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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron News-Record, 1887-09-21, Page 3G Wools—Wap Cco.tlet Boy wauted—'.'dile Office. T6',the oY174a still dires. Clothing -?Q. Q, Ewe Co. Stray Steer—Andrew Taylor. School Books—Chis. Dickson. TO the Ladies—John Rettertson. "Fenders Wanted—A. P. Bradley. Practice Economy -John Jackson. *otti'lt Tweed Suits—Jacksoyi liras. `s3l►oit crosier Sale --W. J. lliggins. Special Lines—Estate John Hodgens. Commercial Union—Geo. E. Pay & Co. Millinery Opening—J. C. Donor sa -Co. Ike Huron News -Record Weduesday, Sept. 21st, 1887 LICENSING EVIL. IT will have been noticed that public speakers and writers and others opposed to licensing the sale of intoxicants argue that that the doiug so is a licensing of evil. Mayor Howland, of reroute, ex- pressed this view the other day. The fact of the matter is that those who'say the licensing of the sale of liquor, as is done by the Crooks Alt, is licensing au evil make declarations the very reverse of what is the ease. The Crooks Act is for the express purpose of lessoning, indeed of alto- gether. preventing, the evil that might result from free trade in liquors. It may seem superfluous to refute the. oft repeated -statement that li- censing the sale of liquor is legaliz- ing an evil. Tho Crooks Act does just the contrary. Tho Crooks Act legalizes the proper use, • the good use of liquors. It makes ille- gal the improper sale, the evil use of them. The Crooks Act provides that liquor shall not bo sold to minors. Is that licensing an evil ? • The Crooks Act provides that liquor shall not be sold to any one who is even only temporarily drunk. Is that licensing an evil ? • The Crooks Act provides that liquor shall not be sold to a confirmed drunkard and who is wasting his substauee.by the immoderate use of it. Is that licensing an evil ? • The (rooks Act provides that liquor shalt not be sold on Saturday • nights • lifter 7 o'clock. Is that li- censing an evil? 'filo Crooks Act provides 'that licensed places shall, not sell liquor on the "Sabbath day or night. Is that licensing an evil 1 Instead of the liconsing system being the legaliziug of evil, the essence, intent and purpose of it is to repress evil—the evil that might and undoubtedly does result from tire --.unregulated, uncontrolled tiro of intoxicauts. Solite writers coufouud the ex- cessive use of an article innocuous in itself with the article:. Alcoholic beverages are said to be au evil, when to bo correct they should say • that drunkenness, the result of the inordinate use of ' spirits; is the evil. Now, the license system is to prevent such inordinate use and COnsorpunitly t0 prevent evil. It is a perversion of facts and a misuse ot• terms to assert that the licensing of the sale of spirits is the licensing of evil. Enough has been staterp••t-tr show that the Whole aim and object of the Crooks Act is to suppress evil. • It is asserted on all hands tliat the lade of the Crooks Act iu Clin- 1011 the utl)r.r day when there were only sonic. i00 present was the cans): of inure drinking and -drunk- ennes than was ever seen in Clin- ton while .the -Crooks Act teas in force and :1 greater number of p eu-• plc congregated. Thi,: view _has menfirorrtittrating Circetestailces to favor it. Tho Globe of Saturday referring to the daily addition of 40,000 or 50,000 stiangurs to the ordinary pullulation of Toronto 1.est week, says : "Toronto is proud of "the sobriety, the good order, the "perfect pence and propriety" which prevailed. The Crooks Act, a pre- ventive of drunkenness Act, and consequently a preventive of evil Act, is in force in Toronto, which we must assume accounts for the sobriety and good order that prevail- ed in that city ; tvltile the disorder that prevailed in Clinton among far lords numbers was very likely owing to the want of the healthy, regulating and repressive affects of the Crooks licensing system. Ono David1Loeko, in writing iu the Northmerican Review on "1 tQ i rlgieia bio 'e ; ed t'� eitys It is: a tell r proilei, "regulate,” by law, head ,tbit►,ga which, In the bands of bad rnen, aro liable to atjinse. The low -making and ;.law- ea.ferciuua pow s a .N'yc, t►ro 0lyxlu• voked to regulate t"rattspottatloiri 1by rag or water,. the law may be called, upon to declartt meat io Row!. ill' Wrests. •aacl at • What ponat intetest leaveaoff and usury •begins, andtho lath may also yegulato the sale of naoess+sry .druga tat pregent tlttljir tlais- usa by Orelens, inrpnoral, or .:diad mets. • But au evil, a. known, marked, ad- mitted evil, an evil which has no ad- tuixture of good, an evil which the bl.use of the entire civilized world has branded as,an evil, eau no more be "regulated" than a barrel of pow- der can be fired off by degrees. Any evil that needs regulation needs death. If it be au evil, if the %odes achnowledges.aud regards it es au evil, killing is the only remedy. Mr. Locke. admits •'it is