THE PROGIBITION CRUSADE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIII, Issue 15000, 8 April 1899, Page 2

THE PROGIBITION CRUSADE.

There vras a splendid attendance at (lie Prohibition meeting; in the Oddfellows' Hall lust evening, which was opened by the Rev. (j. Bond offering prayer. Mr. G. S. Bridge was in the chair, and in a few suiliible words introduced Mrs. Lee to the audience. Mrs. Lee, on rising, gave out her subject for the evening as "Fencing the precipice." It was better to fence the precipice at the top than have an. ambulance wagon at the bottom to take away the wounded. ' Theprecipice could never be fenced by moderation, though she once thought this was possible. Social custom , moderate drinking, and drinking by the doctojg&fcorders were voads leading to the top <jsP> c precipice. A good post and rail fenjje^fnust be put' round the top of the precipice. The posts were faith in God and love to man.. The rails must be moral suasion ov individual effort in winning men to temperance and Christ. There were those who talked about their liberty, which meant liberty to get drunk seven times a week. The next rail •was education, and here the spenker gave a very interesting description of the process of making wine. She also repeated a conversation with Dr. B. W. Richardson, who had explained how he came to discover that alcohol was one of the worst poisons in existence. In 144 quarts of Burton Beer there was one quart of neshforming matter. A splendid illustration of the difference between, a working man spending two shillings in strong drink, and j spending two shillings in the necessities of life. As Mrs. Lee gradually proceeded with this illustration the different points were loudly applauded. The next vail was legislation,. At one end of the licensing law the sober man was put in and the l drunkard came out at the other end. We j j were trying to save the man by closing the drink shop. They were trying to save the ' boys from falling through the drink. Whilst the drink traffic is in the land there is danger before the children. £jJMP others were appealed to to vote outwj^trafne. It would be impossible to "•iVe'U. report which would do full justice to the address, which was enthusiastically applauded by the large audience. At the close of the meeting quite a number donned the bit of blue.