THE PROHIBITION PLEBISCITE. Votina; September 29th, 1898. AN APPEAL. Office of thk Dominion Alliance, Ontario Branch, 52 Confederation Life Bldg, Toronto To the Friends of Temperance in Ontario: The date for the Plebiscite has been announced. On Sept. 29th, the electors of Canada will be called upon to vote " Yes" or " Mo" on the question of the total prohibition of the liquor traffic. It is not needful, now, to emphasize the importance of this crisis. We appeal to men and women who understand the responsibility it imposes. There is not a moment to spare. Do your best and do it quickly, for the sake of the homes that will be desolated and the innocence and weakness that are doomed to ruin and shame if the traffic in strong drink goes on. ORGANIZATION. Arrangements have already been made for the organization of central committees for counties or electoral districts. The officers of these bodies will be prompt to give advice and assistance to workers in their respective districts. It is their duty to see that there is an organi- zation in every municipality. There must, however, be also a Local Committee or union of workers in every township, village, town and city. It is under the direction of these local organizations that the great part of the cam- paign work must be carried on. If there is any locality in which such a body has not been formed, our friends should immediately take steps to secure organization, uniting in this work all classes of the community. This is urgent. If any one is in doubt as to plans or methods let hi i write to F. S. Spence, Toronto, and full information will be sent by return mail. The most important part of orgranization work is the appointment of a good man for every polling sub-division, whose duty It will be to see that the vote friendly to us is polled. Every such worker should have associated with him as strong a committee, or as many helpers as be can secure. He must, however, feel, that on him rests the personal responsibility of getting out the votes in his sub- division. CANVASSING. There ought to be a systematic canvass of all the voters. Each canvasser should have a list of the persons whom it is his duty to see. Each voter should be called upon by some one likely to have personal influence with him. No other work can take the place of this direct personal appeal. Canv^assers must wisely present their case as circum- f • - ' -^ -V . — 2— stances warrant, specially avoiding irritating controversy. Canvassers should make a record of the results of their work for the guidance of those who will superintend the getting out of the vote. All electors, who can go to the polls, without being sent for, should be earnestly urged to do so. VOTERS' LISTS. The voters' lists to be used on the 29th of September are the same lists tha. were used at the Provincial Elections held on March 1st last. Judges, Sheriffs and other puV)lic officers and persons who, under Pro- vincial law are disqualified from voting at Provincial Elections, are nevertheless, entitled to vote in the Plebiscite, if possessed of ihe usual qualifications of voters. If, because of the disqualification mentioned, their names have been left off the Provincial Voters' Lists,, they may still vote, on making at the polls a declaration provided by the Dominion Franchise Act. With this exception, no person is entitled to vote unless his name appears on the lists mentioned, that is, the Provincial Voters' Lists used on March 1st, last. The official custodians of these lists are the Cleiks of the Peace and the Municipal Clerks in the different parts of the Province and Sheriffs in any districts in which there is no Municipal organization. LITERATURE CIRCULATION. The Plebiscite Campaign will be especially a campaign of literature- circulation. The Alliance circular •' About Literature " should be care- fully studied by all our workers and its instructions thoroughly carried out. Copies of this circular and samples of literature will be promptly furnished by the Alliance Secretary to any friend making application therefor. We must educate the electors by fairly carpeting the country with good literature. THE LOCAL PRESS. Every Plebiscite Committee should appoint a press correspondent. This position should be held by some qualified person who will,. 1. Supply local papers with useful articles in favor of prohibition, reports of meetings held and other information, 2. Carefully watch the papers for letters or articles against prohibition, and send for publication, judicious replies. To assist local workers in this important duty, the Alliance Execu- tive has secured the help of well posted friends accustomed to news- paper controversy. If any correspondent has not the necessary infor- mation for reply to any anti-prohibition article or letter, he should send at once to the Secretary of the Alliance a marked copy of the newspaper containing the article or letter, sending also his name and address, and stating what information he desires to enable him to- reply. The secretary will see that some of our friends at once sends him the necessary statistical or other information, to enable him to meet any misrepresentations that have been made. f K.7^^ -3- {\\Ml- The importance of careful attention to this work cannot he over- estimated. The opponents of