A REJOINDER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10731, 20 February 1897, Page 3

A REJOINDER.

TO THE EDITOE. Sir, —I must confess that when I read the Rev. F. C. Platts's reply (?) this morning response failed me. The words were toe weighty for me. "The distinctive dogma," " fche hallucination," the " specious rhodomontade," "the imaginary bogey," "the profoundesc curses" of the prohibitionists wellnigh overpowered me. I feared that attempting another reply I should bufc illustrate one more aspect of "themo3fc extraordinary phenomena of the prohibition crazs." While thus musing my eyes glanced - down the side of the paper, and I saw the report; of the case before the Port Chalmers Police Court yesterday morning. A poor woman " was charged with having no lawful means of support. Sergeant Geerin said that the accussd had been aboufc the town in a chronic state of drunkenness siuue Christma*?. ... If she continued these drinking bout 3in all probability she would be found dead," When I read the above I could not help feeling sorry for Mr Platts. How singularly unfortunate he sesms. to be in the dates of his epistolary publications 1 The paper thafc confc*iaed his letter last week also had the report of the inquest on the man who had died in Port of "chronic alcoholism," to which reference was made in my last letter. This morning's paper, which contains his rejoinder, also informs us that if the Bergeant had nob mercifully interfered another death from "chronic alcoholism" might any day have to be reported. Had this poor woman been possessed of £350 like the victim of last week we might not have known anything about her until her death was recorded as was his. Facts are stubborn things, and when fottt such cases as I have had to note in this correspondence are before the public within five weeks, one may well solicit Mr Platts's definition of a population of a " very temperate character."- As illustrating the great evils resulting from the sale of liquors, legalised by the vote of this reverend gentleman and others, these represent no " imaginary bogey," bufc an evil which the church, of all parties, should be the foremost in assailing. I can scarcely thiuk I am right, yet the words give me no alternative but to assume thafc Mr Platts confounds tha whisky, gin, rum, and beer in the main drunk by such victims as have been under our notice with the wine made by the Saviour at the marriage feast in Cana. He gives the impression that he has joy in thinking thus. I can see no grounds for either joy or reason in such acoa-

elusion.—l am, &c, Wesleyan Parsonage, Thos. N. Gbiffin. Port Chalmers, February 16. [This correspondence is now closed.—Ed. 0. D. T.]