Shburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1893. A CANADIAN PLEBISCITE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2992, 6 June 1893, Page 2

Shburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1893. A CANADIAN PLEBISCITE.

In January next, says a cablegram from Ottawa, a plebiscite will be taken of the Dominion of Canada upon " the question of prohibiting the making or importing of liquors into the Dominion." This is a new way to solve the prohibition problem, and one the result of which will be anxiously waited for by both temperance and anti-temperance \ tople in New Zealand. A Bill has passed the Canadian Parliament providing for the taking of this plebiscite, and it seems to us a very proper means of ascertaining the true feeling of the Canadian people on the subject, and one that might very I well be adopted in New Zealand. As we already said in these columns the temperance party in this colony is no small body, and will work very strenuously at next general election to secure the return to Parliament of members of their "right color" as regards 1 licensing law reform. But there are many men of great ability, men of I sterling worth, whose services to the State have been great and valuable, who do not see eye to eye with the temperance people on this question, and who may therefore find themselves on the outside of the House when Parliament meets, in consequence of the opinions they hold on this question. Should the services of these men be lost to the colony on what a very large proportion of the population will never regard as other than a side issue? We think not, and therefore we are of opinion that Parliament would do well to pass such a Bill as that just adopted by the Canadian Parliament. It would take the decision of this side issue out of the election altogether and put it wholly in the hands of the people, for the result of such a plebiscite would be a popular vote either for or against prohibition. In the event of a strong majority favorjing prohibition a Prohibition Bill would be introduced and pass the House as the unquestioned will of a majority t)f the people, and the majority has the recognised right to govern. On the other hand, if the majority opposed prohibition, the temperance party would see that they had yet much work before them in educating the people up to a recognition of the moral wrong of intemperance, and in bringing about a public opinion that would carry & plebiscite at a future time. In this colony fche temperance party does not ask for prohibition, but only for the direct veto, and it may b,e adyis^ble to confine the plebiscite to that modification of the question, but a plebiscite of the kjnd proposed would have the effect of retaining the valuable services of many politicians, who must otherwise, in some constituencies at least, find their political career temporarily checked by their inability to see that the direct yeto i» ft thoroughly fair and honest way of solving foe licensing prQWeut