The Saint Paul globe., 1898-10-02

That Shows the trend 0f Public
Opinion in All Parts of the Do
miniOn - Noted Divine of KIN
caroline Is a Guest of His son-in-
Law in This City-Part Played
by Sir WiIfrid Laurier.
Although the recent Canadian eIec-
tions were carried for prohibition by a
majority Of about $4,000, 1t is the opin-
ion OF the Rev. DR.. J. L. Murray. of
Kincardine, Ontario, who is visiting his
son, F. Alister Murray, in this city,
that the Dominion government will not
feel justified In granting prohibitive
legislation, and that the prohibition
question will not attain formidable pro-
portions during the present generation.
because the people seem to have grown
apathetic. Dr. Murray is one of the
leading advocates Of temperance in
Canada and was deeply interested in
the elections.
"Five years ago." said Dr. Murray
last evening to a reporter for The
GLOBE, the question of prohibition
was brought up in Ontario, and Sir
Oliver Mowat, the premier, was asked
to grant such legislation as would pre-
vent the importation Of liquors in the
province and their sale. He replied
that the subject involved two serious
questions which he would have to sub
nit: One, to the people of the province
as to whether they wanted prohibition,
and the other to the Privy council in
England, as to whether if the people
wanted 1t, he could grant it. 1t was
his belief that no single province could
prohibit the importation of liquors
within its borders, as that would inter-
fere with the revenues of the Domin-
ion The question was submitted to the
people of Ontario and they voted by
a majority of 81, 900 In it's favor, but
that vote represented only 58 per cent
of. the registered voters. The people
having voted in favor Of prohibition.
Sir Oliver next presented the question
to the priVy council, which answered
that he could not grant the desired
legislation.
"The question then lay, dormant un-
til Sir Wilfrid Laurier came into power
when the matter was presented to him
He is broad-minded man and he
agreed to put the question of prohibit
ton before the entire electorate Of the
Dominion of Canada, and he has kept
his word. The result, in my opinion,
will not be favorable to prohibition.
Ontario, which five years ago gave a
majority of $1,000 for prohibition, this
(AiAiG gave q 4II0JOAlIS IO,UVV. NOl
more than 80 per cent Of the available
vote was cast on the question, anyway.
Quebec voted 100000 against prohibition,
Toronto voted against prohibition,
while Manitoba shows a majority Of
5000 in favor Of it. Montreal Is against
prohibition. -
80 while the result in the aggregate
Is favorable to prohibition it is i'm
probable that 1t will result in anything.
Some provinces want 1t, others do not
want 1t, and 1t is serious question
whether the Dominion government may
impose prohibition upon any province
that has rejected 1t. The question of
state rights is involved, and I do not
think the small majority cast for prohi-
bition will warrant the, government in
making a test Of it's authority in such
q direction.
But while prohibition will have to
take a back seat, temperance is max
ing forward strides that are. very en-
coureging. Temperance is on the in
crease in Canada and 1t promises to SO
continue"