THE GOOD TEMPLARS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 2383, 9 February 1876, Page 2

THE GOOD TEMPLARS.

To the Editor of the Takanaki Herald. Sir, — I read with interest your leader of the 20th of January, and your remarks in reference to Good Templars not becoming a political body. I am not" a Good Templar, but I regard that body, with their views a little luoditied, as the commencement of one of the most important of modern reforms. This is an age of reformation. Education is enlightening the public, and they arc making efforts to shake off absurd old British customs that have for centuries been a burthen to the people — for example, those associations formed to do away with expensive weddings and funeral customs. We can only regard. Templarism as the commencement of one of the most important aud beueficial modern reforms, their object being to lessen thoso driukiug habits that have for centuries been a degradation and disgrace to our nation aud our people. It is well known that thousands of our people have sunk themholvea iuto poverty, ignorance, and crime by excessive grog aud beer driukiug, and that thousands of parents spend their earnings iv public houses, instead of feeding, /clothiijg; and educating their children— the w&ole ultimately becoming a burthen to be supported by the people. The national miseries caused by drink are known to the public, aud to our Home and Colonial Governments, yet no steps are taken by tho Government to check this grow ing evil. Each succeeding Miuistry seem to have but oue object iv view — that i.s to increase the revenue. It is well known that the largest portion of the revenue is derived from duties on spirituous liquors; aud to derive that revenue, the Government seem careless how they sneritice the people. In every new colonial township formed, thu first institution erected and licensed is a public house. On every line where a coach runs, the opportunity is teized to erect grog shops, licensed as refreshment houses, but in reality they are temptations, placed there to impoverish and demoralise their neighbourhoods, aud increase the reveuue. Iv the larger towns, attractive barmaida, billiard tables, and club or card rooms are f uruished to attractyouug men ; everywhere, in fact, temptation may be found to entice youth to dissipation: Ko thinking head of :i family can view all these temptations for the young without feeling uneasy as to the fate of his children. In the larger colouial towns or ciiies, the billiard rooms may be seenuight | after night— even until the small hours of j morning — crowded with our )'oung colonial, I who at these tables for the most part speud their salaries or earnings. We cannot at first realise this frightful state of things. Drinking ia au old national custom, wo have been used lo seeing it from our youth upwiu-ds, it has become a bort of evcoud nature, and it is only ou serious reflection that we can realize the evil of this degrading, and increasing old national custom. The biliiard-table is comparatively a modern pnblic-house attraction, aud to our youth it has proved to be the most fascinating and ruinous of public-house temptations. These temptations are rendering the youth of our period profligate, and dissipated, they are fast followiug in the footsteps of the youth of home, previous to the downfall of that Empire. The vast iucrease in the national wealth of home, led to the dissipation of her } outlj, and consequent downfall. The vatt iucreaso of our own national wealth, within the last quarter ceutury is tending to the same results. Our youth of the present period have a larger amount of money to Bpcnd in dissipation, that the youth of lifty years ago had not. Youug men of ri Cty years ago were uot I wiser in their generation than the youth of thu prosentpenod, but they simply had not thesparo gash to .spend, iv dissipation, so were compelled to be bteadier iv their habit?. It is the sudden increase of the national wealth, also the increased attractions provided by the public-houses that are causiug the increasing dissipation among the youth of the period. The reckless, short-sighted policy ol our home aud colonial governments in encouraging, rather than checking this growing evil, has caused a portion of the people (Templars and other abstinence societies') to take in" hand this important reform. In their efforts to repress this existing aud increasing e\ il, they will be supported by a large majority of the ! intelligent public who will, combined, form a strong reformation league. Abstineuce societies are generally respected by the public ; their members iuclude some of our ablest and most intelligent men, aud their cause is oue to obviously benefit mankind, that they cannot fail to be supported in their efforts by all who seriously retlect on this important question, by thoso who have a regard for the welfnro of their offspring, OF rising generation, and bj «J1 who have a desire to lessen this existing and degrading national weakness. They may be opposed by those who havo j not seriously considered the question, by tho^c I wedded to old drinking customs, or by those interested iv the liquor trade; but th<^ people cm only oiler a feeble opposition, as s they can bring forward no argument in favour of the prevailing system. Their chief cry is interference with the liberty of the people. They either cannot comprehend, or will uot see, that it is the object of these societies to tree au unfortunate portion of their fellowbeings from slavery to the grog bottle. I The great evil is, that there are too many licenses granted, and too much temptation offered to attract and seduce the people. There are fullg one-half more lioense* granted thau arc necessary for the requirements of the public. ' But the present system of combining public a inuscnicnts with jr«w mluiij is the principal cnuso of leading our jouth into intemperate habits. A public hou^e thould be a pluce fur the accommodation of travellers, aud to retail spirits to those who require them : but they' I should offer no further attraction* to entice our youth or the public to visit them. UUliard rooms, club rooms, show rooms, and 'bariiiaids arc the fascinations iltai attract a?id gradually lead our'yputh iv dk-nipatinn. Iv grautiug licenses, these attractions should be prohibited ou the public hout>e prcnusi'6. Reform in these mutters is absolutely necessary. If the Government take no steps to remove existing evils, there is no doubt tho public will ; and to ejfict these necessary reforms, the reformers must to a certain' crtent become apolitical body. — I am. &c, COLOXiaT. February 'J, 1870.

Douioks will DH'TUB.-Dr. Bakettel!, Dunediu, writing to the II aikuuaiti Horalu, says we might u& well try to stop the spread of scarlatina by putting the wind in tmaranliue us by quarantining the houses. Another Suet. — The Pop« solemnly anathematizes the sect recently fouuded by the apostate Panelli, which is endeavouring to constitute what it calls a " National Church" in Italy. Benefit ov Eating Oatmkau — No person who lives chiefly or largoh on genuine brown bread) or its equivalent in perhaps a better form — porridge made of coarse wheat meal— never suffers from constipation. Mns. Skxatok Summeu is reported to- be about to marry one Jones, a clerk in the New York Cubloui House. • v