Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Teller. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1879.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 660, 26 March 1879, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Teller. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1879.

The New Zealand Alliance for the suppression of the evils arising from the use of alcoholic and other stimulating drinks has been fairly established after great efforts made bytotal abstainers and the friends of strict temperance. With respect to its ultimate object there will be many sympathisers, and few to object ; but we, m common with others, must confess to a certain amount of disappointment m finding that whilst the restriction upon the sale and the lessening the consumption of alcoholic liquors is stated to be the main object of the new Society, only one method of bringing about so desirable a consummation seems to be considered possible m the eyes of the leaders of the Temperance party — namely, the passing an effective Local Option Bill ; such a measure as will place m the hands of the majority of residents within districts of small area, the power of absolutely suppressing within such districts the . sale of alcoholic liquor under any form or pretence whatever. Whether any Permissive Bill yet conceived or drafted could upon equitable principles confer this power on the people is at least open to doubt. It is no doubt m the very essence of a democracy that the people should govern by one form of machinery or another m all matters appertaining to the State, and that the State thus regulated by popular opinion has the distinct right and function to interfere, through the means laid down by the Constitution, m all matters affecting the well-being of society ; but this interference must be strictly within constitutional limits, and when m the suppression of social evils personal rights ai*e affected, there should at least be no manner of doubt as to whether what is proposed to be suppressed is m itself the evil, and' whether the mischief, which we will assume to be undoubted, is a necessary consequence of the institution and involved m its very essence. Intemperance m drink could not certainly exist if there were no liquor to be obtained ; but the fact of the positive habitual sobriety of the very large majority of the people, total abstinence statistics notwithstanding, indubitably proves that drunkenness is not a necessary consequence of strong drink being obtainable. The conflict of medical testimony leaves the question of the healthfulness or otherwise of a moderate use of alcohol quite an open one 3 the authorities who advocate total abstinence being exceedingly indefinite m their expressions of opinion on the point, whilst Sir James Paget and other eminent professional men distinctly assert that moderate use is, under most circumstances, absolutely beneficial. The case cannot be accepted as conclusively made out that the liquor traffic is m itself an evil which, m the interests of the community, should be altogether suppresed; and the Alliance, m looking only to this end, is taking up the position of the Good Templars, and will, we believe, like that Association, fail m any practical effect, except the general one of keeping the subject of intemperance before the public mind. The female vote would, from a variety of reasons other than zeal for the cause of temperance, go m heavy for shutting up the public-houses; and with convenient licensing districts, such as Mr. Fox states to be desirable, there is little reason to doubt that a lai'ge number of the licensed houses would be suddenly closed by the votes of those to whom these establishments are of no personal use or convenience. This would be the tyranny of a majority with a vengeance. Apart altogether from the consideration of vested interests, involving thousands of pounds' worth of property, and the business of thousands of individuals, such a measure would be altogether arbitrary, and opposed to the very first principles of justice and equity. If restrictive laws are i desirable — and we do not by any means assert that they are not — let these be made absolutely by Parliament, clothed as that body is with responsibility as well as power. Let it be defined within what limits as to the character and number of licensed houses the liquor traffic shall be carried on ; and if the sense of the people thus constitutionally expresses itself, let the traffic be suppressed, but even then, not suddenly and without compensation to the interests affected.