entirely proper to regulate, by law, good things which, in the hands of bad men are liable to abuse." That is exactly the contention of those who advocate the Crooks Act or a high licensing system in the master of spirits. The Salo of, liquor in the hands of bad man is very liable tc abuse. Tho Crooks Act provide that only good men shall have the sale of it and that under sharply defined restrictions. But Mr. Locke will not allow that there` is auy good in alcoholic bev- erages. We are uncertain whether he means that druukenuess or the cause of it "has 110 admixture of good." It goes without sayiug that drunkenness has uo admixture of good, so we shall cousider that it is alcohol and its use that he asserts has no adrnixture of good. That is a platter of opinion. Many hold that the occasional use of a glass of spirits does then good. These have an undoubted right to buy and use spirits. The public, even a major- ity, has no right to interfere, with the purely personal habits of the individual.. The Jews and Mussul- mans account the eating of pork to have no admixture of good. But even where they are in the majority thoy4lo not prevent others from using the "unclean" flesh. To wor- ship God in most Roman Catholic countries accordiug to Protestant ideas hail; until late years, had•no ad- mixture of good in the oyes of the •authorities and was virtually pro- hibited, but now they are more liberal thani Protestants in this country who seek to prohibit men from drinking wine and beer be- cause itis distasteful to themselves. The Puritans in New Englond put clown public and private arn'ise- ments in the name of religion and morality; music, dancing, public ;antes, theatres, etc., were forbidden as having no admixture of good. Wo smile now -a -days at their bigotry and tyranny. Calvinists object to praising God with a kisto' whustles, but should other people be prevent-. ed from having ,organs in their churches 1 Unless we are willing to adopt the rola of persecutors no one should bo prohibited from wor- shipping or eating or drinking as to him shall seem meet. • But if -any one should through religious fanata- cisco commit an offence against Morality and society, •ho should be punished, as also those who commit offences against morality- or society through.t.he fanat•t cfsrn of intemper- ance,. Proper worship and proper use of stimulants should be periniss• - a1le. And all indulgence in both should be piro,per that does not in- terfere with well regulated haws of society. ,Ur. Locke says any evil that needs regulation needs death. All hainanity has some evil and needs regulating but everyone should not be killed. An equally churlish philosopher has said that \Venice are a necessary evil, but no one would be so ungallant as to say that all women should be killed! oven should we admit that thorn is an occasional had ono we should prefer to regu- late and restrain her rather than kill her. But Mr. Locke reduces argument to an absurdity when he Compares the liquor licensing system to A law regulating adultery, A law regulating burglary. A law regulating arson, A law regulating larceny, A law regulating highway robbery, A law regulating forgery, . A law regulating assault and bat- tery, A law regulating wife -beating, and so forth. These crimes are not to bo regulat- ed. They are forbidden. The law does not say, "You may, under cer- tain rules and regulations, do these things;" but for too protection of society, it says, "You shall not." A license law does not regulilto teteexj ! ,co 11,4 lac of-r-druukeu- ngss. a<i;.,;llositilrely "1Qbids„it, A lloetttle law regulates the sa1,4 •,but forbids the abuse or excessive use of liquors. We have laws regulating marriage which ineltado punishment for adul- tory'; but wo do not 1011 all females off to prevent the commission of adultery. ' .1Vo have laws regulating the pun- ishment for burglary ; but wo do not kill ofd' all all locksmiths and as to lessen the being skilled burg - bleckswiths so chances of their lars. We have laws regulating the pun- ishment for arson ; but this does not imply that it would bo right to pro- hibit the ordinary use of fire or matches in order to prevent tho possibility of srsou. We regulate by law the puniah- ishment for larceny; but do not go so far as to cut the arms off all people so as to lessen the chances of folks stealing. Highway robbery is dealt with by regulation of law ; but all men are not impounded at nights to pre- vent tIioir stayiug on the highways and iudulging in that pastime. "Forgery is dealt with by legal, statutory regulation ; and yet writ- ing is not prohibited, nor do all those who have mastered the art have their hands ent off so as to pre- vent them from committing that crime. Punishment for assault and bat - tory is defined and regulated by law; but we do not tie all mon's hands behind their backs and put a ball and chain on their logs as a prohib- itory precaution. The law very justly, but hardly severely