The Prohibition Issue

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 147, 17 March 1933, Page 13

The Prohibition Issue

Sir, —Your correspondent, Mr. C. Gibson Young, now voices approval of. the churches seeking abolition of the liquor traffic, but continues to suggest that “prohibition” should be dropped. In the face, of the facts is not this mere quibbling? If the traffic is abolished it is obvious that legislation prohibiting anyone, engaging in it is an inevitable accompaniment.

Mr. Young is not satisfied with my previous references indicating that there is plenty of precedent in and out of Scripture “supporting the legal enforcement on a minority of the wishes of the majority,” but I will give him three references that he can look up. In Joshua he will find that the majority of the children of Israel declared that the exercise of personal freedom on the part of the individual who did not like any of Joshua’s commands, should be rewarded by death. This was majority rule. He will find that the individual who had a taste for eating the blood as well as the flesh, and exercised his personal freedom in that direction, was rewarded by death for sinning against the rule followed by the majority. He will find that Jesus Christ said “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” that is, he endorsed. the enforcement of the rule of the majority of Romans over the minority of Jews. Finally, I would ask Mr. Young if he has ever considered the liquor business in the light of Matthew xviii.—l am, etc., J. MALTON MURRAY. Gen. See. N.Z. Alliance. Wellington. March 15.