PROHIBITION. GREAT SPEECH OF . — ♦- — Campaign Tract No. 2. At a public meeting held in Sherbrooko, P. Q., under the auspices of tlie Quebec Branch of the Dominion Alliance for the Total Suppression of the Li({uor Trafiic, Sir A. T. Gait, who presided, spoke as follows: Ladies and Gentlemen, — I think we may con- gratulate ourselves on the crowded audience we have bo-nijjht. It is a pleasinf^ sign of sympathy with the earnest efforts put forth by the friends of the temper- ance cause to extend to the Dominion of Canada the benefits of recent legislation on that subject. When my friends in Montreal were kind enough to ask me to give them my assistance in Sherbrooke with refer- ence to this movement I very gladly acquiesced. They were good enough to think that I possessed some small amount of infiuenco in the Dominion, and, ladies and gentlemen, I felt that if I am happy enough to have any influence in our common country, that that influence is largely due to the confidence with which I have been honored by the people of the Eastern Townships, and esirecia/ll}'^ by the ,peQpl(?, of Sherbrooke, for many years. ('A;p;pflittee.)i i.tV UKiiiofQiro, there be Published by order 'aS the. Q^iM">t1c j'r,Qv;ir<ciiil Ailiun<fe*SXeCf.ti\c. 56580 any one place more than another where it is my (hity to appear pul)licly to give my adherence to this cjreat and good cause, 1 think tliis town of Sherbro(jke is that |)lace. (Cheers.) I do not ])ro])ose tiiis evening to make any api^eal to your .s\an|)athies. The cause which is advocated liere will find other and more elo([u<Mit gentlemen to make those appeals. Fortune has generally required me to deal with any subject on which I had to speak latber with the hard facts that surround it, rather with tlie reasons which attend it, than with those passions and .sympathies regarding it which others may, perhaps, have a greater gift in exciting. What I propose is to show the process of reasoning in my own mind by which, after a comparatively long life, I liave come to the conclu- sion that it is the duty of every good citizen to promote this pre-eminently useful work. (Hear, hear.) I have been .struck, as we all have, with the fact of what we call the hard times, undiu which we have suffered during the last live years, and under which the country is still sufiering, and 1 have noticed that the con.sequence of these hard times has been to produce on all hands, on every side, and in every family, economy. Economy has been found to be absi;lutely necessaiy as the oidy wholesome and reliable cure for nmch of the distress which previous extravagance had brought upon us. Be- lieving that to be the case, I could not lu.'lp considering w^hat was the most costly article of consumption in this country, — the one which we could most easily spare, the one which costs us the most in its indulgence, and I did not fail tt) find that it was in the use, — in the consum])tion of intoxicating liquors. (Hear, hear.) Reference was made last ir.,dit by our Cjiairman, Mr. Brooks, to the amount of revenue that is derived from spirits and wines and beer. The amount is not quite so large as he stated it, but still quite large enough to excite the apprehensions of everyone who is opposed to seeing the resources of his country wasted. Last year the official reports show that the amount of revenue raised from the three articles I have mentioned was $4,367,()Q0 Now^ itj wjll.be .observed, ladies and gentlemer). that it is: i)bt/ the jfti'npAi^it of revenue that is raised apor. these articiieswhibh' 'is the measure of their cost to the ,c.oamtry;-H<''^ryv fs^j: from it, that is 8 only the j)ro|)f>i'ti()n which is t.'ikcii hy thi' Government. That amount must be multi|»lic(l at least by four to ascertain the real cost of those articles, especially that of spirits. It re{»rescnts a consumption, ami I may say, with scarcely an exception, a useless consumption of at least SKi.OOO.OOO per annum (hear, hear), an amount which is very nearly e(iual to the whole amount of the commercial failures in the country on the avera_i(e for the last five years. While 1 am speaking on this suljcct of the revenue derived from these beverages, T may take occasion to remark that though the amount is not so lar^e as it was stated last night, when it was put at six millions, it isijuite large enough — for it is four an<l a half millions — and that is one of the difHculties which have in the future to be met with in advocating total prohibition. Now, there is another point mentioned by my friend, Rev Mr. Duff, last lught, which I think T may say two or three words about. In his elo(pient remarks he referred to the amount of revenue raised from ardent spirits, and in terms whieli were probably understood by the audience, and were so understood by me as charging upon the Government wliat really amounted to a great sin in obtaining this money (hear, hear). I am quite sure that that could not have been what Mr. Duff ])ropo.sed the meeting should understand. The truth is, that far from the Goverrunent being blame- worthy in raising that amount from spirits, they are acting precisely in the diiection that is most in the interests of temperance. The more money they raise from spirits the more