The Republican journal., 1898-10-13
Prohibition in Canada.

Sept. goth on the question of total prohi-
bition of the liquor traffic in the Domin-
ion. Every Province but one gave ma
| jority for prohibition. For many years
local option has prevailed, under what is
| known as the Scott act, but the prohi-
! bitionists were not satisfied with that and
/ have labored earnestly for general popu-
lar expression throughout the whole Do
minion on the question of a complete
suppression of the traffic. AS result of
| their. efforts Parliament at its last session
passed bill which provided for plebis-
cite. The question submitted was:
care you in favor of the passing of an act
prohibiting the importation, manufacture,
or sale of spirits, wine, ale, beer, cider,
and all other alcoholic liquors for use as
beverages Quebec was the only province
to give majority against prohibition and
it was heavy one, exceeding 40, 600. The
other provinces returned the following
majorities for prohibition: Ontario, A.
220; Nova Scotia, II, SO; New Brunswick,
u, $40; Prince Edward Island, 6, 16S; Man
itoba, 5000; British Columbia, 220. The
net majority for prohibition in the Do
minion is about IS, 600, but even the pro-
small to influence the government to at
tempt prohibitive legislation. In Nova
Scotia not more than - per cent. of the
registered vote was polled, and in Prince
Edward Island less than 40 per cent.
While figures are not given for the other
provinces the conditions We're no doubt
practically the same The following par
agraph from an appeal for prohibition by
a Nova Scotian paper will interest our
Maine readers:
Those who want the bar-room say that
the Maine law is failure. 1t has nearly
emptied its prisons and poor houses, it has
changed general poverty, disorder and
wretchedness into sobriety and prosper-
ty. Without even the resources of the
Maritime provinces, Maine has ten times
the amount per capita in its savings banks
that the whole of Canada has. Five mil
lions of people in Canada have $40 co.,
900, while 661, 900 in Maine have S53, 397,-
800. Maines convict record is lower than
that of any State in the Union. much
lower than that of Canada, and its tender
cy is steadily downward. Canada has one
to $3.50 Maine one to 6, $50 of popula
ton.
1t is said that the French clergy in the
province Of Quebec commanded their peo
pie to vote against prohibition on the
ground that prolibitory laws would only
make law breakers and that smuggling
and violation of the law would be greatly
increased. 1t was also urged that the
government would lose SIC, 600 600 of an
nual revenue by the suppression of the
traffic. But Forward, the paper above
quoted, combats this idea of diminished
revenue as result of prohibition and
says that Sin reality the taxation will De
greatly reduced. The people are taxed
$40, coo, 900 under the present system of
collecting revenue off of strong drink
and about 800, 600, 900 in loss of time and
health and in taking care of the victims
of drink.
As a rule party lines in the Dominion
are more closely drawn than with us; but
they were ignored in this contest, and
Liberals and Conservatives worked side
by side for prohibition. The various Pro-
hibition organizations We're most active.
flooding the county with campaign liter
atule and making a house to house can
yass throughout a great part of the Do
minion. The Protestant clergy, with
few noteworthy exceptions, earnestly
espoused the same side, and except in
Quebec the Roman Catholic clergy also
largely favored it, although leaving their
people free to vote according to the die
tates Of their own consciences and iudg-
ment
1t is evident that certain defeat would
await the present government should it
attempt to carry prohibition measure.
The cities of Ontario and the whole of
Quebec gave sweeping majorities against
prohibition, and the Liberals are depend
CIT upou tHt ItpIeSoHl dllNeS from Ine lat
ter province for their majority in Parlia-
ment. Bu- the end is not yet. An Otta-
wa despatch says: "The fight will be
tran ferred to the platform, the press, the
pulpit and, when next session opens. to
parliament. The prohibition party will in
sist on the voice of the majority being
obeyed, and are not likely to be in mood
to submit to complete neglect If they
cannot have prohibition they will aim at
something not far removed from it. The
fate OF the ministry may be decided by
the struggle; indeed, party considerations
had more to do than anything else with
the queer twist the vote took in the large
centres of populations in Ontario"
The news of the Indian uprising in
Minnesota came as an unpleasant surprise
The red man in war paint had passed out