The Licensed Victuallers' Gazette

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 790, 27 April 1905, Page 23

The Licensed Victuallers' Gazette

A' 0-LICENSE.

The rer.-ia ha made at a meeting held in Ponsonby the other day, presided over by Mr George Fowlds, M.H R , offer a fine sample of the “ arguments ” used by the advocates of what is called “Nolicense ” —the term “ prohibition ” has been officially discarded What must strike the impartial observer is the fact that in the estimation of the no-license fanatic humanity is a weak miserable thing incapable of working out its -salvation unless fenced in by Acts of Parliament The No- license Party claims, inter alia, to have a divine commission It declares that no one can be a follower of Christ who neglects to use the ballot box to put down the liquor traffic. It is a bizarre combination, Christ and the Ballot Box, but we let it pass. It is only a trifle. If the Founder of Christianity were to return amongst us He would find that His institutions and Himself met with little reverence from the No License lharisees. He would be asked by a person of the William Richardson s'amp to give a pledge that He would use no wine at His repasts. There is no exaggeration in this. At Mr. Fowlds’ meeting at Ponsonby, this person Richardson said he would prohibit the use of wine at the Sacrament I Of course the public does not take Richardson seriously, but as this person is permitted to orate and move resolutions at a meeting in which Mr. Fowlds, who is a Congregationalist big-wig, and the Rev. C. H. Garland, who is a high Wesleyan functionary, take part, the inference is that the Christians of Little Bethel think that they could have made several improvements in Christianity if they had been con ulted in time. So much for the “ religous” side of the movement. The social side is even more remarkable. At the meeting referred to a party named Davis, after suggesting that no-license should be taught in the schools, went on to say that “ he would rather see a girl of his married to a negro who had a white heart than to any publican that lived.’ 5 Incidentally it might appear to be rather an affair of the “ girl’s”—and judging by what we have observed of the children of fanatical teetotallers, we should back the chances of the publican against those of the negro with the young lady—but the remark is quoted as a sample of the “rot” that is vaporised at such meetings. Men like this Davis, whoever he may be, are of that sort, who to gratify their insensate folly, would marry all our .girls to negroes, or make us eat whole meal and drink ginger pop, or cut off our heads if we refused. As Richardson represents the charity of religon Davis stands for the sweet reasonableness of the cause. How long will the public consent to be butted by goats like these ?