THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4482, 25 March 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

I To the Editor of the HerA-LD. i Sir,—Are the public to understand from the close of your leading article, this.-.morn-ing, that you heartily agree with the resolution proposed at a certain meeting, but not carried, " That the prohibitory legislation sought by Good Templars, namely, - restricting the number of libensed houses to the wishes of the people is wrong in principle, being subversive to public liberty 1" I£ this is your conviction, to be consistent you should move for all restrictions to be removed from the sale of poison; and, according to your view, imprisonment for theft is a sad interference -njith the liberty-of the public. Why, the Whole Decalogue goes upon the loud-toned declaration' " Thou shalt not," and all our laws are based, upon the principle that no one has any right to do anything subversive to public interest, and private liberty is restricted to thi3 end ; but if your objections are raised against political combinations, why, we are indebted to combinations for all the wise laws and lib;rties we enjoy. How could the repeal of the Corn Laws have been effected withoit -the League ? Sow could free trade have been secured without combination 1 And surely, we have as much right to combine to secure laws to protect the lives and morals of the people, as W<e have to combine for any other political purpose. As to the liberty of the subject, you are. not prepared to argue, I suppose, that a person has a right to make himself beastly drunk, for in doing so, he clearly. < commits a crime, .and in committing the crime he injures the State, and the' crime is intensified if. another person steps forward under the plea of holding a public licenced • and makes '& • citizen drunk, and - thereby' endangers his life. The sooner you change your views, Mr. Editor, the better, for the

: Zealand ~will -be filled "with such "one-sided" people—that is, people ranked on humanity—that tKey will not gsve~a person the liberty uudei a Government-licence to .make a -person dnink and then'toss door to go and walk over,the.cliff,-as was done in Hod- [ son-street yesterday, and' kill himself.—l am, &c«,• . j | ' Joseph NewicAk,