expensive those beverages become, and clearly the less they are within the reach of the poorer classes of this country, and I should be glad if, instead of four millions and a half, the Govern- ment had been able to raise twice that sum. (Hear, hear.) If they could raise twice that amount to-morrow from this particular source it would be unquestionably a move in the right direction, and one for which instead of blaming the Government we should sup{)ort it, for we should be glad to know that so large a portion of the taxation necessary to the Government of this country is drawn from s. source which our object should be to dry up, since it is drawn from an article of consumption which is, in very many respects, and perhapH wholly, injurious to the wt'll-bcing of society at large. But to return to the question of the cost to the country of the consumption of ardent spirits and other strong drinks, J have stated that the loss in actual consumption cannot be put at less than 1$1(»,()U(),- 0(M). But all of us know — painfully know — that the direct cost represents but a very small part of the indirect cost. Tlie indirect cost is, in its influence upon society, infinitely greater, infinitely more onerous, than the direct charge. I would gladly see the whole of the sixteen millions thrown into the St. Francis River if 1 could Ite sure that in doing so wo had wi])ed out the infinite evils that arise from the consumption of those articles. (Great applause.) Now, the position of this country, — a country struggling to establish for itself a pros- perous future, where we h;ivo to develop the present natural resources of the country, under great difficul- ties — a country under these circumstances cannot wisely aflt>rd to waste anything. Our ])usiness should be, as far as possible, to retain within our reach all the sources of wealth and of industry which we are able to secure, and, therefore, if wv fin<l that one particular cause prijduces enormous waste t(» the country, an enormous waste of money, an enormous waste of energy, and, I am sorry to say, an enormous destruction of intellect, then, I .say, it becomes the duty of the Government and of every good citi/en, to do their best to diminish that waste and correct those evils. (Hear, hear.) If we examine the course of the temjjerance (|uestion in the past — and I remember perfectly well myself the phases it has taken — we find that it commenced with arguments. Avith public ad- dresses, with appeals, and, in many cases, strong a]i- peals, to the sympathies and passions of the peoj)le. From that point, as soon as it had established itself in the nunds of a ceitain number of the community, it then assumed the form of organization, and temper- ance societies were established. At rii'st they did not go beyond piohibiting the consum])tion of ardent spirits, and afterwards the more energetic of their members went to the extent of the total abstinence societies, and in that way public opinion was educated up to the point when legislation was resorted to in aid .( .•5 of the ett'ortb which V)t'nevolent geutlenion Imtl uifulo to correct this evil. And it is in that way that we have reached the point arrived at to-night of' dicussing the Canada T('ni|)erance Act. Indeed, it is qnite use- less, if we should attempt it, to outrun puhlic opinion. If there is one thing more mc-essary tlutn another in reference to any social reform or any social (piestion, it is this : Tliat you should convince ])ultlic <»])inion that you are right, and then yon will carry it wilh you. If you do not do so, one of two results will follow — either you will sur})riHe a victory from your opponents — and that will be followed by a reaction and defeat— or you will fail altogether to t>btnin the victory. It must be by the intelligent education of the ])eo|)le on these subjects that you can create such a iiublic sentiment as will enable vou to give effect to the legislation that you obtain fVom time to time. Now, I think, with regard to legislation, ami to what is known as the Dnnkin Act, that tlie advocates of tem))erance luive gi'cat reason to be thankful for the progress that has been made under it. 1 am aware that in many districts it niav not have worked alto- gether well, but still the fact that so many counties and so many townships in Ontario and Quebec have put, themselves voluntarily under the operation of the Dunkin Act, I think is one <.i" the strongest evidence's possible that ]iublic oj)inioTi In these <li.s- tricts was runiiing [larallel with the thought of those gentlemen who have from time to time l)C('n the organizers of this movement. vHear, hear.^ We have now reached the point, as I said befoiv, of the Canada Temperance Act of last session, and I am ha)){)y to be able to announce to you that at the close (jf my few remarks, you will have the pleasure of listening to an explanation of that Act by the Rev. Mr. Gales, which I am sure will be exceedingly inter- esting. It is now sought to give effect to that legisla- tion through what is known as the Dominion Alliance. Now, this Alliance is only, as it weje, in the process of inceotion ; it is not alto<'ether or'^anized oratixed fact yet. It is in the interests of this organization in the Province of Quebec that this meeting is being held here to-nigh \ The Dominion Alliance is not a Temper- ance Society or a Total Al}stinence Society, but it is one the ol)j».'