GREATEST AND BEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 45, Issue 14005, 16 December 1919, Page 5

GREATEST AND BEST.

ALL GREAT MEN DENOUNCE

PROHIBITION.

• The Eev. Canon West, D.D.:—"The Church of God has never declared the moderate use of alcohol to be a sin."

The Eev. Mr Rogers, speaking at Hinds, ,in the Ashburton No-License electorate, in August, 1913, denounced drunkenness in vigorous terms, "and urged all to shun the temptation which he°believed was greater in a district where there were no licensed houses."

The Rev: J. F. Millbank, Eeetor of St. Paul's, Wellington, Kansas, where Dr. Sheldon came from: "I dislike prohibition intensely. Prohibition is tantamount to moral weakness. T. believe a nation of prohibitionists would be a nation of hypocrites. There is hope for drunkards —many ,liavo been .redeemed. But never yet have I known a hypocrite, sneak, or liar changed into a decent man. ,, . Cardinal Gibbons: 'Prohibition make! hypocrites and leads to the manufa&/ ture of illicit whisky, replacing, good.' material with bad and simultaneously robbing the Government of legitimate taxation."

Bishop Johnson: "The hotelkeeper has as legitim_ate a right to sell alcoholic liquors as I have to preach the Gospel."

Abraham Lincoln, on February 22nd, 1842, at Springfield, said:'"Too much denunciation against dram sellers and dram drinkers is indulged in."

The Great. President was at one time a retailer of alcoholic beverages, and in 1840 voted against a proposal in the legislature of Illinois "that a liquor license could be refused if a majority of the voters in the town district or ward protested." On January 13th, 1841, he voted again to the same effect. Gladstone: "How can I, who have drunk good wine and bitter beer aIJ my life, in a comfortable room and among my friends, coolly stand up and advise hard-working fellow-creatures to take the pledge?" Eight Hon. Joseph Chamberlain: "Anything in the nature of compulsory prohibition of drinking is absolutely impossible; and it only leads to drinking in worse forms than under the old system. I have seen prohibition at work in the United States." Eight Hon. John Bright: "It is not in the power of Parliament by an Act of Parliament to change the habits of the people. ... It would fail absolutely and become a dead letter." Sir M. White Eidlcy: "We ought not to subordinate the privileges of the sober man to the reformation of the drunkard."

Justin McCarthy: "The prohibition law in the United States is a gross and ludicrous imposture."

John Stuart Mill: "Prohibition —so monstrous a principle is far more dangerous than any single interference with liberty; there is no violation or' liberty which it would not justify."

John Quincy Adams: "Seek not to enforce upon your brother by legislative enactment the virtue that he can possess only by the dictates of his own conscience and the energy of his will.'"

When all these great men are against Prohibition you nve quite safe in voting for Continuance on Elect ion Day.