enough, regulates and de- fines the punishuent which a wife - boater shall receive ; but we do not prohibit then and women from marrying and being given marriage in order to prevent such moustrous conduct. Even so while all humanity is•at liberty,is virtually licensed, to enjoy life and limb, under certain restric- tions ; man has 110 right t0 commit any of the above enumeratodjcrimes. Nor,though licenses lbe granted,and iuen drink and some of theta com- mit crime thereby, does the law regulate eriine ; but while regulating the proper sale and use of driuk it also punishes the improper sale and crime committed through the abuse of it. EDITORIAL .A7OTES. Several of our exchanges have done TIIE NEws-ReconD proud by republishing our article of a couple of weeks ago entitled "Gospel or Statute." The Kincardine Review, whose editor isa teetotaler, says it is "an article every intelligent -man should read dispassionately ; at least once vary carefully." r.7 seal dtug'Cifibti to'ztegetia% with the U4Iittet tPl404, fOy a li,eci1 9Qity Tsea ty. They will not pv11lt discuss it, When they will, Canada is ready to •moot them, but is not ready. to dis- cuss comtuerch 1 annexation with irresponsible coustitution tinkers like Butterworth and Wirnan. The constitution of Canada would have to be altered to meet their views. The Grit papers say the Young Citiisorvativo Convention in Toron- to was gagged,. with reference- to any expression anent commercial annexation. The members did not meet to formulate a policy, they have a policy that has been before the country for years and approved by tha people. • That is the National Policy. Commercial Union or commercial annexation 'is net a practical - issue. It has not been, seriously:thought of by eitltei• the people of tho United States or Can- ada. But the Young Conservatives in incidentally referring to it said that "Colttnacre,ial Union want the annihilation of all that they had fought for during the last three cam- paigns, and the .political absorption ref the Dominion by vur southern neiyhbore." No- uncertain sound about that ; in fact it. has a positive ring of Canada for the Canadians. A meeting is convened by the commerciallannexationists to he held in Clinton shortly. The getters up might as well "save their breath to cool their porridge." Commercial Union as proposed by Butterworth and \Vimau will never talco place. There is ono grand obstacle to it. Tho people of the United States will not agree to it. Wo have the resolution of Congress last March saying so. But if that were not enough, the people of Canada would object. They will not play the part of the fly and walk into into any American annexation parlor, be it never so nicely furnished by the industrious spiders Butterworth and \Viman. Canada. has for years a An English View. Prom The London Standard. The teletpram read in the House of Commons by Sir HENRY HoL• LAND, explaining the exact state of the dispute between the local Legis- lature of Manitoba awl the 0,111- adinn Government, wawa • in good time to reduce the affair to he true proportions. LORD LANSDOtWNE'S blunt characterisation of the state- ment attributed to Sia JOHN MAC, DONALD 0.s a ''pur0.fabJiC4i011" teas perheps necessary in viers of the number of Pilger sensation -mongers on both sides of the Atlantic who' are always ready to seize ou any- thing that, can be twisted into a condemnation of the powers that be; but those who aro acquainted will' the "record" of the Canadian Pre- mier knew that vague threats of ac- tion in a hypothetical case do not constitute- his ideal of statesman. ship, and that he was nut likely to indulge in tall talk about calling in the assistance of Imperial troops to settle a disputed Railway Bill .The controversy really lies within a very small compass, although the inter este involved are in every way worthy of that careful consideration which we have no .doubt they will receive from LOUD LANDSDOWNE and the Colonial Office. The peo- ple of Manitoba,a province which has been, made and rendered accessible to the outer world by the, laudable efforts of the Canadian Parliament in promoting the Paci&1 Railway, can only justify their present pro- -ceedings on the narrow grounds of a selfish policy ; for they are in the position of a man who, having re- ceived the most tangible benefits, ignores them, except so far as they may serve towards obtaining further advantages at the hand of some third party, whose participation must result in destroying all the prospects that led 'to granting the original favor. For"the Manitobans to persist in such an attitude would be unworthy of their position a4 members of the British Empire, and it would be deplorable, in their interest as well as those of the Em- pire if they were to prove obdurate. There is no reason as yet to take a pessimistic view of the situation,' in spite of the fact that the 1Mani. tobans have absolutely begun, and aro in course of cornpletiug, the ene terpriso