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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 74

The Christian Voter

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The Christian Voter.

The Christian voters of this Colony have the power to promote or prevent any legislation according to their will. Let the whole community of Christian people resolve on a certain course of action and they can compel the whole Colony to obey. Voting is an individual affair. Each voter must settle in his own conscience how he is to act. This proposition should be earnestly considered. The liquor Traffic is either good or bad. If good, I will support it; if bad, I am bound to oppose it. That would be any honest man's position. There are, however, large numbers so inconsiderate as to make the following lines true of them;—

I'm a Christian man; I'll do what I can;
I will earnestly talk and pray;
I will labour with might for the cause of the right;
But I cannot vote that way.

If the Christian voters of this Colony will for a moment inquire into the attitude of the Church courts of the land they will find that, almost unanimously, they have voted the liquor traffic not only bad, but a dire curse to the community. Presbyterian Synods, Wesleyan Conferences, Church of England Synods, Congregational Conferences, Baptist Unions, Primitive Methodist Annual Meetings, Bible Christians, &c. have all passed resolutions condemning the trade in alcoholic liquors; some of them going so far as to resolve to use all possible efforts for its suppression.

The weakness lies in the Christian voter. The Churches have given a true decission and have published a solemn warnng to all interested in the welfare of the people. Church courts can do little more. But individual voters can Social reform stands pleading for aid from Christian people. How long will it plead in vain ? Men of the world see the horrible devastation which the traffic is causing, and are to-day, out of a purer disinterested philanthropy, devoting themselves to stem the tide of evil and misery. While Christian men and women draw their robes about them, and pass by on the other side." If our Christian voters will only consider the responsibility of their votes; if they will only realise their votes must count before their God, for the support or suppression of a traffic which is a monstrous curse, the mother of nine-tenths of our country's wretchedness, crime, and distress, they would surely at once resolve to raise the power they possess to strike a blow at the head of the monster, from which it would not recover. The Temperance Witness for September, 1895, puts the case very plainly: The Christian voter is the weakness of social reform to-day; a number take no action whatever in elections, and leave the government of nation and city to the worst elements of society, while a large number of others work and vote, side by side, with the liquor seller and the gambler. Thus the Temperance question becomes the despair of true politicians, who, seeing the growing evils of the liquor traffic, wish to adopt some remedy either for its curtailment or entire overthrow.

This picture is too real. When will our Christian voters rise to the emergency, and remove this stigma ? It will be done in this case when, "rising above class, [unclear: metarian], or party considerations, all good citizens combine to procure an enactment, prohibiting the Bale of intoxicating beverages, as affording most efficient [unclear: hold] in removing the appalling evil of intemperance."

We pray: "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done," when we vote the contiuation of a system of evil, which fetters every movement for good. We contribute to the support of missions to the heathen, while we give our sanction, if not our approval to the most degrading power of evil around our own homes. We pray God to bring the nations existing in heathen darkness, under the power of the Divine light; while we in this land of light and liberty, spread a darkness worse than heathen over our neighbours and friends and families, by not removing this [unclear: wthrailing] evil from our midst. We pray : " Deliver us from evil," but vote for the continuance of the most destructive evil which has ever invaded the land.

Our prayers are right, and the sentiment which prompts them is good. Cannot our actions correspond with them ? If you are in any doubt as to how [unclear: were] vote should be given, pray for Divine guidance. It is a matter of national importance, a matter of life and death to some, of right and wrong to yourself. [unclear: The] no longer weak and wavering, but strong and resolute. Make up your mind by the light of God's Word, and then " be strong, and quit you like men."

"My tongue shall delight to talk of right,
I will speak its praise each day;
I will urge it strong, on the listening throng;
I will work and vote that way !"

Issued by the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, I.O.G.T. Price—2s 6d per, 1000 copies; or, including postage, 3s 6d per 1000 copies.