The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-04-20

EDITOR COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER -Sir-ln last
Wednesdays Hatoaiian G~azette-whch it III well
understood by all, is the mouth-piece of the govern
ment, somebody, writing over the signature of a
star (*), undertakes to criticise an article which ap-
peared in your journal of March so, on the increase
of crime in these islands of late years, and the causes
of that increase. | beg you will allow me a small
space in your columns to criticise the statements of
this sapient critic, with twenty-four years residence
in Honolulu.
To begin, Mr.. = must assuredly have been star
gazing, and paid no attention to sublunary affairs
during that long period Of twenty-four years resi-
dcnce here, during which he looked at it 6 from the
inside and the outside, and never knew the free
dom less in former years than it is now He says
that it would have been better if you had added lying
to the list of crimes which are OH the increase, and,
ON the whole, | think so too; for there never was a
more palpable and notorious falsehood put in print
than the assertion that drunkenness, more particu-
larly among the Hawaiians, has not been ON the
increase since 1890.
The Chief Justice, in his report to the Legislature
for the year 1866, in submitting the statistics of crime
during 1861, says:
50 BY reference to these statistics it will LIE seen
that drunkenness continues to be the more general
offense, and it is the prime cause of many others. 1t
Is yery seldom That an assault anu DdIUcTy II OIllnlu
ted, or any disturbance of the public peace made,
unless the parties are stimulated by intoxicating
liquor. 1t is often estimated in other countries that
seyen-eighths of the crimes are caused by II Ii Is
for your wisdom to devise measures better to protect
the people against this practice, which is so fatal TO
morals and life
Why, Mr. Editor, a blind man could not but be
aware of the fact that the natives, during the years
preceding 1880, g the famous beer-shop period in
Honolulu very rarely went near a bar-room, and
that the invariable and well understood rule amongst
the liquor dealers was, that it was tabu to sell to
them, and they were not served. Now, however,
instead of swilling the cheap hop beer" which,
though bad enough, was comparatively harmless to
'doctored'' draft ale and strychnine whisky, they
60 boldly up to the bar of some Of the public houses,
and, ~planking down their money, get what they ask
for, and often what they don't bargain fora sick
stomach and an aching head. These are facts, which
people who have lived here less than "twenty-four
years. are perfectly well aware of, and which cannot
be denied.
But this old resident takes the pains, in proof of
his argument that drunkenness has decreased, to go
to the Station-house for statistics, which he triumph
antly paradcs in print. These statistics were no
doubt carefully compiled, and represent pretty near
the facts. Now, Mr.. Editor, 1 do not wish to say
anything which might be construed as rejecting in
any way upon the police, for the present members Of
the force are undoubtedly very efficient and praise
worthy officers. Still, they, like all government
officials, are more or less influenced by those in au-
thority over them, and it is well understood thai a
general laxity has of late years prevailed in the mat
ter of the arrests for : drunk :" and other ofenses
against morality. l can recollect the time-and l
have not lived here twenty-four ~years-when a white
man couldn't walk out of a Decline or speak above
his breath in the streets without being taken up by
the police,-made to appear drunk on the way to the
Station-house by rough usage, and summarily locked
up, to be fined next morning through sturdy swear
ing. Why. | have known natives to be arrested be-