which has brought them ing to conflict with the Dominion Government. The more clearly the rights of, the question are under- stood, the more emphatic will be the opinion in this country that the Manitobans are endeavoring to de- rive an unfair advantage from their geographical position, and to ignore their responsibilities as Canadian citizens. It may be creditable to that shrewdness of some loch' wheat - growers • •or speculators to wish to create a war of rates between the great Canadian Iine.and its Ameri• can competitor, the Northern Paeiz_. fie, but such a scheme cannot possi• bly receive sympathy at the- hands. of either our Colonial Ofdice4 or the English public. The Mantoban grievance has no better foundation than this, that, having been placed by the patriotic action of the Canadian Parliament in a splendid position for develop- ing the natural productions and dis- posing in the 'markets of the world of the surplus wealth of their Pro- vince, the Manitobans imagine that. they can best promote their own local interests by establishing rail: Way communication by means of a link line with the Northern• Paci- fic, which will thus subject the traf- fic charges of the Canadian railway to the keen competition of the American rival. But, unfortunate- ly for this enterprise, there is a specific Clause in the North Ameri- can Act prohibiting such a step be- ing taken without the assent of the Dominion Parliament, which has absolutely vetoed the line with which the Provincial Government is rapidly proceeding. That Clause specially excludes from the provin- cial authority "lines of steam or other ships, railways, canals, tele. grape, and other works or under- takings connecting the province with any other province, or ex- tending beyond the limits of the province." Read by the light of this law, the present action of the Manitobans, in defiance of the central Parliament and of the de, cision of the Courts, is a distinctly illegal proceeding, not to be jnstified by the energy with which the local leaders hope to place a fait accompli before the officials who will be authorised to execute the injunc- tions of the legal tribunals. Mean- while the loca 1 Act- for the Con- struction of the Line has been vetoed by LORD LANSDOWNE, acting on the decision of his Constitutional advisers, whose policy has the gtN'• Goo --.,-OPENED UP—�- And still there's more to. follow. Our stock is now oneof the FINEST and MOST COMPLETE in the County of Huron. Every buyer who has any respect for his or her pocket book should inspect it before buying ,r elsewhere. \Ve are showing - 3c and 5c Beautiful Wgol Cretonne (just the 'Toweling at 5c thing for curtains) at 40c Towels at 5c Muslins 5c Tweeds 50e Table Linens at 20c A maguificontehot of Dress Goods Grey Flannels at 15c., Ito. and 20c •.1 . 10e and 12ic Blankets $2.50 Carpets 50c Cold Cashmeres, worth 40c., at 25c A BIG VARIETY OE MANTLE GOODS which will please.the ladies, also a serge shipment of READY-MADi; MANTLES, expected this week—hold your orders till they come in. In Gentle' Eurnlrhings we have a FINE ASSOR'T'MENT, which, like the lest dour stock. will be sold CHEAP. gut You will always receive prompt and eourteous'treatment at Cottons at ROBERTSON'S GREAT CASH STORE CLINTON :mr strong support of the Canadian Parliament. The best prospect of an arrange - went of the difficulty will probably be found in the direction of a cous promise, of which, however, the preliminary should be the immed- iate suspension of operations on the lice now being constructed under the orders of the Provincial Legisla- ture. All our English feelings are against the holstering up of a gig- antic monopoly, and if the Mani- tobans can show that the rates of the Canadian Pacitio. Railway ale excessive, then all we can say is that they have spoilt a good case ; but it is not too late to effect their' reduction by legal weans. It must. not be forgotten, however, that, in the words of Lord LANsvowNE, the whole of Canada has "submitted to large sacrifices in order to unite the Provinces by a National Road," and that these National and im- perial interests must be para- mount. As the dispute is gener- ally understood here, it is conceived that the people of Manitoba have convinced themselves that, by the construction of a litre of railway of south sixty miles, at a cost of 'leas than two hundred thousand pounds, they can derive all the advantage from the suicidal contest of rates that goes on. between the great carrying lines of the United States, and, like all new conunnities, ten►• porary advantages are more attrae- tive to them than the permanent requirements of sound policy. Of Ibis we make no complaint, but the fact furnishes a suggestion as to how the present agitation in Mani- toba can be most successfully al- layed. It is by showing a tender regard for local requirements, and by providing all the facilities of communication that eau reasonably, or even, perhaps, a little unreason