The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-22 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE.

We Irish it to be distiactly moterstood that by inaertioy
knell ia this column, ire do not thereby identify ourseiees
with the vpioions of our rorreToodoots.

INTEMPERANCE, ITS CAI'SE AND CURE;
Olt TUE

LIWOR TRAFFIC AND TILE PERMISSIVE BILL.

7i, the Edify( of the" Mercer."

Sin,—My-position is that national intemperance is
eausZfd hy the public sale of intoxicating drinks being
licensed by Act of Parliament. If this position can be
-oved (and such has been my aim in previous letters) it
' it is the duty of the state to prohibit the
fNe3t! iliac to enlar.g„neulsis:enreth Teelve evils
t
drinking, for they encounter us 'milted, and
of intemperance are, iu fact, universally a._
every loving heart pants for a remedy. Prohibitie.,
the drink trade is the only effectual remedy. That will
be the crowning work of the temperance reformation to-
wards which teetotalism is preparing the way. Father
Mathew saw this. "With rapture, be wrote. " I bail
the formation of the United Kingdom Alliance.
laboured for the suppression of intemperance anti! I
sacrificed my healt's and little property in the glorious
work." BLit the good Friar confessed that " the efforts
of individuals were not equal to the mighty task. The
United Kingdom Alliance," these are his emphatic words.
"strikes at the root of the evil. I trust in tiod that the
associated efforts of many good and benevolent men will
effectually crush the monster gorged with human gore."
No wonder that those who have not thoroughly exam-
ined this question do not see the necessity or justice of
the sale of intoxicating drinks. But I never met any
persons who were opposed to prohibition after they had
carefully examined the question, unless they were per,o-
wally interested in the continuance of the traffic. It may
be asked. Why is further legislation necessary' I reply
because all previous Acts—hundreds in number—burn
proved inoperative to prevent national intemperance.
There are well-disposed people who advocate palliative
and restrictive measures, such as education, better dwel-
lings, uniformity of license, shorter hours of sale, and
other checks , but such measures will not ;securely chain
the demon drink. The only power on earth that can do
this is the 11'111 of the People ; and how is the peOple'A
will to hind enpression except through Perlialueut ? If
the people,--men and women—were polled to-day. and
the voice of the tusjor pail decided its late, the drink
traffic would quickly bc doomed to the &olfaction it
deserves.

Licenses are granted ostensibly to meet the wants of
the people. Than if the people do not want liquorshops
but want to be free from their contaminating influence.
may they not dewand the power of scif-protection ?
The Permi 48i Ve Hill %TAW grAllt this power to a majority
of two-think of the ratepayers. It May be asked. But
would the law be obeyed? Certainly it would. liveu
laws made for the people are gene-sally obeyed ; lean
made by the people are always sustained, or they will
know the reason wby. This is proved by the history of
the Maine Law and compulsory education in other
countries. It is no valid objection to prohibition to say
that it would not prevent private drinking. That is not
the object of legislation. "If a loan make bin vices
public," says Blackstone, " though they be such as seem
principally to sheet himself —as drunkenness, and the
like—then they become, by the bad example they set, of
pernicious effects to society, and therefore it is then the
business of human laws to correct them." What would
be said to any monstrous proposal legalising ga.nbliny,
houses and brothels? Yet Parliament commits a parallel
iniquity in licensing the common sale of those " liquid
poisons " are the chief cause of unchastity,
poverty, crime, insanity, disease, and untimely and pre-
mature death.

The Permissive Bill is in accordance with the tendency
of modern legislation, and I have no doubt that it will
become the law of the land soon after the people ore fully
enfranchised. In the meantime it is the duty of electors
to study this important question in all its bearings—cco-
nomically. socially, nail politically. Tho United King-
dom Alliance has published a series of valuable pamph-
lets and tracts, with a view of conveying inforination
upon every phase of the question. I shall be happy to
semi a selectiou of these paper.; to any applicant.
Address:—

HENRY PITMAN,
Mancheater.