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* Fovernment" Asequently come | '"his room; the man who does not pronms s td | To the conclusion that to submit only | T want beer in his home, but wants a the question set forth in the pres-- | drink of beer on his way home from * ent act would not be fair and would work. not give public opinion '"an oppor-- | I have my own opinion as to thé tunity of expressing itself in the ba}-- weight of public opinion behind | _ ' lot box as freely and untrammeled these different propositions, but no | a« poswible,"----as promised Dy Mi do more than hazard a ,when the bill became law--woul( one can do n guess i i on the subject. The Government not permit, what I believe ever: honest man and woman, prohibi h_as, therefm:e. framed a.ballot de-- tionist and anti--prohibitionist alike sngned. to fairly test public opinion, * desires, a full and fair expressior and give every man and every wo-- of what the wishes of the people ol man an opportunity of expressing |the Province are in the matter. their real convictions in the matter. | There may be some slight verbal ' | One Question Insufficient. changes, but the ballot we have de-- s a l To sub>mit the one question _ set termined to adopt is as follows: { ' 1lforth in the prese(-lnt t:ct would sg# The Form of Ballot. j » thing-- not, in m opin-- ' ;it(l)(fl.rlfiehil:&tlitwg:;t interests gf tem -- (1) Are you in favor of the ' ll)el'ance--because after a vote on repeal ofo the Ontario Temper-- 'that question we would know little ance Act? 'more about what the real sentiment (2) Arce you in favor of the 'of the people is on the subject than sale of light beer containing not |we do to--day. _ We would simply more than 2 51--100 per _ cent. have to take another vote that would alcohol weight measure through enablepeople to say by their bal-- Government agencies, _ and lots what they really believe is the amendments _ to the Ontario best method of dealing with this Temperance Act to permit such vexed question. t p.! sale? The question or questions sub-- f f mitted shouid be in such form as to . $ (8) Are you in favor of the 7 | sale of light beer containing enable the Government and the a C k not more than 2 51--100 per Logislature to determine what pub l vont. alcoliol, welght lic opinion is on the subject. We all ~eont. & measure 1 in standard hotels in local mu-- admit a prohibitory law cannot be{ _ i ; effectively enforced unless it has nicipalities that by majority vote M IYEIY :; " | favor such sale, and amend-- public opinion behind it. | It is public opinion freely and| .mem,s w the Ontario Temper-- fairly expressed that is of import--| ance Act to permit such sale? ance; not a big majority on a ques-- (4) Are you in favor of the tion that does not enable the people sale of spirituous and -- malt to give free expression to their views. liquors -- through _ Government Many good and conscientious citi-- agencies, and amendments to zens, as good and conscientious as the Ontario Temperance Act to we have in the Province, do not ap-- permit such sale? prove of the act as it stands to--day, Honorable gentlemen 'will note but are absolutely opposed to a re-- every question is separate and dis-- turn to the old license system. If tinct. There is no confusion of one you submitted the question set forth question with the other. The issue x in the act, these people would involved in each question is clearly either be compelled to refrain from defined, so that the most unlearned voting or else compelled to vote for can easily understand the effect of an act that they did not approve of the vote he gives, The wayfaring in its entirety. Under these condi--> man nseed not err. * tions a tull verdict of the people | In order that the voter may have could not be obtained. The bill will ; clearly before his mind the effect therefore provide for the submission} of what he is doing, the strength of the question specifically set forth ,of beer that may be sold, in case in the act and for such other ques-l he answers to questions 2 and tions as will enable the electors to j3 in the affirmative, is set forth in' say , what, in their opinion, is the the questions. best mechod of dealing with this * f a [ question. "\ow on Every Question. ' The people having had a full and '~-- In order to prevent any confusion | fair opport_umty of giving expresslqn in' 'determining the result, every' to their will, the Government will voter must vote on every question, | [fairly and fearlessly carry out the or his ballot will be spoiled. The| | will of the people so expressed. And| act <will be so drawn as to givei !the people of this Province, than effect to whatever the will of the! which there are no more moral or | people may be as disclosed by the | law--abiding -- people 'in the world.i vote on each question. i will, 1 feel sure, abide by the will of Thus, if the first question is ans-- the majority, and prohibitionist and wered in the affirmative, the Ontario anti--prohibitionist alike will loyally Temperance Act will be repealed wal !ubide by whatever law may be ap-- and the old license law just as it proved of by the majority. existed prior to 1916, will be re-- 5 | n vived. In that event there would -- Three Schools of Thought. | be no necessity for further. consid-- So far as I am able to ascertain,i eration of the other questions, for public opinion, there are three prin> | the greater would include the less, f cipal schools of thought or bodies| and liquor would be sold in bars of public opinion on this subject: fal'l?fl sihops asfi'lt 311ears ggx'xe by. But (1) Those who desire éhe | t ;sf s not ely to happehn. -- . | question two is answered in | con.tin'}[)'ance f)f theAp.rtesen.tth n; ithe negative, nothing is required to . ~fario Temperance ('}'1 Iisnou ' be done, but if it is answered in the | any amendments other than aflirmative, the Government will be those that may help to improve j called upon to at once make provi-- |_ _its restrictive provisions and sion for the sale of* light beer | aid it its onforcement. through Government sales agencies ' (2) Those who favor the sale f ----provisions for the establishment L of light beer as a beverage, but of which is made by the bill I refer-- do not favor the sale of strong red to in my opening remarks. f liquors. I The same course will follow in re-- (3) Those who desire the op-- | gard to question three. If the ma-- portunity of purchasing liquors jJority vote is in the negative, no $ of all kinds for consumption in action is necesary. If the majority their own homes. vote is in the affirmative, the Gov-- Then those coming in the second ernment will he qa}led upon to at class, viz., those desiring the sale of onee _make provision for sale of light beer, are subdivided into two light beer in standard hotels. This f classes: + f | question differs from the other (1) Those who are opposed to questions in this: that before the the bar, and to the sale of any-- Government can authorize the issue thing that may be classes in any of ahhcerllse_ to sell beer in a stand-- way as intoxicating, in public :;id pleis ;nhany n'xunllcipah,ty,. Atwo ' places, and only desire the sale f nglz;; :r;lus j a.t)pen.. (1) a majority of light beer for home consump-- Ot * e electors in the Province ' on V(f)f}mg t_rnust }:sitlye votfid in(2)the 1 # k affirmative on is question; a -- flit(iét)l 'tl'hc;ie who desire, in ad-- majority of the electors voting in ' o the right to purchase the municipality must also have : ltxght beer for home consump-- voted in the affirmative. Take the ' tion, the privilege of buying it city of Toronto, a license could not ' by thfa glass. be granted in this city to sell light 1 _ In this class are to lbe found par-- beer unless a majority of those vot-- f ltx(-ulurly the _ workingman, who * ing in the whole Province had voted ) wants the opportunity of buying by | "yes" to question three, and a \the glass a light beer, but beer con-- majority of the electors of Toronto x \ taining more than 2% per cent. -- ,had also voted *"'yes" to this ques-- proof spirits; the unmarried man ies tion. If questions two and three who lives in a boarding--house and ha,s no facilities for keeping beer ir -- ~ f ; % s T c TT se s i i e e on s o k k ... _