Prohibition are proposing to pay for anti-prohibition articles in any paper willing to accept their money- money. We must meet this line of attack as far as we can. MEETINGS. A special circular is prepared containing suggestions about method* of conducting Prohibition meetings, and also giving a list of speakers who are available for platform work in this Province. This circular should be carefully studied. It is not probable that many meetings will be held by our opponents. There is all the more necessity for our doing our best to thoroughly inform the public regarding the questions at issue in this campaign. Speakers should prepare themselves by a careful study of our literature. On account of the season, during which this campaign is being carried on, there will be difficulty some times in securing large audiences indoors. Even small meeting?, however, sometimes accom- plish much, especially in stirring up our own friends, and they need to stirred up. AVhere at all manageable out-door meetings should be planned. Picnics and such gatherings under the auspices of Temper- ance Societies, and other organizations, may be held, at which speeches- advocating Prohibition will be the prominent feature, interspersed with attractive music. Choirs of well-trained children may aid very effectively in this work. In this connection, we desire to call special attention to the fact that the Council of the Dominion Alliance has selected the Third Sunday of September as a day on which they respectfully recpiest clergymen of all denominations to make Prohibition prominent in their church services. We believe that a victory for Prohibition will be a victory for righteousness, and we rely upon the Christian Churches to secure it. Churches, Sunday Schools, Young Peoples' Societies, Temperance organizations, are earnestly requested to consider this campaign their work, and to miss no opportunity of making their regular meetings influential in this battle against the cause of so much misery and sin» POLLING PLANS. Every committee should make arrangements in good time for the bringing out of our voters on the 2J)th. Perhaps the greatest danger that threatens us is that only a very small vote will be polled, there being no other election or issue to bring out the voters. Special effort should therefoie be made to get all our voters to the polls. They should be urged to come directly. All friends who can furnish convey- ances should, however, be asked to volunteer them for the work on voting day, so that those who are infirm or have a long distance to travel may be able to get in their votes. The motto of every Com- mittc^e ought to be "Let every vote be polled." ^^m^ -. Every local committee should appoint in good time, scrutineers to Q ^SiHffh tUf polls on our behalf, and to be present at the counting of the '^'ttfttf^s wneirWyBdi foils are closed. Good, sharp men, well ac(iuainted ■\vi,th, th(^eW(bl>#/38wWho will be able to detect any attempt at persona- tion' sn«ti(jJf j>a:seleraM! for this work. Their names ought to be sent in ^pod time to Die Secretary of the County or District Committee who '^Cm ^^|5Ki*d>yiem to the returning officer and see that they are duly autliomeffW*ct. Scrutineers should be chosen, as far as possible, for the polling plf^ces at which they usually vote. If this is not practic- able, then there should be secured for them, authority to vote at the place they act, on the plan regularly followed at the Dominion Elections. This should also be done in the case of those deputy- returning officers who will vote for Prohibition. Necessary instructions to scrutineers will be duly f ixrnished by the County or District Secretary. FINANCE It is exceedingly important that financial affairs be systematically and Ccarefully arranged so as to prevent any hampering of work or any difficulty in carrying out plans. Every organization of workers should appoint early a finance committee that will estimate the oiitlay needful and arrange for raising the necessary money. The County or District Central Committee should be consulted so as to know what is necessary for general work. Wise attention to this matter will make other work easier and more effective. PERSONAL ACTION. There is abundant evidence that the liquor party are active and anxious. They will plan and work to the fullest extent to make the Plebiscite result in disaster to our cause. We shall need all the energy and zeal that we can command to meet them successfully. There is no doubt that the public opinion of Canada, if fairly expressed, is hostile to the liquor traffic, which burdens our country with so much sorrow, loss, disgrace and sin. The danger is that apathy will prevent the full expression of that opinion. This contest is not one in which we may lose by being a vote short of the number polled by our opponents, or win by a simihirly small majority. It is our duty to show that the overwhelming voice of the community is in favor of effective legis- lation against our country's direst curse. We fail by every vote we leave unpolled. Again, we earnestly appeal for such an effort as has never before been made, to win out of this crisis and opportunity a splendid victory for " God and Honie and Canada." On behalf of the Executive Committee. R S. SPENCE, J. J. MACLAREN, Secretary. Chairman.