PERSONAL OPINIONS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 69, 15 December 1919, Page 14

PERSONAL OPINIONS

THE GREATEST AND BEST. ALL ' GREAT MEN DENOUNCE PEO- ( HIBITION. PROHIBITION BREEDS HYPOCRITES AND IMPOSTERS. (Published by Arrangement.) The Rev. Canon West, D.D.: "The Church of God has nover declared the moderate use of nlcohol to bo a sin." The ltev. J. 11. Rogers, speaking at Hinds, in the Ashburton No-License 0100 torate, in August, 1913, denounced drunk enness in vigorous terms, "and urged all to shun the temptation which Tie believed was greater in a district whore there were no licensed houses." Tho Rev. J. F. Milbank, Rector of St. Paul's, Wellington, Kansas, wliero Dr. Sheldon came from: "I dislike prohibition intensely. Prohibition is tantamount to moral weakness. I bcliove h nation of prohibitionists would bo a nation of hypocrites. . There is liopo for drunkards—ninny havo been •redeemed. But never yet have I. pnown a hypocrite, sneak, or liar changed into a decent man." ■

Cardinal Gibbons: "Prohibition makes hypocrites and leads to the manufacture of illicit whisky, replacing good material with bad, and simultaneously robbing fcho Government of legitimate taxation." Bishop Johnson: "The liotelkeeper has as legitimate a right to sell alcoholic liquors as I have to preach the Gospel." Abraham Lincoln, on February 22,1842. at Springfield, said: "Too much denunciation against dram sellers and dram drinkers is indulged in." The groat President was at one time a retailer of alcoholic lKverages, and in 1840 voted against a proposal in tho Legislature of Illinois "that a liquor license could bo refused if a majority of the voters, in- the town district or ward protested." On January 1.3, 1841, he voted again to the same effect. Gladstone: "How can I. who have drunk good wine and bitter beer , all mv life, in a comfortable room, and among mv'friends, coolly stand up and advise hard-working lellow-crcatures to take tho pledge ?" . Sir Victor Hor.-:1oy (a strong advocate of temperance) writes to the London papers ou November 10, and says: 'It is ridiculous, in view of tho enormous quantities of rum ordered for the troops, to sneak of its use as medicinal." _ 'Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain: Anything in tho nature of compulsory prohibition of drinking is absolutely .impossible; nnd.it only leads to drinking m worse forms than under the old system. I have seen prohibition at work in tlio United States." _ . . ItHit Hon. John Britrht: It 18 not in the power of Parliament by an Act of Parliament to change the habits of tho people. . . . Tt would fail absolutely and'become a dead letter." Sir M. White Jiidley: "We ought not to subordinate the.privileges of the sober man to tho reformation of the drunlcJustin M'Carthy:'"'l'lio prohibition law in tho United Stales is a gross and ludicrous imposture." John Stuart Mill: "Prohibition-so monstrous a principle-is far more dangerous lliaii any single interference will liberty: there is no violation ot liberty which it would not justify." John Ouincy Adams: Seek not to enforce upon vour brother by legislative enactment the virtue that he win possess only )>.v the dictates of bis own conscience, anil the energy of Ins wi.l. When all these great men are against prohibition you are quite Kite _ in voting for Continuance on Election Day.