The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1918-12-27

At the annual meeting Of the Ma
tionai Temperance Federation held in
Caxton Hail. London, on October %,
Mr.. w. Bingham, J.P., presented the
following manifesto to the electors,
which was adopted unanimously,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
A number Of grave issues will be
facing you at the forthcoming gem
eral election, none OF which, i'll our
opinion, will be OF greater Importance
or OF such far-reaching benefit to the
British Commonwealth as that OF
dealing effectively with the liquor
traffic.
The National Temperance Fedora
ton ventures to place the following
statement before you, hoping that
you will give the matter your most
serious consideration and support at
the polls.
ID The Federation embraces the
majority of the temperance assoti
tons, leagues, orders, ETC., of the
United Kingdom, and has an aggre-
gate membership totalling many mil
lions. 1t was formed in 1884 to locus
the collective judgment OF the Fed
Grated Societies.
(2) The Federation is aware that
while British, or English speaking
governments encourage ordinary
commerce it nevertheless prohibits
people generally from engaging in
the common sale of Intoxicating liz
uors by restricting such sale to one
among hundreds or thousands, and
provides that such person or persons
shall be licensed.
90 In England the law requires
that people shall be warned of the in
tention to sell intoxicants and gives
opportunity to the public in the To-
cality to object The applicant for a
license must notify the police--be-
cause public order may be disturbed;
and the overseers of the poor be-
cause pauperism may result Notices
must be affixed to church doors-be-
cause public morality is affected; and
on the premises proposed to be Ii
censed - because the neighboring
property may be lowered in value.
The local public must be notified by
rtisement--because crime, pau
dlu Insanity may lNobit' uiib
the rates thus be increased.
ca The Federation points out that
these restrictions and regulations
have failed to adequately control the
traffic. In past centuries distlleries
have been closed to save the grain
for food, and during the present war
the Central Control Board has ma
terially restricted the hours of sale
while the government has greatly re-
duced the alcoholic strength and the
output of intoxicants. These are all
forms OF SEMI Prohibition, which
could, with increased beneficial re-
suits, be made complete as public
opinion demands it and expresses its
desires through its representatives III
Parliament.
go While the Federation is firmly
and unalterably convinced that in
Prohibition is to be found the final
remedy for the evils attendant upon
the continued existence OF the liquor
traffic: it nevertheless declares its
hearty support of local veto, and de-
mands for the whole OF the United
Kingdom this power of local protec-
ton acquired in the United States
dliu Sdlidud ~ Ntdlc GSb, III ANNW
Zealand and Australia in later years,
and in Scotland during the present
decade.
Co The Federation further de-
mands that the common sale of in
toxicating liquors be prohibited dur
ing the war and the period OF de-
mobilization
% They further commend to the
earnest consideration of the electors
the question OF following the example
of % states in the United States and
several provinces in the Dominion Of
Canada, in permanently prohibiting
the manufacture and sale of intoxi-
cants for beverage purposes for the
reason that such Prohibition would
more than any other legislation pro-
mote the greater efficiency. health,
morality. prosperity, and happiness
of the people.
80 The Federation has repeatedly
condemned State Purchase" under
which the state would become the
purveyor of intoxicants to the COM
munity as danger alike to the gov
eminent and the nation.
The National Temperance Fedora
ton therefore earnestly calls upon
all friends of sobriety to refuse their