A Failure.

Southland Times, Issue 4987, 26 July 1884, Page 3

A Failure.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, — Shame on the Temperance peopleTeetotallers, Goed Templars et Itoc genius omri-e of our town 1 The once pretentious Coffae Palace, through their supineness and indifference, has been handed over to the beer and wh'sky bottlej Had these people taken as much practical interest m the establishment of the Coflee Palace as they have lately taken a sentimental interest m poitical temperance matters, the Coffee Palace, as an institution promotive of temperancs principles and habits, might have become a monument o? the sincerity of the local bodies who advocate that cause. lam afraid, Sir, that our ever-changing Tefttotallers, Gtood Tern« plars, Kecbabites, &c.,.&c, are after all only 11 mutual admiration " clubs. Their zeal m the cause does not get b.yond the consideration of trade interests, 1 wonder how many of them, of 25 years' or 20 days' standing as temperance pledgers, took Bhares m the Coffee Palace adventure and paid up tbuir fchaies. Very few, I feir, for otherwise the scheme would have been a success. Idon ;t say a " great success," Men who are actuated by true convictions, and true zeal m the temperance cause will always look beyond merely selfish profits, and -he! pit on for conecietce 1 i ake. In no other Way will any good cause be promoted. Allied with " shop,' 1 the best of causes only becomes a contemptible ex hibition of ignorant moral imbecility, a crafty scheme of covering with a religious cloak rottenness and falsehood. No doubt there are true men engaged m. the temperance movement. I say let them give proof of their hoaest unselfish sincerity. Taey had the opportunity of doing so m the matter of the establ shment of the Coffee Palace. By their number they could have controlled that institution and made it an enjoyable retort for all men, offering a counter-attraction to the beershop, I think it is a great misfortune the opportunity has been allowed to slip out of toe bauds of the temperance movement. But 1 begin to feartbey have no real faith m their own doctrines, hence the result— the Coffee Palace has become a beershop. Ichabod I An Owbr Tbuk Tale.