THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 587, 26 March 1891, Page 2

THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

WE have a recollection of some months ago taking up the defence of a Native Assessor who sought to stamp out grog, selling in an up-country district connected with Napier. The Assessor, we considered, had honorably done his part to keep the notorious bush grog-selling shop from being planted in the district, but his activity in such an honorable purpose led to his being assailed by the Napier evening papers. We are now pleased to see that when a deplorable instance of death by drink does come up the widest publicity is given. The Telegraph moralises upon the touching story of William Cole, a young man, well connected and well educated, who, near Waipawa last week, slipped from his horse and lay down to die on the roadside as a poisoned sheep would die. The young man had had quite as good a chance to make his way after he came to the colonies as is open to any other welleducated young man. From a bookkeeper he gradually descended in the social scale, until he became a drinkbesotted individual whose company would be shunned by any decent young colonial. He died “ alone on the road-side, uncared for, unwept." At Wairoa last week there was another sad case, A middle-aged man named G. M. Anderson was taken from a hotel to the hospital, and died ten minutes after admission, from drink. He was a man in receipt of a remittance of £7® a year, and might have led a comfortable and happy life. Now, the question that presents itself is, can no one be punished for supplying these men with drink? Temperance lecturers can unfortunately find plenty of material to work upon without resorting to exaggerations that alienate from them the sympathy of temperance men. Can not something be done in the cases of Cole and Anderson to place responsibility for their death upon the shoulders of those who ought to be severely punished ? Thera ought to be no rest in these cases until some attempt has been made to sheet home the crime—for there is a grave crime upon somebody’s head.