('t of which is to in('hi<le ♦^vory <>»(! who desiros to Hoe tho use of, and the trattic, in intoxiiatinjjliqiiorw banished from the country. A.s I understand it the object is to make the |tlatform ho bioad that every one can put liimself in hne with it. Perhajm a ^'ood many of my friends iiere may be s»n'])rised to sec; nie presid- injij at a tcmpcrati'-e meetinj^ (applause), but I lope as I ^Viiw older that [ may j^row wiser (h)ud cheers), aiid that, at any rate;, in rej^^ard to any jtcxkI object, I hope J am never too old to h'arn. (Hear, hear.) When tlu- (piestion has been put beibre me, and 1 liave been told that I have a moral (bity to perform, or can s( rve a moral purpose by beeomin^' a mendjer of a total abstin- (;nee society — and that is a (|ueati(m which I have revolved in mv own uund very seriously for several years past — I have .saitl this: I am jieifectly willing at f)ncc to t^ive up the use of intoxicating drinks il" you will guarantee to me that it will do any good (hear, hear); if you will only guarantee tliat my doing so will be the means of ])reventing my friend from getting it, whiitlier he likes it or not. That is the train of thought which has passed through my own mind, atid, no doubt, through the minds of many other men lik(! myself. The sacrifice of their own enjoyments, I ]iave no doubt, many who do not belong to a tem- perance society will gladly make when they under- stand that in givingupthatwhich they may notconsider hurtful t(» tJKMnsclves, they really producer a good result to other individuals. (Hear, hoar.) Now, lam bound to say — and I hope my friends from Montreal will not hud fault Avith me for saying it — that I think the j)rinciples defined on the Donnnion Alliance cards go a little further than they will carry everybody with them. In the remarks which fell from Mr. Dougall last night, which I think were exceedingly sensible, and they certainly commended themselves to my judgment, he spoke of the desirability of carrying eveiyone with them so far as they could, and gradually ]»reparing for something better in the future. Now, if we examine this question of Intemperance I think that ninety-nine men out of a hundred, and all the ladies, will ai^ree with this proposition : That the great and crying (jvils of Intemperance are rather to be traced to the use of ar- dent spirits than to the other fermented liquors. That is my own ohsorvatlon. It may he i^uito true, as is aJIe^e«l, that the taste tor anient Hpirits is increaMed hy in- dul^'ciici' in <ith('r li(iu()r,s ; but the ;^'n'at and crying evils, tlie ciinif, the domesti** (riindty to wives an(l chihlren,— tho.N*' I'vils, I helieve, are to be traced in all cases ratlier to an indidgence in ardent spirits tlian to others more innocuous. I helieve th(! gentlenjen of the Dominion Alliance will carry ten persons with them in favor of jirohihitin^ the manufacture and importation of spirits to five persorjs who will support them in endeavoring to prohil)it all kinds of liquors. That is my impression, and I merely throw it out in conse((uence of the remarks that fell from Mr. Dougall last night. It niight he well to follow a similar course to that followed by temperance societies when they werf' first initiated. If 1 mistake not, that was their original starting j)oint — that tht^y only prohibited the use of ardi^nt spirits. I think that when you propose to the nation at large to deal with this subiect it would be well to be guided by the experionce of the past. When you have struck <lown the greatest source of the evil it will be comparatively easy for you to carry public opinion in any further steps you may find it necessary to take. (Hear, hear.) If I have said a few words whicli may perhaps be considered a little discouraging, though I do not regard them as such, I would like to say sometliing which I think is rather encouraging. In that respect I wish to deal with two great objections which an; raised to the Al- liance and to the object that is ultimately sought to be attained. Now, these objections aie, tirst, the diffi- culty whi(;h the Government of the country would experience in replacing the revenue that would be lost by the ]>rohibition of the traffic ; and the other objec- tioi\ is that |)rohibition is incompatible with what we regard as true British freedom. With reference to the first, I think I may say that it a change were macie by prohibiting spirits in the first instance and afterwards fermented liquors, the change would be more gradual, and consequently the difficulty of meeting the loss of revenue would be diminished. But I am quite pre- pareil to sustain this statement, after having had a good deal to do with the question of revenue and the raising of taxation. I am quite prepared to assert before thia midionoo to-nif^'fit that the Finance Minister wlio should siicoopd, by prnhihitLnt^ tlio trattic in intoxica- ting,' Ii([nors, in rcstorinL,' .Sl<i,()()(),()()() now lost to tho people of tliis ('(^untiy and wholly waste(l,- tlie Finance Mnister who shoulil Hucceed in doin;; that and should also save tlie indirect loss that arises froni the injmy that is done to society hy it, — 1 say lie will liavo no dilhculty wliatever in raisin*^ tlu' snniot money which ai)poars in the fii-st instance to he thus lost to the rev- «Miue. ( [jDiid che(!rs.) The?