THE DISTILLERS' CAMPAIGN [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Snt,—The letter of your correspondent, Mr. J. H. Fowler, in your issue of the 4th instant appears to me to open a far more important question for the consideration of the " en- lightened public " than that of whether the expenditure in advertising has or has not the effect of " muzzling " the Press.
It is gratifying to see the latter question satisfactorily dealt with in the editorial note to the letter. May I venture to state that in my opinion the " muzzling "—not of the Press but of the community at large—has been most unfairly effected by the imposition of high revenue duties on spirits and alcoholic beverages, instead of by open and straight- forward legislation, and I for one am pleased to see the advertisements referred to as they express in well-reasoned terms the point of view of many thousands who are undoubtedly deprived of freedom in a matter which is purely personal.
It is a democratic axiom that the majority must rule. Surely Mr. Fowler will concede this—although from the tone of his letter one is led to think that he believes his opinion
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