THE CHURCH AND THE PUBLICHOUSES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1499, 7 August 1880, Page 24

THE CHURCH AND THE PUBLICHOUSES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,— ln the Witnesß of the 17th inefc. appeared a letter on the above subjeot signed " Ignoramus."* On perusing the letter carefully I come to the conclusion that a better signature to the letter! would have been "iSceptio," as it would better illustrate the idea' in making the interests' of ohurohes identioal with oubliohouses, an idea whioh is jumping from the sublime to the ridiculous at once without any intermediate stage of existence. As " Ignoramus has thrown his coat down for some one to tramp on, I will not actually tramp on it, but I will examine the ideas in oonneotion with his letter. He, in the first place, announces that he has travelled about a good deal, and the reason why a minister of religion' and a public-house keeper are well clothed and fed, in spite of hard times and 'the general depression, "seems to have been .beyond the comprehension of "Ignoramus" and likewise his mates. If " Ignoramus "is a gold miner lam surprised that he could not find the information he asks for through the press from some of the miners that he is surrounded with, as I think among my fellow gold miners that I am living amongst I could find plenty who could explain away what evidently seems a mystery to " Ignoramus." I will take the olergyman's oase firßt. According to " Ignoramus' " ideas he should be seen going about in a dress suitable to denote to the public that these are hard times among the people in gene ral, and by the rotnndity of his person, or ehmness of it, show that there is plenty to eat or a famine in the land; and histoea sticking through his boots would be ocoular demonstrative to the fact that cash was a stranger to him. " Ignoramus " Beems to think the clergyman should be, aa it were, an advertising medium to denote the prosperity or otherwise of trade. God forbid that suoh should be the caee ia any civilized community. Many of the clergymen are very poorly paid, and if they did not practice the strictest economy in dress and household matters, they would very soon present an exterior appearance that would come up to the highest expectation of " Ignoramus' " ideas on the subjeot of what should denote the hardness of the times atany time. Those who support clergymen are not the principal supporters of public-houses j and, i S " Ignoramus" remarks, in strife of the general depression of trade, the public-house keepers are well olothed,and to all appearance, well fed, which is not to be wondered at ; as Naseby, no doubt— like every other place — posaesses a number of inhabitants who bank a good deal of the produce of their labour with the publio house keepers, for very safe keeping, the principal and interest of whioh explains the myßtery of how the public-house keepers are enabled to survive the hard time?. If ''Ignoramus" will only take a careful observation at the classes that support the clergymen, and the public-house keepers in Naeeby, he will easily find out how they are enabled to show a thriving exterior appearance. Those that support the ohuroh will be found to be more decently clad, and.better members of sooiety, than those that support the publichouses. There must be at least a certain amount ol respectability clinging to a church supporter j but a supporter of public-houses only requires a very small coin to put him on a footing oi equality ,with the frequenters How "Ignor auras" can say that there is any magnetic influence between churches and public-houses, is beyond my comprehension, as these institu tions are established with different motives and objeots in view. The advent of a church 01 publio house in a district cannot be said tc be the forerunner of civilisation. The churoh I9j without a doubt, the advent of the observance of the customs of civilised life. In any newlj settled district are always to be found men and women who, having a due regard for the moral duties of life, give church aud its clergyman their hearty support, likewise a share of their means, to enable him to at all times be a respectable representative of his congregation. The advent of a public-house in a district cannot be said to be the advent of civilisation by any means ; it is the advent in many oases -to the experience of many— of the hard times that • • Ignoramus " deplores. Although a township can show several churches in close proximity to an equal number of public-hquse3, it cannot be said that there is any nugnebic force existing between the two: both places find their supporters, and will do so, I suppose, until the end of time ; still, the frequenters of a churca arc better able to keep their clergyman well clothed and fed— and themselves personally better ablt to stand the depression of trade— than the fre. quenters of a public house. The frequenter oi a churoh has all to gain by so doing j the fre quenter of a public house stands to lose, noi gain by his action. Churches will increase th< wealth and intelligence of a country, bu< public houses will lessen the one and retard tin otter. Instead of " Ignoramus " trying to Bhov an affinity between churches aud public-houses if he would oiily study the affinity between i public-house aiid a jail, he would have a sub iecfc that he could grapple with.— I am, &c, Andrew G. Nicol, Greymoufch, July 28th.