The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-12-31
For the Central Presbyterian.
Letter from Canada.
CLAUDE, ONT, Dec. Oath, 'S4.

1T may seem to yourreaders OF the sunny
South, when December comes, we want
to see the snow, too. There is no dreari-
ness in our long winter nights, with the
Understanding toboggan and the merry
sleigh bells, while good sleighing from
December till March means larger
amount Of work in the forest, and greater
facilities tor business in the settled parts
OF the country. Our bette noir is an open
winter. We bid fair to escape the in
Fiction this season.
Winter brings no cessation CT the bat
tie that has been going on in this Pro
vince of Ontario since early spring-the
fight with the liquor traffic. AS your
readers are aware, Canada has local
option" law, the Scott Act" which has
been upon the statute books since 1878,
but whose constitutionality was in ques-
ton until 1882, when it was finally set
tied. 1t is stringently prohibitive as to
the sale of all intoxicants, although not
interfering with their manufacture Par
lament stands pledged to general prohi-
bition, both of the making and the sale
of alcoholic liquors, whenever public SEN
timent shall have declared Enthusiastically
for it. The Scott Act is being pressed,
therefore, by the friends of temperance,
not only for the immediate benefit to &C.
orue from It's enforcement where adopted,
but with the further objects of manifest
ing the temperance sentiment of the
country and cultivating it more widely.
This year there have been contested IA
counties in Ontario, besides 7 in the
other provinces, with defeats and Is
victories. Out of the So contests through
which the Act has now passed, it has
been defeated only 10 times, with one
tie vote. Six repeal votes (allowed after
three years trial of the Act) have been
taken, all unsuccessful The majorities
against the Act, when lost, have been in
significant; the majorities for, when car
ried, in most cases, large. The aggre-
gate ma GRITTY in its favor has now risen
above $4,000. This is fair representa-
ton of the state of feeling in the English
speaking portions of the Dominion. The
French Roman Catholicism of Quebec has
not yet spoken, save in one county, where
magnificent majority was given to the
temperance people. But it is not be-
lieved that the French Catholic clergy are
generally favorable. There are a few
conspicuous exceptions, while the great
body are either inert or quietly hostile.
The exhibition of temperance sentiment
by the English speaking people through
out the Dominion will doubtless have its
eject if prohibition is to weigh in poll
tics, the Roman Catholic Church of Que
bee will be less shrewd than she has
heretofore shown herself to be, if she
does not become prohihitionist. If the
prelates and cures say Scott Act or
" prohibition" Quebec is secured, and
this, with the already loud demand from
the other Provinces would mean the
speedy enactment of general and entire
prohibition.
The prospect is, of course, an unwel-
come one to the trade" Hitherto the
brewing and distilling interests have
united in opposing the prohibition move
ment. The brewers are now illustrating
the old jingle
When the devil was sick,
The devil a monk would be-"
Quite pathetic have they become in their
appeals to the temperance people to Join
hands in driving out ardent spirits. The
brewers say they "are the friends of TEN
perance the distillers its enemies. Let
beer be allowed and whiskey shut off,
and we shall have no drunkenness
We do not feel greatly Aattered by the
proposed alliance. We hold beer as
fully responsible as whiskey for the enor.
nous waste accruing through drink, and
for the sustaining of the treating system,
which is the backbone of the traffic and
we find no encouragement in the stats
tics of the enormous increase of drunk
enness in beer-drinking England and the
United States, and in the wine growing
and wine-consuming countries of Europe
The greet body of temperance sentiment
Is for fair and full trial Of square pro-
hibition, and we have nailed our colors
to the mast.
I wrote you in the summer that the
for the augmentation Of the sal
aries OF all ministers up to minimum of
$3.50 and a manse had been successful in
the western provinces. 1t is now being
pressed in the maritime provinces, where
the Church, though with congregations
larger as rule, is not so
rich. More than half the congregations
are under the minimum, but so popular
is the scheme, and so determined the
Presbyteries, that no doubt remains as
so It's entire success, which will place our
Church greatly in advance Of any other
~ the Dominion as regards the support
OF It's ministry. A plain.going neighbor