MR PAUL AND THE PROHIBITIONISTS

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11593, 7 August 1899, Page 2

MR PAUL AND THE PROHIBITIONISTS

TO THS EDITOU

Sir, — A letter from Jam-s McCullum, in your isEue of July 31«t, draws attention to tho unworthy tactics of those objectionable people who, at risk of every principle of religion and honour, are endeavouring to enfoice their perverted ideas on ths community. I have read in many of the papers of the colony a great deal cf the correspondence on prohibition and reports of speeches of tho leaders of tho movement, and while, as an ordinary voter, I can have every sjmpathy with those who endeavour to ijstil '■ tempo* ranee" into others, I cannot; help rcproLating those tactict as u : e4 in C'kito, which milita'-.o ag'-iast a good cau<o. Ie is an unfor* units thiDg ihat Mr James Paul hss not bad another o£ those moderate tunperanca advocates to rs-ist him at tho m^eticg^ of Proh'bUi^nis's at which ha Kas attended. His method of dsaiiog with the fdlsa issues raised and h"s pler.smt dG.-neanoor, while f?»fl! ring ut.meriti.-d slanders, ii worthy of all praise, ilai I not uofortu>» nately lived so far from these coutrovcrsi 'nal centre 3 , I s t a^uld luvo been i-npolled to cast in my lot with him, and Inve borne tin opprobrious epiihets, so gratuitously slung broadcast, shoulder to shoulder with ouo who n I consider it an honour to bo on friendly terms. And why ? Certainly Mr Paul has mid 9 money ;bo eajs so, but Inw ? Has ha not brewed a p'easanb, agreeable, in vig-» oratiug beer, houest ani j ure m:tlfc a>id hops, and do nos all our historical and social ideas centre on a beveruge o£ this d S3ript:on. "Well was it sad, in the old " Goo-i Templar" time"!, '• Ie they would only nut the markec a drink which would not intoxicate, while ii would be agreeab!.i to tha palate, how math good would thsy do.'' Hut this has not yet been done. With the exception o£ Korteg<*9k, of Ilokitika, I consider James Paul to ba 'the mm who will, in future generations, be poiattd to as the brewer in New Zeahnd who did more for temperanc?. per ie, thin a>l tha fanatical new chum Prohibitionists who have a'ood on aDy platform And this leads me to a remark I heard the other day, " How ia it the*e Probation's s aro all ' now dnm>? "l'lu-y biing their notions from other countiie-, bas^d on their experience thsre, and try to fi^ht her« a state of things wh eh does no; esist " How true this is. Look around, whsro are these " frightful exam jle"," thesa " bevys of drunkards," those " hec\tombs of wifo htaterp," which are fowu broadcast from their platforms ? lhe old colonists are respectab'e, bemo loviDg ptoj»lo, and if occasionally they meet and eijjy their suc'al glass together, what harm occurs, and why sbould theso bigots, failing in their own ttrength, be allowed ro worry this peaceful old ago. Why, Sir ! had it not been lor thtso old colonists, no colony would have existed, ond lo money could havo been paid to keep these f-h.ira r -less parisices. who now fatten on the work of those thsy revile. Sir, on gioii'i'U of religion, of socioiy, of expediency, aud of heihh, drunkenness is to bo rq>rointeil. Ternperanco i^ v ■st.ito in wl'iiii the Duity a -il Christi glory, but evil speaking, l)i«"g. and shuder are cohdemuab 11 ' 1 in u\ory «ay. God made Adiim and Xv? aud put the foib d.ien tree to ttmj)t ll.pni. S.ill i-ia cjiuiste-s, nowa'iay.- 1 , prcittud to bo wiser thin their Milker, an 1 siy, " 1 hou thill not ba tempted." Let us for a raoiient consider iho effee; of drink as a crime : A mm or woman falis, sulT rp, next day ro covers, and in 091) ca-»cs out of a 1000 tho barm is a personal ono which the ntx 1 ; day's ropentanco recuperate". Divid hit.nod and lopeuteJ, and .igiin Motived G.^l's fivour. Jlir tako itinnor.xii y, \v!k:o ilo^i this w.>l ? A tu.iu sciiuucs auo'.h-irs wifo, au'l life-long m's^ry au I coriLumely is tho rc-ulc, and manj' iniioct nt lives .iro probably sicri[\';e<\ to tlu comfort of think obtained as a. palliativo to mortal Mitt" iin». Here, and in li'ie form, aro tha rius to be fout,hf, iind prohibi ion sought. Prohibit social gatherings, Idvo foisc, religious ruvivalf, clioir { riclioo-i, aud anything whioh teuda to ths pro-ns.uoug mixing v>t iho sexes, for hero lioi tin opportnui'y for uvil. L'ut let the hirrclcss fluid liiauufac'ufnd by Mr Paul llo;v its cq.tal It jijUi alou-* iv greater and let lua enj iy his weil carneJ reputaliuti aa .i-i houest mm »nd a crcvU'. to the cotnniu icy, which lv hit 'imiQ so iini.h to liau* to v^'uiiu'y. — I am, &3., J JE.