THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 496, 1 May 1909, Page 14

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

Sir,—Noticing a remarkablo lotter in your yesterday's issue above, the sign of "Toiler,'' I thought ho must have; been "played out" whoil he wrote tho essay. Thoro was no angelic inspiration about; it—not -from the up-per-regions at any rate. If over tho bright angels do weep, it must bo when thov road an article like _ his. It is Bomowhat difficult to know what inferonoo ho wishesUs to draw from his logic. Does'ho moan that tho principle of Chnst-liko love dominates tho drinkseller; that "Love thy neighbour as thy-' self" is the motive that prompts the hotelkeeper (through the'fascinations of the barmaid) to take my money, especially after he has robbed me of my power of self-con-trol, aid then allow ,'mo to leave his bower of: love in such'a state that lam at once arrests on the crime of drunkenness (I beg your pardon, '"insobriety"), and made a public exhibition of to my.everlasting disgrace? You say, "More fool me." Yes, but he in possesion of all his sober' senSo doliborately* fleeces me when mine are gono. He does not protect me till I am myself .again. No, I may go to the devil; my money is grjiie. Is this the "love" that "Toiler'! refers to?. How many of tho drink-sellers are dying to save their brother man? They - laugh at. polioo reports. and at : the. punishments meted out to thoso whom they have. made oriminals. Can "Toiler" by any stretch' of his lovable imagination show ni where the love of humanity comes in from the workings of the drink traffic? Yesterday and Monday I saw ono thousand gallons of beer , going dcrwh into ono hotel cellar. Will "Toiler" tako his pencil and add up the amount of "love" this ~is going to. produce in-the homes of his'fellow "toilers" ? Yet'l beg "Toiler's" pardon. There 13' "love'?, in lit, , and the Bible says so, too. Here it is: "Tho love of money is the root of .all;ovfl,"-'-oto'., etc. : This; and this alone, is .the great principle of "love" behind the wlwle traffic, lie-'dominating,factor that is causing so muoh anxiety'for the comfort of tho publio on tho part of the publican. Wo do not oxpcct; No-License. Well, not just yetr-at any rate,'not-till a few the old "toilers" are forgotten, and the new race that aTo now ooming on' 1 and getting educated on right lines .will take their places. Tho newspapers, too, are our best'friends, bccause day_ by day they (out of their love for ns all) give full details of: the l-love" this traffio is working in-'our ,Dominion and other.parts' of the' world: No platform' No-Lioense' agitators ran equal our pnsss in showing up the -workings of. the License party. : The daily record of crimes,': accidents,/ , Euicddes, domestic suffering, and charitable aid reports is sufficient evidence. ,- "He that hath eyes to see" need go no further than tho public press for a full and clear. demonstra-tion-'of "Love:tby neighbour-'as thyself" in King Alcohol as a rnlor of men.—l am, etc., • : • i 'lOVB YE." '