NO LICENSE COLUMN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13715, 3 October 1908, Page 2

NO LICENSE COLUMN.

KO LICENSE COLUMN"The Temperance cause lies- at the foundation of all social and political reform." R chard Cobden. FOREWORD. Electors of Timaru, within the nest two months a most important and pressing question of social reform will be sub mi'ted to you for decision. Your verdict will affect the material and moral wellbeing Of our district not merely for the next three years, but for generations to come. The : ssiie to be submitted to you is a clear and definite- one : —ls the Drink Traffic to be allowed to continue in your midst? Is the open bar to remain one .of your legalised institution? It is your duty to weigh well the arguments on both sides belore giving your verdict. Take the liquor t rathe and all the good it has done and put that on oue side of your scales of judgment. l'ut all the evil it has done on the other side, and according as the good or evil is the greater give your vote for or against it. If the open bar is proving a blessing 1 to-our town, if it is tending to make honest citizens, kind husbands, and loving fathers; if it is leading to morality, manhood, and intelligence-,; if it is promoting happiness, and discouraging crime, vice and pauperism, then there can be but oue portion for you to take on the question, livery man who rovevhis country, owes H to his citizenship, owes it to his onti sense of honour, to stand by the open' bar, to talk for it, to work for it. lo vote for it—aye. and if he is a praying man, to pray lor it. If the reverse us true; if the- open,bar is trading the the people; if •.it is making and cruel hu.»bands and unkind fathers; if it is ttie .means of breaking women's hearts, aud degrading little children; if it is wrecking happy home*; if it is a fruitful source of pauperism, disorder, crime, disca.se and death, then is there a. single reason why you, as honest men and women, should \ote "not guilty" and sustain it in the face of-suih a record Remember the words of the late President McKinky: " Efery nian who votes for license- becomes of necessity a. partner to the liquor traffic'and all its consequences." •In this-column'.\we hope to give you from week '. to week facts and.. arguments which will,induce you to say with the great Abraham Lincoln: "The saloon has proved iteslf, to; be the greatest foe, the most blighting curs* -that has ever found a.home in our modern,civrli-.ution, and this in the' reason why 1 am a pol tic a.I prohibitionist:" ' ■, Dr, Charles M. Sheldon, is .well known throughout the.English speaking world ;.u----.'he author'of "In Hit Steps." His home is. in Topeka (a city of 50,000 people) in the Stale of Kansas. Kaiwoc, (400 miles long by -200-miles wide) has been under Xo>l.ccitee for 27 year*. This is how Dr Sheldon suui>s up (he.; iu,ull.v of AoHoerisc hi'that :V~ ..'(11 prohibition is a Success in ov»r tive(tixth of the. entity Slalf*. t That, fej- the *n«: isjfs wtdKobay*&£ri'd enforced as anrvolWr law, oii theviiatute book. . (2). Prohibition has'"reduced pauperism counties have no 'paupers. (3) Crime has decreased more than onehalt under prohibition. 30. county .jails in the State are entirely 'emptv.' Jn many coutitiis whole months go hj? without a. single cast in the 'criminal" courts. I'l) lbcluu- ha* educated the voting people lo ■ regard with aversion the *Mxiat habit of iln'uking. DiiinkeiincsK >tsdf is rare. , to) Tim working men of Kanwis arc. for the most part, the bes-l fed. I lie. b«t,t. clothed, and the b.t;l paid working men in the world, largely on account. of .he prohibitory law. (6) The- newspaper* of Kansas are overwhelmingly in favour of the law. Out <>f 805 newspapers published in the State only ]5 print any liquor advertisements. (V) The great majority of (he people of the State believe in the law. The mill iMcis and church member'* of all denomination-, the 10,000 i-clioo) teacher,, the business mwii, the Chief J notice of the Supreme Court, the (iovcinoi, the Attorney funeral, (he editors of tin- most inlliieutial papers-.ill believe the prohibitory lay »> one of the lk>i laws Kan .-a- ever had. The American people by iheii action eiithor-iastically ciidoiw- the neiil intent*, of Mr Sheldon. flow eloquent are" jlr.*c tigliro :-- In 1880, 7,000,000 p. oplc lived in no license in cas. In 18880, 7,000,000 people livid in lio license areas. In 1890, 11,000,000 p.-ople lin-d in no license ulf-as. In 19C0. 18,000,000 p.-..plc liy-tl in no license areas. In 1908, over 4»,tH.>0,000 people Incd in no licm.-e are,m. Dining tbo past 12 month" riv wli"|-Slatt-H with a population «>vr 10 tinif,, that -.f New Zealand have \oled the liquor traffic out of existence. Kviden.tly tli-? Ain<-rn.an people agree most heartily with Dr. Sheldon and are well .--alisfi-d with the. li-nclirial rc.-ults "1 the closing of the lieen.-ed bar. Who are th? best judxtii of tie effects of no license in Amerie.i ''. Paid ag-iit> neiit by tho li'|ii"r party to conduct imparial (?) inventiKarionr-, ««r the American p. <>p(e theiiiM-lv.-.? '1 he majority of lie- pei.pl. in the I'nitcd Stalo, liav- already i\f < Till c 1 fm nodicense. Advf.