The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1870.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 9, 11 January 1870, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1870.

The subject of teetotalism has been much discussed lately in the Province of Wellington, where Mr. Fox has been sti-enu-ously advocating what he deems the good cause. In Canterbury and Auckland, too, the subject has been exciting some attention, though in these two latter places, temperance rather than teetotalism has been advocated, and, while we cannot but respect all those wbo earnestly endeavor to improve the condition of their fellow men, by striving to stem the torrent of drunkenness which has carried so many to destruction, we must admit that our sympathies are with those who counsel the adoption of moderate measures, rather than with the advocates of the extreme course of total abstinence. All men are not constituted alike, and because one individual finds that he requires nothing more than his tea or coffee, it does not follow that the same is the case with all his neighbors. In an able article on this subject that appears in the Auckland Herald, we find the following sensible suggestion, and, though far from saying that its adoption would prove a preventive of intemperance, we believe that it would go a long way towards decreasing it. After arguing that the necessity for stimulating liquors must be recognised, our contemporary goes on to saj :— " Encourage the manufacture of light wines in New Zealand, remove restrictions in the form of duties from the light, wholesome, pleasant wines of Australia, and for every pipe of wine so made or imported we shall have one drunkard amongst us the less. A wine producing is ever a sober people, as witness the wine-making, wine-drinking districts of France, Spain, Italy, and Germany. There, intemperance is the remarkable exception. The light, harmless wines, cheap and plentiful, satisfy the desire for temporary excitement or exhilaration, and leave no ill effects behind them. In such a climate as this it is more necessary that these wines should take the place of the fiery spirits too commonly used, and would the advocates of temperance assist in bringing about the cultivation of the vine for the manufacture of such wines, and in lightening the duties on imported Australian wines, they would in one year, more steadily and surely advance the cause of temperance than they wili do in ten by their present efforts. We heartily commend the consideration of the whole subject to our legislators and others. There are none but deplore the evils of intemperance. We must, however, use practicable and reasonable measures for their amelioration, or we shall signally fail in our object."