There was yet another problem that pressed on Canadians in the latter part of the nineteenth century, the sluggish growth of the Canadian economy. The years from Confederation to the end of the century were often ones of depression. Prohibitionists pointed to the reason, so they thought, in this cartoon. The liquor trade (the bear) was wasting the nation's capital (the stable) and preventing useful industry (the horses) from using it. The settler (the Prime Minister) could solve the problem easily by shooting the bear with his rifle (prohibition). Then the horses could use the stable. Since prohibitionists thought alcohol caused crime, they blamed it for the cost of jails and law enforcement. Since it caused poor health, it was to blame for the cost of hospitals and asylums. It hurt profits because it caused absenteeism and industrial accidents. And the money spent in producing it was lost to projects for national development. Prohibition, then, would end wasteful spending, and the nation would prosper.
Courtesy: F.S. Spence, The Campaign Manual, 1902 Collection of author
