The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-01-19
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
JANUARY 10.


As if rum, and the vices which it engenders
and fosters, were not rapidly enough sweeping
the remnant of IIawaiiaus from the face OF the
earth, it Is 4 sad fact that the practice Of smok-
ing opium. introduced here By the Chinese
coolies. has become prevalent among the native
Hawaiians, and Is ~iearfully on the Increase. All
who have watched the effects Of the habltuai use
of this poisonous narcotic on the human system,
agree that when il once gets 4 Erm hold upon it,
victim. q cure is almost hopeless. Its introduce
ton among the people il quite as much a mis-
fortune as would be the taking off the tabu on
the sale Of spirits.
During the past few years, the attention OF
the police has frequently been drawn TO this
subject. and numerous arrests have been made OF
Cinnamon engaged in the illegal traffic in opium.
But it is exceedingly difficult To get a native who
uses opium to testify against the seller, and thus
it not unfrequently occurs that, in cases where
the police are morally certain Of the guilt of the
vendors, they 20 unwhipt of justice for the lack
of the necessary evidence to convict. The law
authorizing the licensing of the sale Of opium in
Honolulu was enacted ostensibly with the view
to stop the illicit traffic, but it has by no means
had that effect; on the contrary, the evil is on
the increase. Iar DctIcT 20 cliiti. diiN ~ ai
the power Of the Government enforce, stringent
laws against the sale or use of this pernicious
drug, except by licensed apothecaries when pre-
scribed by physicians.
We heard of Il distressing instance the other
day Of a poor native ON whom the insidious habit
of smoking opium had grown until it became
necessary to his existence. Becoming himself
sensible of the destruction of body and soul to-
wards which he was Fastening, he made an effort
to break of the habit, and taking Il small supply
of the drug with him to = taper off on re-
moved to Waikiki, away from the town, with
the delusive idea that thus he could cure himself
But when his supply was exhausted, the nervous
prostration and the craving for the wonteC
stimulus were such that he was obliged to come
to town again for more. Again providing him
self with Il small supply, he made another eBor
for freedom, this time removing to Coco Head
further still from the tempter. But he became
so weak from the reaction on his nervous system
that his friends were obliged to bring Linn II
town again. on lac would have soon died from tn,
want Of opium. And he will inevitably die will
the use of it. This is only one instance brough
to light out of many that doubtless occur, bu
which are never heard Of.
Last Sunday the police caught two natives II
the act of smoking opium in the house of on
of the coolies whom they bad for some time sus
pected. and on Monday succeeded in getting
conviction before the Police Court. The coolie
who was a most wretched, cadaverous and helI
less specimen of the victims of opium, was fine
800 with 50 81 costs, which. as he had II
means to pay, he will work out in the chai
gano-eoual to four hundred and thirteen and
half days hard labor at twenty-five cents a day
\ righteous Judgment, which ought to serve as
check to the growing evil.