THE CLUTHA PROSECUTIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 11453, 22 January 1901, Page 7

THE CLUTHA PROSECUTIONS.

TO THE JSDITUS Sin,—lt was extremely gratifying to read in your issue of to-night that "" the action of Mr Stanford, S.M., in inflicting heavy fines and sentencing to terms of imprisonment the sly grog-sellers of the Clutha, should meet with general approval." But why spoil the effect of those words by saying further on that the people have" been placed in a certain position assumedly by •; the voice of the majority? No, sir. They are placed in that position actually by the voice of a large majority of the people, and are we in the face of this to allow the would-be-selling whisky members of society to adopt a do-as-yon-please policy? Again, you say " the law is theoretically the voice of the people, freely and constitutionally expressed." No, sir." It is practically the voice of the people, or else why put the question to the people at all? No matter, what question is placed before the public, it is only right and just that the majority Sould rule, and this drink question should be no exception. Besides, there is no need to travel to the Clutha to see breaches of the licensing law. Let a similar raid be made by the police in any of our large centres after hours—Dunedin not excepted—and then it will soon be discovered how many of our respectable, publicans are lawabiding citizens. It betrays weakness to talk so much about Prohibition districts when under our very noses the law is being daily and nightly broken under the cloak of license. Pardon my trespassing on your space, bilt I cannot'help being grieved at the fact that the masses do not realise that true democracy and drink can never go hand in hand, and "nothing can withstand 'the trade' except an enlightened democracy." aged mannamed Hanna Mansnor was cut ;I am. etc., Libertas. j January 19.

f. SO THE BDITOB. Sik,—l tlesir« to express mv thanks for you outspoken leader on the above subject. jJiipecially am I glad over the manner in fWhioh you refer to the imprisonment senptencos. For years past the Prohibitionists ( have pleaded for the application of the imprisonment clauses of the Act, declaring, what Mr Stratford has now become convinced of and publicly avows, that small monetary penalties are of no avail. Bub our appeal and argument have been treated as Prohibition extravagances, until the sly grog-sellera have thought that they could really do as they liked. We may well be glad that We have now ranged on our aide the Peea», the Magistracy, and the Crown (Prosecutor. We are constantly being taunted with the "impossibility" of stopping "sly grog-selling." And there are nob a few of the people who, while really in sympathy with advanced temperance principles, have held aloof because the ideal seemed so completely out of reach Now, let us take heart agafn. The magistrate declares that he will press the final clauses of the Act to their extreme limit until this blob of deliberate lawlessness is wiped out from the district over which he presides. And it is clear enough thab he believes that sentenoea of imprisonment will wipe it out! The Crown Prosecutor said • Imprisonment was the only curative for the evil of sly grog-selling." And he evidently believes that it will euro it, " and intends to press for this in every case •" while you in your leader declare that Mr fctratford is taking the right course " and affirm your conviction that the infliction of the penalty of imprisonment "is pretty certain to suppress sly grog-selling." For this united testimony to the righteousliesg and wisdom of the imprisonment clauses of the Licensing Act we cannot, I think, be too thankful. Only, when you were intending to write eo emphatically in support of the Prohibition platform, whv begin with a hit at local option and the Clntha district ? 5f ou cannot have forgotten that more than 120,000 electors voted in favor of "local option" and "no license" ,at the lasb election. When Mr Stratford, the Crown Prosecutor, and Inspector Pardy I have worked out their destiny Clntha will /he an object lcßson to the whole colony, which will very soon find imitators.—l am ot< ?M J. T. HIKTOJT. January 21.