NEW ZEALANDERS WARNED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1271, 28 October 1911, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS WARNED.

GOVERNOR PATTERSON ON PROHIBITION. A STARTLING INDICTMENT. (POVERNOR PATTERSON in his >Jr speech of acceptance of the nomination for Governor of Tennessee by tho Democratic Party stated that in 1900 tho total liquor tax was 270.527.87 dollars (£54,000), and in 1007 it had increased to 334,232.14 dollars (£00,000), while now under the general prohibition law of that Stato not one dollar of revenuo has been collected, and the consumption of liquor remains the same It is this condition of pauperising a Stato without abating tho consumption of alcoholic beverages that will oxposo tho fallacy of prohibition as quickly as anything can.

I Governor Patterson's speech is a forccI fill arraignment of prohibition. Ho handles it without gloves and as one who knows. Ho was reluctant to continue in public life, but finally yielded to the pressure of his advisers, who urged him to accept a re-nomination on the ground that ho owed it as a public duty to do so. That tho Governor has not changed his views on the subject of prohibition will bo seen from some of his statements during tho course of his admirable speech; said he-.—

"Never since our ancestors left tho forests of Germany to begin their conquering march over tho earth have they permitted any other race or any part of their own to control their personal habits, and they never will.

"Temperance is right for a man to observe for by it ho becomes happier, stronger in himself, and a more useful niohiber of society.

"Prohibition is wrong for it never leads to temperance, but invariably to intemperance, not only in drink, but in speech and thought."

The Governor reviews in detail how lie vetoed the measures passed by the Legislature of his State and takw a firm stand in favour of regulation. Ho said the temperance question had been dealt with in an intemperate way; that the patient had been killed to cure the disease; that enormous properties have boon destroyed in Tennessee, to enrich people in other States; that they had exchanged the lawful sale of liquor for all tho evils of lawlessness; that they had decreased their revenues which were badly needed to meet the expenses of the Government, and had received no benefit in return. Ho declared that they had driven reason from her temple and enthroned blind passion, striking with a club of vengeance. Hero is a man who has been twice elected Governor of a prohibition State; ono who has studied conditions under prohibition laws and. emphatically pronounces'them a dismal failure from every viewpoint. The experience of Tennessee is tho experience of every place where tho same conditions prevail, and it is this very condition that tho people are going to correct, and it is just such fearless, intelligent men as Governor Patterson, having tho courago of their convictions, that are doing much toward solving this great problem. In tho saino way, if tho people of New Zealand are true to themselves, their country's interests, and their own, they will strike out the bottom lines on both voting papers on election day. Wo do not want, do not require, a pestiferous, noisomo wood liko prohibition in our social, political, and religious garden. • •