Mrs Harrison Lee.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2570, 22 August 1899, Page 2

Mrs Harrison Lee.

The dress circle of the theatre was fuU and the stalls about half full last evening, when Mrs Harrison Lee gaye an address in favour of prohibition. TinRev. J. N. Buttle, president cf the loci! branch of the Prohibition presided, and the Rev Messrs Chisholm and Woodward were also on the platform. The title of the address was “ Fencing the Precipice,” and this was a figure under which was taught the folly of picking up people who fell through strong drink, when the rational mode of dealing with the case was to erect a fence over whW*i they could not fall unless determined to do so. The unwary came to the edge of the precipice by the roads “moderate drinking,” “ gocd-fellovvship,” and “ taken by the doctor’s orders,” and many fell over; and it was not at all satisfactory work to run an ambulance car at the bottom to save those who fell, while the precipice remained unfenced at the top. Tiie fence required for posts faith in God and love for man, and the rails were moral suasion, education, and legislation. The first rail implied active work on the part of everyone who had the interest of the cause at heart, not sympathy and good wishes merely, which were of no practical value. Fducation implied all sorts of knowledge of facts bearing on the subject; such as that alcohol is a poison ; that beer contains but an infinitesimal proportion of good stuffs, as a set-off to the poison; that the word “liberty” has been painfully degraded in connection with this contest and needs to be restored to noble uses; that there is financial waste in drinking customs, and financial benefit in giving them up ; that the revenue would suffer was sheer humbug, as the money not spent on beer must be spent otherwise, and many imports gave far higher revenue returns than beer; the boys of the colony, for instance, could more quickly eat the colony into prosperity by the Consumption of currant cake than their fathers could produce a “surplus” by drinking beer. The top rail, legislation, could be put on next November, by “ striking out the top line,” and this could be secured if the other two rails were well fixed in the meantime. Mrs Lee spoke for nearly two hours, and easily maintained the interest of her audience throughout, by the variety of her illustrations, and the skill with which she wove argument and anecdote together. At the close of the address it was announced that Mrs Lee will give an address to women only in the Wesleyan Church |on Thursday afternoon, and another address—not a temperance address—in the Theatre on Thursday evening. It was aiso stated that the Hev. L. M. Jsitt will give two addresses in Timaru next week.