Lecture by Mr M. Davie.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4900, 15 March 1894, Page 3

Lecture by Mr M. Davie.

The Tuam Street Hall was well filled last night, when Mr M. Davie gave an address entitled, "The Evils of Prohibition." Before commencing hia address, the lecturer remarked that he would have to do without a chairman. He had asked several gentlemen to preside, but tho3e asked were afraid to face the probabilities of mudslinging in Cathedral Square. He said that he had several objections to the nauseous draught of prohibition, aa compounded by the " Herbalist Trinity," the two Messrs leitt and Mr T. E. Taylor. Of these objectiona ha would mention but five. First it was unscriptural, secondly it militated against the liberty of tho'subiy ject, thirdly it was uncharitable, fourthly it was untruthful and fifthly ie was unnecessary. In enlarging on the scriptural view, the lecturer said that throughout the Old Testament, wine was always spoken of as a blessing, and jit 3 abuse only condemned. The Jewish Rabbi, the Rev A. Chodowski, had, in an able little pamphlet entitled "The Fermented Wines of the Bible," conclusively proved that the majority of these wines were of an intoxicating oharacter. In the New Testament, his hearers would not readily forget the 'beautiful story of the marriage at Cana of Galilee and the subsequent transformation of water into wine. It was against such high authority aa this that the prohibition leaders rebelled,, and, indeed, with them, Christianity ever seomed to occupy a second place to prohibition. On the second count, he asserted that prohibition as proposed militated against ihe personal liberty of the subject. This liberty he defined a man to have when he did whatever he liked, so long as in so doing he did not injure other people. For himself, he claimed the right to drink or abstain, as reason or necessity might require, and so long as he behaved himself he would not acknowledge the right of the Eev Mr Isitt or any other man to control his actions. He objected to part with his birthright of eelf-control merely because the many or few had voluntarily or otherwise resigned theirs. Were prohibition carried they would be once more relegated to the dark ages, and would have to fight once more for their own individual freedom. Thirdly, he asserted that prohibition was uncharitable. The prohibitionists endeavoured to carry out their fad without the slightest regard to the wishes or feelings of others. He had not intended to give examples of this, as he waß unwilling to repeat at second-hand many of the remarks of the Cathedral Square orator?, especially before a mixed audience. Those who had heard the orators referred to would understand what he meant without further explanation. He was in luck, however, for on Saturday night last, in Cathedral Square, and on Sunday night last, in the Theatre, a gentleman from a country district had kindly provided him with what he wanted. In Cathedral Square, this gentleman had said " that if he had his way he would flay the publicans alive." The lecturer then read a portion of a report of the same gentleman's speech delivered in the theatre on Sunday. The gist of this speech, he said, related to the prohibition speaker's conversion of a gentleman at Dunßandel who held opposite views. The crux of the argument and final cause of conversion appeared to have been a threat on the part of the prohibition gentleman to drown his opponent. Mr Davie, in checking a laugh from the audience, said that this sort of thing was very serious. If it was a huge joke, he was wasting his time talking about it ; but he gave his prohibition friends credit for sober earnestness. He pointed out that the old spirit of persecution for opinion's sake was evidently once more abroad, and that the State had provided such places as lunatic asyluing for those who threatened the lives of other people. That such men should be alloy/ed to walk about without restraint was not in accord with the existing social state. With regard to his fourth charge, prohibition, as gauged by some statements of its leading advocates, savoured strongly of untruth. He severely criticised some of the remarks of a prohibition leader under this heading, and wanted to know what was the moral value of the "prohibition theory " if truth had to be abandoned or mutilated for its support. As proving his fifth proposition, the lecturer instanced the remarkable sobriety o£ New Zealau&ers as compared with the inhabitants of other English-speaking countries. The young men W6re remarkably Bober, and the prohibition leaders, with unusual caution, had as yet refrained from accusing the girls (as a class) of tippling. The present Government deserved much credit for its recent appointments of competent men to analyse the liquor sold to the public. If they were capable of improvement this should make them still more eober. In conclusion, the lecturer gave it as his opinion that education and the carrying out of enlarged and liberal views ccmld alone effect a cure of the evilß complained of. When narrow views gave way to the wider ideas suggested, and charity in ita fullest senee became more common, they could expect the fulfilment of. Milton's glorious prophecy oontained in the "Odo to the Nativity." At the conclusion of liis address the lecturer cnawesed. several questions,