PROHIBITION IN CLUTHA.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 479, 28 September 1899, Page 18

PROHIBITION IN CLUTHA.

Though the question of prohibition in Clutha has been so often discussed that ordinary mortals are pretty well disgusted with the subject we must incur the risk of displeasure by once more referring to to it. A gentleman styling himself “an ex-prohibitionist ” has published a very useful and instructive little pamphlet entitled “ Prohibition in Clutha: A Failure.” The fact that it contains very mu ch information of a character to confound the prohibitionists should lead to its widespread distribution all over the colony before the electors go to the poll at the General Election. It is extremely probable that fully one-third of the New Zealand electorate have been treated to the diatribes of the prohibitionists, and have never had the opportunity of viewing the other side of the question. The voters who have it in their power to carry prohibition or to defeat it ought certainly to be fully acquainted with the tactics and policy of the teetotaler and the arguments of the true temperance people before they make up their minds one way or the other. In many districts where the nonconformist parson is all powerful and where the advocates of the Trade have never travelled there are people who have votes. These votes will all count at the poll, and though they may be scattered so widely that a house to house call would be impossible without an enormous expenditure, there are other means of letting the people know the truth about, and the true significance of, prohibition. The postal service is always available, and we believe that a distribution in these outlying districts of the pamphlets mentioned above would undo very much of the harm accomplished by the fanatical parson and the prohibitionist schoolmaster. While we agree that it is wise to inculcate the principles of temperance in the youth of New Zealand we abhor the lack of justice and truth which so so often marks the narrow-minded bigot. Let the fanatical preachers of prohibition practise a true Christianity, and they will be doing the community a service. At the present time their vision is blurred, and they cannot see anything beyond the publican’s pint pot. The publican and the brewer are set down as the creators of every crime in the calendar, and the children of the colony are being taught to believe this hideous lie. Certainly the men who are supposed to teach truth and other Christian principles are very often hardly responsible for their words, but we know that youthful impressions are not easily removed, and therefore we commend to the notice of friends of the Trade the pamphlet entitled “ Prohibition in Clutha : A Failure.”