THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES OPPOSES PROHIBITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13268, 27 April 1905, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES OPPOSES PROHIBITION.

GENERAL BOOTH REFUSES' TO.COON- ' TENANCK THE POLITICAL AGITATION. I'HE REV. MR READY ATTACKS THE . GENERAL FOR HIS ATTITUDE. . (Published under arrangement with Mr ,W»Thohson.) ' Tour readers must feel grateful, to yon * ;or the oalm and judicious article which appeared in your issue of the 25th inst. There are thousands and terio of thousands who are perplexed with tho moral aspect of - an agitation, which sweeps over the colony Bvcry threo years, the professed l object of which is tho improvement of tho people, but which, to every thinker, ia so palpably wanting in consideration for individuals primarily concerned, as well as for th© community, that were it to succeed it -would mean disaster to many, ao well as to lower • ilio mora] tone of the people. Your loading article will bo hailed, not by your -. readers alone, but wherever it is reproduced, a. welcome, particularly at this juncture, as a- guide for the electors when the crisis comes. We think that no greater blessing can bo enjoyed by a British community than for the press, wliich has so largely assumed the plaoo of tho pulpit, as well as that of public instructor- in literature, science, and philosophy, to come out on the side of morality, equity, and justice. In soma minds tho popularity of a question decides its acceptance. There are many to whom prohibition is unfair. )mt who hesitate to pronouueo because oF ihe consequences; while others, anxious to promote temperance, regard compulsory eobricty liko compulsory virtue—as essentially untrue to human nature and in the long run destructive of progr«(s. Prohibition is in this last category. It is sobriety by act of Parliament, or. what comes to the samo thing, by tho vote of the 1 people. In dealing with the MORAL AND COMPULSORY ASPECT/ YOU SAY:"But Father Hays is at variance with the prohibitionists in at least ono important respect, for ho places tho emphasis upon individual effort and resolve rather than upon legislative enactmsnt. Tho prohibitionist says to the victim of the drink habit, 'You are weak: we will pander to your weakness by removing tliei source of your temptation from tho land in which you dwell.' On the other hand Father i!ays says, in effect. 'You sro weak; you have yielded in tho past: summon to your aid all tho manhood within you. and resolutely pledge yourself to resist the craving of an overmastering appetite.' When the ' two methods arc contrasted it is at once evident which is best calculated to produce the stronger and mors resolute typo of man. Did Father Hays's mission end at tho point we have indicated there could bo nothing in his visit which would in auy ■way lend itself to criticism; but there can be little doubt that the end whioh the executivo of the New Zealand Temperance Alliance had in view in bringing this eminent, temperance advocate to New Zealand was tho furtherance of tho no-license cause." Thero can b'o 110 doubt as to which produces the "STRONGER AND MORE RESOLUTE TYPE OF MAN."

Prohibition, or the compulsory method of sobriety, produces the weaker, irresolute, unfit type; moral suasion produces -the conscientious, open, and by far the stronger type, and for tho sound reason that it takes into account the wide and varied conditions essentially necessary for the progress of humanity. Anything which is imposed on human nature by compulsion either defeats itself or stultifies humanity. This applies to all religious and moral attempts at reformation. The history of the British Empire amply confirms that statement. Prohibition is advocated as a ! moral reform, but it is unquestionably the method of force, and as such, like every historical effort at compulsory conversion, will produce the same results.

EVERY BRITISH SUBJECT SHOULD FEEL PROUD of the commanding position his country holds. Not the freest only, it is also the greatest civilising Power, and its flag is tho signal of liberty to tho oppressed and tho 6layo. This glorious position among the nations of the earth has not been attained by the resolute application of prohibition, in any form, to our people, but rather by moral suasion, which is a thousand times more potent for good. Britain's position is an evolution, a growth, or . development, along natural and. moral lines, to which prohibition would have been fatal. Tho jimprovod temperance habits of the people, even of New Zealand, is an evolution; or a growth. Tho good cause of progrew in the temperance sentiment will contiuue unless arrested by prohibition, and just as the people of Dunedin and Southland are infinitely moro temperate to-day than they were oven 25 years ago, so 20 years hence they will be more temperate than they are now. The only danger is prohibition, and it is a very real danger of which we need to be warned, inasmuch as it substitutes artificial for natural and compulsory for moral methods. THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES, SPEAKING ON THE COMPULSORY METHOD, WELL SAYS:—"But for thousands of men and women voluntarily to decide to abstain from intoxicating beverages is quite another matter from a system of compulsory prohibition. We do not suppose that <even the most ardent prohibitionist, will venture to assert that a bare majority of the people of New Zealand are pledged total abstainers from alcoholic beverages, much less a three-fifths majority. And ■herein lies the fallacy of supposing that the people of this colony will continue indefinitely to develop prohibitionist proclivities/' This is so well said and so convincing that comment is unnecessary. Prohibition is a fallacy. Your readers wili' have noticed with pain a-nd regret the words which the REV. •W. READY UTTERED CONCERNING GENERAL BOOTH. One would have thought that the aged General's grey hairs and his lifelong service in the cause of the poor would have made Mr Ready , pause before charging him with " bowing down to the golden calf." It is indeed a Tery serious i thing for any man -in tho colony, whatever his age or calling, to say tone word against prohibition when even 'the aged head of the Salvation Army is N attacked by a Methodist minister because lie refuses to countenance the political methods of tho prohibitionists. If the people of the colony will continue to approvoof such methods, which have been in Toguo for 10 years by the No-license party, the time is not far distant when free speech, the blood-bought right of the British everywhere, will be a matter of tho jpast. GENERAL BOOTH, AS A WISE MAN, nays:—"The prohibition movement is bound to be a political movement." and ■"he will not use it as a method for the advancement of temperance and sobriety." Tho General shows his wisdom. He knows better than to trust in political methods for temperance or sobriety.