CLOSE QUARTERS WITH THE ENEMY. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10598, 16 September 1896, Page 4

CLOSE QUARTERS WITH THE ENEMY. TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, —Those interested in the liquor business do riot trouble very remoh about Bands of Hope, Good Templars, Blue Bibfaonites, or temperance oratory, but they very greatly fear legislative action and the polling booth. To-day tha trade is really alsrmrd and aroused. The traffickers are active and alert, and are rallying their forces. Prohibitionists, the blast of war is in our ears. Now h the day of our opportunity. Great things are possible to us if we bravely do our duty. All apathy must' be laid aside. We must nob dream that angels are coming down to car?y "no license." We must fling onrfelves into the fray, and with tha strength of Heaven act well our part. A splendid advance of the temperance force? is now possible. By boM and resolute »etion we may capture a Prohibition Dunedin. Our purpose is one which I'hculd awaken enthusiasm in every patriotic hear!;. "We want a sober and happy New Zealand. We want to stoo that "great induntry" which makes drunkards,; paupers, vagabonds, and criminal.", which desolates tens of thousand of homes, which rains the bodies and souls of a host which no man can number. Let not our hands be slack in this work, nor our hearts bs faint. Let no man of God ba afraid of the crink power, or fall dorm and worship vested interests. Our fathers would not be priest-ridden, and shall we be publican-ridden ? Never ! Then strike out the top line of your ballot papers and we shall be free.—l am, &c, Dunedin, September 14. B. W.

LIQUOR AND LYING, TO THE EDITOE.

Sib, —In reply to " Xapanui," in yours of fchfl Bth mat., please give m« space to inform that person that, as a son of freedom, I do not and) as a Britisher, cannct submit to the Jesuitical prieciple of " the end justifies the means "; and nothing can justify the despicable tactics adopted by the Prohibition party, led by such individuals aa your correspondent, or those yonng gentlemen who, inspired by propagandists of the Isitt type, induced publicans in Christcfeureh to break cba law. If " Tapanui" means: improving the race instead of exalting i himself, let me tell irirn or her that a plain, common senso view of the matter for th«m would be the simple matter of fact —viz , that the aims of the Liquor party are not, and cannot be, perversion of tha truth aa against illicit traffic, which the Prohibition party are so industriously prop&gafck'g.—l am, &c, DunEdin, September 12. No Humbug.

TO THX EDITOR,

Sir, —The form of controversy your, correspondent G. H. Mackenzie presents to the public will only meet the c&utempt it deserves. No man in his sane secssE vottki eater into contest with an unknown corespondent in such a ridicnlously bravado fashion. By thia person I am charged with a want of manliness in doing something I never did—viz., commenting on a case now subjudice, —nad time endeavouring to influence a future jnrj. In th« first place, almost anyone but G. It. Hla^kenzie knows th*t in do so is an offence, Jrierally r crime, tost fcbe editor of a leading janrnitl would never be ti party to by consenting' to its publication ; and in the second place, anyone who understands plain English, mid who kuows anything about the case your corre»pondttit refers to, could not come to any such eocetasion from my letters— not the slightest reference, not even an intinua« tion bearing on that particular case, can there be found.

Your correspondent says: "li ' Tapanui' wants more I shall fle hippy to meet him through the columns of your psper or on a public platform." More what ? Eenss ? I deny his ability to give it. Abuse ? Private exhibitions more than satisfy. Keep tbcai, then. The public do not require to be told Siiat they originats from the sly grog-ihop and oiher places of such a kind. As for reason, or snything approaching propriety, let your letters speak more of this. No, G. H. Mackenzie, I prefer something more edifying and someone more competont to play an important part in sc intelligent discussion. —I am, &c, September 12. Tapanui. [Thu correspondence is now dosed.—Ed. 0. D. T.j