"VIATOR" AND MR WREATHALL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13654, 24 July 1908, Page 6

"VIATOR" AND MR WREATHALL.

To the Editor of the "Timaru Herald." Sir, —It is sad to find from perusal of Mr WrealhalFs literary effort in Tuesday's "Herald" that ho is still far from recovery ; in fact his symptoms show a very aggravated fonn of the complaint. His advisers would have done better to stick to tlve prescription given him by a friend on the occasion of a former outbreak. Instead of this they appear to have idopted the homoepathic treatment, —like cures like and have encouraged him again to rush into print. This latest lucubration smacks of a 6ermon more than a letter to a newspaper; and Mr W., in his role of a preacher and purveyor of exalted moral sentiments, is rather a curiosity.

He reminds one of a Daniel come to judgment or a Saul among the prophets?. He parades and exhibits himself to the public as a strictly moderate man; yet tins apostle of moderation would make it a penal offence for his neighbour to drink a glass of beer or wine, commodities used by all sorts of people at their dally meals in every civilised country in the world; from time immemorial. He should remember that iuus or -taverns or hotels have been in existence thousands of years before local option or prohibition was heard or dreamed of. It is .a common custom of prohibitionists to ascribe every laxity of morals to the use of strong drink, and to attribute sudden deaths to the same cause. In some cases they are correct, but in others they are not, and they do not scruple to defanto the character of Lhe deceased by suggesting his or her propensity to liquor as the cause of every evil. * Mr contention' is that reports of a general nature, unverified by facts, should not be used to the detriment of a hotel or its proprietor; and this opinion has been confirmed by a decision of tins Supreme Court of Justice. As for the policeman, I quoted his own words, and like evervbodv else, drew my own inference. Mr W. is under no obligation to. enter hotels, which he considers such dens of. iniquity, nor is he required to dnnk what he "calls " cursed stuff." Let him continue to patronise his pie-simp, swallow hi,, sixpennv worth and give thanks, like the Pharisee of old, that he is " not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." I have done w=th Mr Wrcathall. Ho has delivered his homily, given utterance to his profound moral" reflections, and preached at me to the best of his ability. Probably he will pray for me or hold me up as an awful warning'at-the next teetotal gathering or holiness meeting he may grace with hw presence; yet I fed I have not lived altogether in vain. If I have not completely cured Mr WreathaH's cacoethes, I have administered'a. salutary check to that offensive and constantly recurring conyplaint.—l am, etc., .. VIATOR.