-e can he wo doul»t wliatever ahoutit. One ol'thc^ l)u;^hears jihout taxation with which wo are met is that of direct taxation. Now, 1 will venture to say this: that when you have ediwrated the people of this country u]) to the ))oiijt of jirohihitin;^' tliis traflic, you will at the same time have educated them uj) to the jioint of pnyintf dire<;t taxes sufficient to meet this deliciem-y. Anotlier oVijec- tion is that we would not ho exactly fr(»e men. Well, now, that is a point up(m which I take the liherty of differinir entirely from those who urnre it. The law now restrains (»ur lihorty in everythincr that is injurious to us — in most things at least. Liberty, as f understand th(> true definition of it, is freedom to do good. As a necessary con.^equenco of the ability to do good, you must hav the prevention of evil. There- fore freedom is in harmony with everything which goes to suppress vice in the community. Besides that, we have a case in point which must be familiar to you all. Wc know that for the last two humlred years the Indians have been prohibited from using liquors. Then; have been penalties attached to the people who sold it to them, and why ? Because in the eyes of the law they were regarded as minors, as children unfit to take care of themselves, and consequently they were by law prevented from taking that which was injurious to them. No one supposes that this prohibition has injured the Indian ; on the contrary, it is known that that is the only way by which any portion of that race has been preserved in North America. It is solely owing to their having been prevented from using intoxicating liquors that there are any of them alive to-day. Another objection is often raised, on the ground that the nation has no right to interfere with vested interests. In reply, I affirm that there is nothing in the luanut'actiiiv or .sale of liquor which in any ri'Kpeot, dirt'erstroinany «)ther hrancliot'conunercial industry. We see sugar reHneries, cotton and woollen factorie-*, and nil otlu-r mechanical industries, cx|)os«.'d to hazanl and loss by changes in the fiscral syst<.>ni of the country, hut no one ever dreams of their owners having any claim for indemnity ; and 1 wholly fail to discover anything in the cause of a distiller which entitles him to different an<l UKjre jjeTieious treatment. IJis investment nuist ^hnre tlui saintr risks that are encountered by evt-ry other meml)er of the com- munity. The conclusion at v/hich I have arrived myself from a Homewhat lengthened consideration of tliis Nuhject is tliut tin; only idtimate safety is un- doidjtfdly to he I'ound in the inifcct carr}'ing out of the views of tlie Dominion AHiimce. (Hear, hear, and api hnisi'.) Hut, at tiio same time, I perceive clearly (iiiuu^h that ])uhlic opinion is not yet ripe for that measure. It must he brought uj) to that, and in order to bring it to that point we have before us t(»-day th(! ( 'unadM 'I'cmperance Act, which is reganled as a very <;oiisideral)le step in the direction j)urHUed as the out! most '\n the inttrests of society. I cannot fail to see that while the present Act is in itself wise, it is at the same time the best preparation for future progress, which will be carried out, perhaps, after we are gone. It is a (piestion that will live, an<l we have evidence that it will grow. (Hear, hear.) 'J'his growth may be slow, but at the same time as long as it appeals to the soun(i common sense of a community such as ours ; so long as its advocates depend upon facts and 1 arguments that cannot be questioned, then I venture I to say that they must in the end and finally succeed. (Hear, hoar) 1 have, therefore, no hesitation whatever •■ in personally urging upon you as your Chairman this I night tt) give all reasonable support in the first place j to the o)>jects of the Dominion Alliance, and next to ' the more immediate point of putting in force the Canada Temperance Act. Now, there is one other subject which, as I may not address you again very soon, 1 may refer to. Mr. Dc)ugall told u^' last night, and with a great deal of truth, that a work of this kind cannot be carried on without a certain pejunia^y.Tinjypik't.* It requires more thau.tfli^'. .'ao»«il suppori.,; jutjuv .tnaji the I • • ' . I , • . . . . ■■•*it,i ..III.,** 10 intellectual support of its friends ; it requires the pecuniary aid of those who desire to see its objects promoted. I agree entirely with him on that j)oint, V and in case my friend Mr. Dougall should ask me what ; my sympathy is worth, I may take this opportunity of saying — and I hope I am not the first who has done so — tha*^ my sympathy /f)n this occasion is worth a subscription of one hundred dollars. (Hear, hear, and apj)lause.) Thanking you for your kin^ attention, I will call upon Mr. Gales to be good enough to give us explanations of the Canada Temperance Act. (Loud applause.) » » ■ ^ r "^ « ■' • » c ' ■ J ' n ■ 1 • » " » I • ■ 1 • ^ t 1 . ^ . ■ . f ' t < /c It' c « e : ." ',