? If it is false, they need not send a : hireling parson ,to America to disprove it.ti Invercargill is,dloso home.. .. - ;-. .I- ---■ The liquor-men will strain evory norve to have theiwitness who says "No-license is, a crowning success.m Invercargill''.removed, or promoted); or;silenced in;;some/, way., ...But . :-hey;;will;,hot;.succeed;- : because (public men- : : tvill be safer in ; the clean- discliargo. of: their. ; duty exactly as'the prohibition movement ox- j tends its area in New Zealand. Because, tho jfohibition party is- fighting - for humanity : ind 'high'-ideals'of-'national character, -.r ; ■

■ Invercargill; a- "Crowning- success of . No- . license, iijion'tho testimony.;of the police." / ' Mataura - also; • Clutha also; • . ■ Oamaru also; • ■ .-■■ ■ ■:i ■ Ashburton also, in spite of the desperate efforts of its detractors. . •' To'; tho ballot-box in 1908 the people' carry 1 'theirjudgments, based upon "evidence' which exists-'alongsido of -'caclv elector/ This evidence the liquor men will ignore ;■ but from ;. its' destructive' effects .' all : their .' cunning will not save their corrupt craft. j - ' ■ ■ ■-» — ~ • ■ I l '