THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

Evening Star, Issue 7484, 31 March 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir, —lt is a truth of the most undoubted sort that the entire traffic in alcoholic liquors is a moral disease of sc deadly and desperate a, character as to require a desperate remedy —a remedy the most effectually sure—the total extinction of the whole concern. All this Mr flouchins seems to fully realise. If his lecture the other night contains some strong language, it is the language of one who feels strongly on the matter, and is justified enough. The case rightly demands it all; the church demands it; the community demands it; we all demand it morally, whether we admit so much or not. And it may be said, with every appearance ot truth, that the whole traffic is already doomed to go soon. The community will not long put up with it. Its terrible catastrophes arc Such as to very justly demand its total extinction. It will be said this sounds of violence, without any argument; and is „ said temperance men are never logical in speaking temperance. This is not truth, but mere abuse. And when men such as your correspondent the other night, signing himself “A Moderate Man,” takes to quoting the Bible for the purpose of propping up such stuff, it will bo seen clearly enough they are far from logical themselves ; for the Bible speaks of no burning brandy, of no fiery whisky, of no liquor traffic. It speaks of wine only ; and as to the wine it recommends being fermented, no one can tell whether it Was or not. Able critics being on both sides, the question is not settled. Where, then, is the superior logic in quoting things that are not settled as to their nature in support of their cause ? In fact there is nothing in the Bible to really support the cause at all; and the great poverty of resource in bolstering up the cause is clearly seen when resort is made to the Bible at all for such a purpose. We can see but little moderation in doing the like of that. But it is too true that we have arguments enough. Every man drowned, every orphan made, every thrashed wife, every murder through means of our fearful wine, are arguments for temperance men—arguments founded on facts. The ruins that I have seen through it are my arguments; and its ruins are on such a large scale throughout the world that in these days it has no argumentinits favor at all—that is, any argument that will bear to be logically examined as regards morality. And yet, in the face of all this, we are told that our proceedings are violent and Unreasonable when we advocate the total prohibition of the thing. We get leading articles written against us ; abuse from men who ought to know better. But why should I be abused by a man so much more clever than myself because I speak strongly on a bad thing? It is not because he does not know what tho thing amounts to, but because he puts self before any other interest. If people do nothing themselves in trying to purge the world of so great an evil, the least thing they qan do is to leave those alone who are trying to do so. It has nothing to recommend it, against the amount of its evil, as to why it should not be turned out. And though I should be drugged to an immoral death, till death may I never cease to fight against it. It is a responsibility resting on ministers, editors, politicians, women, and all Christians. More or less we are all concerned in it. Let us, therefore, unitedly turn against it, to turn it off the earth.—l am, etc., Prohibitionist. Dunedin, March 27.