THE BARE MAJORITY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15826, 26 July 1913, Page 12

THE BARE MAJORITY.

TO THE EDITOR. Slit,—Will you kindly -allow me to express my appreciation of the treatment of the above-named subject by Mr J. MacOrcgor in the Open Letter to tho Prime Minister, published in yesterday's issuo of the Daily Times. Speaking from a long and intimate acquaintance with the general mind of the Prohibition party, I may say that we have never had any misgiving as to the justice of ojir claim in demanding that tho liquor question should be decided by a bare majority vote. But there are many hundreds of people, who will gratefully welcome the emphatic endorsement of that claim now made by Mr MacUregor. He, at anyrate, is not likely to be charged with the bias of fanaticism. Occupying, as he does, a position ,of detachment from the hur'yburly of political contests, ln'6 calm and measured opinion will carry weight with many who might not be influenced by what, it is possible to regard 36 a, party warcry. But there are men/and women toiling hard year after year, sacrificing- time and money with the one object of getting rid of an intolerable curse, who will be cheered in the fight by such an encouraging word as that to which Mr MacGrcgor has given' utterance.

Mr MacGrcgor does not "approve of the pledge method adopted in this campaign," Frankly, we as little like the necessity for it as Mr MacGregor does, and if he can point out to us by what other means wo can accomplish the end we have in view lie will relieve many of us of an unwelcome obligation. Many of us have a, keen interest in general polities; some of us are strongly wedded to party platforms, and we should like to be saved from the necessity of applying such a test as that involved in the pledge-signing campaign. But what are we to do? The one outstanding duty, <is wo view it, of every man and woman concerned for the moral welfare of tin's country is to get rid of the liquor traffic. By every just and fair principle that traffic should have been got rid of a| flic lust poll, when a majority of more than 54,000 voted for its abolition. Wo have been shamefully cheated out of (he victory we then won by this infamous three-fifths handicap. Is it any wonder that we have now determined on a concent rated effort to break that handicap down? The olilv way we can see nt present 1o accomplish that is to declare that we will vote for no man who will persist in maintaining that handicap. Under J lie circumstances, is that an unfair rrosition to take? To tell us that, we should trust to the good judgment of a candidate vrithoiit imposing any lest is to ask ns to whisllo to the wind so far ns gaining the object we liiivp ill vi<w is concerned. AVe have ben humbugircd long enough by trustiii" to the good judgment of the men we have pent In Parliament, and we have made im our minds now to send only Fitch men to I'arlitment, who«c iudirment in tlvs matter of the three-fifths bmlicap roincidra with our own. Still we iiro open to further cnli<rlil''.nnient on this qiKslion. and : f Mr MacGregor. who so cordially supports the I principles for w'i'ch we contend, enn oe'v r-oint out to us some brtler wnv by wh ; ''h tile application of t'mt pr'nc'ole can h" made effective he will vu'dT the cause of moral reform an incsl ;, nab'e service.—l I am. etc., W. J. Williams.

Oimaru, July 25.

Life is short; it is better to ask for the hest while we can enjoy it even if we take |e«s Better be teetotal than drink had Whisky, Ask for "WHITE HORSE " WHISKY, not merely " WHISKY." The quantity is strictly limited, and onlv drunk by tho educated dosses.— Advt.