A BIG CONVENTION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1151, 12 June 1911, Page 6

A BIG CONVENTION.

THE 'NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN. ALLIANCE DEMONSTRATION.. The Iweiily-fiflh annual convention Df the New Zealand 'Alliance was inaugurated yesterday, "Temperance Sunday," when several of the Nonconformist pulpits in the city were occupied by visiting delegates to the assembly. At the King's Theatre a combined church service was .held at the conclusion of (he usual 7 o'clock Central Mission service. The Itcv. W. J. Williams was to have presided, but was unable to be present,' owing to indisposition, and the chair was therefore occupied by tho Jiev. J. Dawson. The speakers were: The Revs. S. Henderson (of Christchurch), 0. Knowlcs-Smith, aud I!. Drake, of Dunedin. Public Conscienco Awakened. A very interesting address was that given by the lie.v S. Henderson, of Christchureh. There was evident, he said, a gradual awakening on all sides of the public conscience upon the liquor question, and there wat not the slightest doubt that the final, and, from their point of view, favourable solution of this most difficult problem would be one of the greatest accomplishment? on record. Economic and financial considerations were subordinate to the moral aspect of this great problem. In fact, in this, as in most other. great national issues, the moml arid' sbcial arguments overshadowed all others. His experience as a minister of''religion: had convinced him that nothing contributed so much to the degradation of humanity as the traffic, which they had set themselves to suppress, and in the fight which was before them there could be no question of compromise, no relaxing, no hesitation. They must so organise their army of- deliverance that on the day of battle it would sweep the field in an overwhelming tide. This insidious enemy of society had to go down., it had to be cast out, not ceremoniously, -but vigorously nnd forcibly, as with the toe of the boot and an emphatic "Get out!"'(Applause.) The Enemy's Strength. The Rev. E. Drake, of Dunedin, who followed, warned his hearers against the dangers of under-estimating the strength of the enemy. They must not, he said, sit clown in their chairs and rest satisfied that their cause would prevail at the ballot box. They must organise, for : the enemy was well-organised, ho had unseen allies at hand aud over the sea?, and gold would flow in from all sides to assist in the preservation of a state of things which the Temperance party was pledged to abolish. As tho day of the elections drew near, he continued, that old cry, "What about the revenue?" would • be raised. He was getting very tired of > this question, and he •.marvelled that anyone with common-sense should ask it. "What of the'revenue?.' Why, they .would lose .£BOO,OOO 'worth of revenue which cost them five millions 'to collect." They as a people had a right to legislate for tho preservation of law and order in their community. The voice of the people must b? heeded, or there would be an end to all law and order. The liquor traffic now existed on tho strength of a minority vote, and tho time had come for the voice of tho majority to be heard. A Growing Irreverence. The.Rev. G. Knowles Smith, of Dunedin, followed with a vigorous address. During the course of his remarks, tho speaker declared that,a,spirit of irreverence' and "prayerlessntss" Was manifesting itself ill', the'people of tho presentday, .world, and the fptuidational elements of. this pernicious spirit were idolatry, perverted morals, . and ignorance—tho brewer,..the drink seller, worshipped his income; and his dividends;, the products of. his-'idolatrous •■ traffic ' perverted the morals of the people, and darkened their intellects. People talked about municipal control and State control us systems calculated' to impart a-flavour of •respectability .to tho-drink traffic. No system could do that, he declared. What were thfty to do, then? "Kick it out," he said. Mr. Knowles Smith concluded with a trenchant app°al to his hearers: "If you don't stop this traffic," Jie said, "then it will be to your everlasting disgrace that the women have had to do it for you." (Applause.) The Week's Programme. The programme of events, for. the week may be briefly set out as follows:— Wednesday, June H.—Convention tea, Town Hall, at 6 p.m.; Dominion demonstration, Town Hall, at 8 p.m., with addresses by Mis. Barton. Miss Anderson Hughes, Lieut-Colonel Birkenshaw (S.A.), Rev. L. M. Isitt, and Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.P., and songs by the Rev. A. Mitchell, of K.iiapoi. Thursday, June 15.—Women's crusade, Town Hall, at 8 p.m.: addresses'by Miss 'Anderson;'Hughes and Mrs.' Barton (excouncillor- of the City of Glasgow).