ably, be demanded ; but then again, it cannot bessaidthtnt the Doininicii Parliament., has been- oblivious of these facts, for it has shown great consideration towards the other project of the Manitoban Legis- lature of constructing a line to Hudson's bay, about which local opinion has not become so excited as it has in convection with the Red River Scheme. When we say that every allowance should be made for locatsentiment and for an over keen perception of the alleged natural advantages of Manitoba, no undue concession is implied that could possibly injure the interests of the Canadian Dominion. No effort will be spared to conciliate the Manitobans, but at the same time they must conform to their duties as British subjects and citizens of the Great Canadian Federation. Temperanoe and Intern perance Tbo Globe gets off the following glittering generalities under the above heading : Many causes promote inteurper• /Ince. The -cure is equally eomplex. "Work"of other kinds beside mere platform talking is needed. It is not true that inllnenso pro- gress has not been made by the Temperance cause in the last fifty years. IE is possible to put too much faith' in mere paper resolutions, as in mere legislative statutes, It is possible to "resolve, and re - resolve, then die the same." It is possible to be so wrought up at a heated meeting as to believe that laws relating to social matters will regulate themselves without re gard to the backing of actualM pub - lie opinion. It is possible to get dangerously near the region of cant in voluble denunciation of those who are char- acterised in the wholesale sort of way as "politicians," forgetful that among the politicans—i. e., those who take an interest in public atlitira and general questions --hare Well found the noblest doer of every ago and nation. The ultimate politician— the source of power—is the individual elector. Whet' the vast body of politieiat'a —or electors—wank a thing done, done it will be. Parliament to match will be forthcoming, and Executives to carry out will not be lacking. Perhaps what is needed is to- "educate o"educate our plasters"—the voters. Young Conservatives • About 300 showed up et the- convention heconvention in Toronto last week when the following were the resolut- ions adopted :• — "That this Convention desire to express the loyalty of the Young Liberal•Conservatives of Ontario to the institutions of this country, and their firm adherence to British con - 'motion, and truly pledges itself to resist any attempts to alter the one or weaken the other. "That as Canadians we point with prido,and'satisfaction to the immense public works which have been con-, structed and to the rapid strides of developu►ent. which -the country has • made under the public spirited and progressive policy of the present Government. "We point with still greater . pri- de to the small extent to which the burdens of the people have been iiis creased by carrying out success- fully, such progressiye policy, and • beg to express the hope that in the future as in the past the 'Governs meat may, while pushing forward the development anis settlPlnerlt of the country, exercise a due regard for economy. . "That inasmuch as it has been found that the exercise by local bodies Of the, fullest•powers lo the management of affairs which do not affect. the country at large, con- tributes greatly to the happiness and wellbeing of a people, and tends to develop the principles of self Government, we view with die. approval and alarm the course which the present Government of Ontario has adopted of centralizing power in itself, and thereby prejudicially affecting the dignity and lessening the power of usefulness of the Muni- cipal Councils. "That this convention approves of the steps which are being taken to establish a newspaper in Toronto Which .will •advocate the principles • of the Liberal -Conservative party. (That we view with apprehension the increase of the Provincial ex- penditure while the revenue remains almost stationary, and we deprecate the policy of the Ontarid'Govern- ment in maintaining an apparent revenue by selling Provincial assets and entering the proceeds• as in- come:: Before separating votes of thanks were passed to the Young Con- servatives of Toronto, whose hos- pitality had been so generous and satisfactory. —About 300 Icelanders, who canto out here per S. S. Grecian, have gone to Winnipeg per special train, thence to a reservation sot apart for thele. .—Tho explosion of a cannon used in connection with the recent coronation and blessing • of a statue of St. Anne at St. Anne, Quebec, caused the death of two men. —The settlers and others in the Nartkwcat _vhaso claims -against the Government for losses during the rebellion have either boon rejected or greatly reduced, aro organising for united action. Their intention is to proceed against the Dominion Government in the exchequer court unless the Government agree to submit their cases to arbitration,