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West Coast Times, Issue 13671, 2 November 1905, Page 4

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FXTRACTS FROM "THE TEMPER

ANCE AND SOCIAL REFORvI."

BY ROvVNTREE AND SIIE3WELL, TWO LEADERS OF I TEMPERANCE REFORM MOVEMENT IN ENGLAND.

Messrs Rowntrce and Slierwel! wera advocates of Prohibition :n England, but changed their advocicy after a personal inspection of the effects of this pernicious system where it hid b-3en tried iv the United States". Eighteen States have enforced it, but of these thutofrn have reverted to a, system of license after trials extending over periods of mauy years.

The Rev W. F Betry, Secretary of tbe Maine (JhristiaT Civic League, deals specifically with the general enforcement of Prohibition m Maine:— "The friends of Prohibit ; on all ovor this country (CJ.S) and indeed throughout the world, are making statements concerning the execution of the Maine law that are simply untrue." Nothing is guned by such misrepresentation. The apparently widespread prevalence of drnnkenoess in the State of Maine has been a source of per* plexity to ' many Temperance workers. So farf rom being challenged, the fact is publicly acknowledged by the atauncheat friends of prohibitory law, and is put beyond tbe regions of controversy by tbe official returns.

The late General Neal Dow, head of the Temperance movement in the United States said:—' It has been found by actual observation that many boys and youog men are in the way of going to tbe bad through fctie sly grog shops leading them astray. A few weeks ago, the police arrested 80 persons, 60 of them for drunkenness. It would b 3 startling to compare that harvest (and this in a Prohibition State) with that of New York as to the proportion of drunkenness to population." In Portland, the arrests for drunkenness in 1899 were 42 per thousand (and this »f ter 4O.years of Prohibition). In New York they were 13 per thousand, and iv New Zealand the proportion is 12 pir thousand. The Rev. A. 11. Wright, pa?tor of the St. Lawrence Congregational Church, Portland, in a sermon said :— "The condition of things here is simply amazing to .ill honest, unprejudiced aud right minded citizens."

About the sjme time the Rev Rollin T Hack, pastor of the Second Parish Con gregational Cburcb, called attention to the matter ia a public sermon: —"What," he asked, "ia the situation here in our city? It is one thit shames you and me, and every decent man and woman to whom home is sacred, and reputation, aad honour and lif« are dear things. It is clearly evident that more youog v.en are drinking than in the past. The ranks of the lawless, miserable and criminal are being fast recruited (uuder the present tyatem of Prohibition). In the words of Uoosevelt, 'the worst possible lesson to

Tne Itev ii Moore, referring to the condition ot things iv the tj«m of Biddiford, one of ti.e secoud'rate towns in Maine. Cilltd pub! cat iiuon to fie i.C4uddi exi-t'uj, m a s r noa entitled "Tlie filuyy mi nudkiuss of Prohibi..ou." He said he had come iatJ that State vpry f-.vsu-i'j'y pr juJioed wL!) refcreucd tJ Pi'dlnbui ie, bu; th.t i^tsr a decade of rosideucie there and travel in the various soctioas of cad S-at:, he could frankly Bta',e th it Lie found the prohibitory hw.i falla;ou9 and weak. His couviuiiou w.is lirui. Io had held out an ideal cunJiuou ffhich might have had a Oeueiijial effect abroad, where the tius Condiiiouß <vece not understood, but weighing tbe prohibitory Uw after h;lf-a-ceutury of experionce, it had noc been even fairly successful.

It is noc surprising'tjat a lurking distrust of Picfaibitiou as a practicable scheme of politics is steadily aaaertiog itself eveu iv quirtera that , once were favourable to the system, and that recent elections give evidoncd of a growing re* action against the law in several of the Prohibition Stites. It is not possible to explain it on auy other ground than that of the manifest failure of the prohibitory Uw to ashiere the results that were claimed on its behalf. In tbe States that have reverted to the liceupe Bystem and cancelled the prohibitory law, the change has been brought abouc through the influence of romen, who refused longer to •cc their boys and girls, of frona 13 to 18 years of age, become demoralised by the •ly gro,j shops. Strike out List Two Lines of Local Option Paper.