PARLIAMENT AND THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9306, 15 September 1893, Page 3

PARLIAMENT AND THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—You blame Alliance people for putting a vague issue before candidates for Parliament on the liquor question. You must know that it is impossible to put a question in such a way that it cannot possibly be misconstrued by those who are determined to do so. The blame rests with the candidates themselves, who trim their sails to catch the influence of every breeze that blows from whatever quarter, in order to land them into Parliament. They have a much better opportunity of declaring explicitly what they understand any question that they mcty be asked really involves than have the questioners who put it. But it is almost as difficult to make water run uphill as it is for a man to act and vote contrary to his natural sympathies and proEensities. Who, for instance, could possibly ave foreseen that members who profess to have voted for local option without compensation would have insisted upon a condition that there must be a three-fifths majority— or that half the electors must vote before any action can be taken ? Political power should be represented by the interest that people take in any question, and if a voter hos.not sufficient interest to cause him to vote, he should be regarded as passive in the matter, and not be used as a stumbling-block to prevent the majority of those who do take an intense interest in the question from acquiring what they desire. There .will':, be a great many , serious charges against nolitical traitors on ; their return from Parliament ; 3 and if i we only get our new reinforcements, there 'will be such a sifting at the next election as will astonish them. We shall be able' to send more wheat and less chaff. It will be very interesting then to note the change in the tone of our newspapers upon the women's franchise, the direct> veto, prohibition, the threerfifth,; majority, 3- the

possibility of buying men over to abstain from -voting, and even the retention of the Legislative Council at all on 1 any terms (unless they are elected directly by 'the people) after the ludicrous manner in which some of them had discussed questions. vital to the interests of the colony, and which the women voters will never forget.— am. etc., ' Mangere, September Bth, 1893. J.E.T.