The Hawaiian gazette., 1874-09-09
Temperance Legislation in the
United states.


that several members OF the Hawaiian National
Assembly had been seen in public helplessy in
toxicated ~" and the press never weary OF spread
ing tad news. has been passing the item from
paper to paper until it has now reached every
threshold in the land The modification caused
by such an announcement has been partially re-
lieved by the assurance that the friends OF tenn
peance at the Islands are taking active measures
to secure the passage of law prohibiting the
sale of intoxicating drinks aud trust that the
progress which temperance reform is making in
the United States will strengthen the efforts of
its friends in Hawaii.
During the past winter the womens crusade
has swept across portions Of our Western States
like damaging whirlwind, spasmodic and tran
sient in its efforts and the more sauguine friends
of the movement, who hoped for permanent ben
eft to the temperance cause, have been disap-
pointed. But the movement was not altogeth-
er useless. The motives which prompted it still
live, and have renewed the battle in a new form.
The crusade exposed nnew the wrongs which wo-
man had so long suffered from rum it strength
cause it proved that moral suasion alone was in
sufficient, that public statute could best fight the
huge evil and it thus has nerved temperance
men to redoube their efforts to secure 10 every
State legislation restricting license and favoring
prohibition.
A cursory review of the progress of Temperance
legislation IN the United States may interest your
readers. In States where the moral sentiment of
the people is yet too feeble to endure full prOhib-
tory laws, the primary step towards reform is the
enactment of stringent civil damage" laws.
The act known as the Illinois Temperance
Law affords the best example of such statute.
/ 1t is broad and sweeping in its provisions and by
I it both the liquor dealer and the owner Of the
/ premises where the liquor is sold, their guardians
and trustees, il any, with their private property
are rendered jointly liable for all damages, direct
or consequential which may result to the persons,
property, or means Of support of wife, child
employee, or any one, from the sale or giving
away of intoxicating liquors. This Illinois law
| abourds in salutary enactments, aud its practical
/ working has just been illustrated by decision OF
/ the Supreme Court of Illinois assessing damages
on liquor dealer for the support of widow,
whose husband while intoxicated had been killed
/ by railroad train And under the same law a
Jury has just sentenced an Illinois liquor dealer to
pay wife exemplary damages for the " pain and
anguish of mind which she had suffered in con-
sequence Of the ntOxicatiOn of her husband. The
| States of Vermont, Ohio. Michigan. Indiana and
Mississippi have similar laws. New York State
adopted such law last year; and its friends,
hopeful this year for another step in reform, re-
ceived a cruel blow when Governor Dix assumed
the responsibility of vetoing the local option law
which had passed the Legislature.
Local option is second step towards pro-
hibtion, and gives the majority of the people
right to determine for themselves in their respec-
tive cities towns or townships. whether the sale
OF intoxicating liquors shall be permitted and
the experience of most of the States where it has
been adopted proves that it gives prohibition to
nearly threefourths of the territory. Pennsylra-
MIA aud Kentucky have adopted local option, and
the temperance men in these States are now raj
lying all their forces for the fall elections when
they hope to carry prohibition, You of course
know of its adoption in California. North Caro-
lina aud Indiana also rejoice in the law. In Loui-
siana New Jersey, and Minnesota the privilege
of local option is allowed, while but small por-
ton Of the community in these States have
ayailed themselves of its prohbitOry advantages.
The legislature of Mississippi has just honored
her statute book with local option of q nature
more fatal to the liquor interest than that in any
other State BY this new law it is necessary TO
obtain the consent of majority of the tcomen
over Is years Of age, before licenses to sell liquor
eau be granted in any locality. There is great
tribulaiion among the Mississippi liquor dealers
on account of this women's temperance law.
Just legislation, that which gives woman-the
the wife the mOther-the right to vote against
curse blighting him she vowed to love and cher
ish; a curse whitening her helpless offspring
curse blasting her home with disease, want and
woe.
"Civil damage" and "local option" laws arc
merely successive steps towards the full prohibition
law, which now is the statute books Of eight of
our States 1t is misfortune Of modern legislation
that laws not in full harmony with public sentiment
arr TO some degree iuoperativei ana II Is humila
ting fact that were the stringent prohibitory laws
rigidly enforced in some Of the States where they
exist, they would be swept out Of existence by de-
bauehed public sentiment. But they are not wholly
Ineffective The experience Of the States which
have adopted them proves that the liquor traffic has
been almost entirely extingushed in the small
towns, and to some degree prevented in the larger
towns and cities. Maine is reaping the full benefit
OF her long persistence in retaining the law. With
time tue public sentiment in favor Of temperance
has strengthened, aud she is now about to reflect
with an overwhelming majority Hon. Nelson Ding
ley the incorporating prohibition Governor"
Governor Talbot, all honor 10 bin, has by three sue
cessive vetoes just saved Massachusetts from the
disgrace which her partisan legislature would have
Inflicted on her by repeal Of the prohibitory law
Saws he, in his able message accompanying the veto
"Sly judgment unquaiihedly condemns, and my
heart and my manhood rebel against any system
that would permit the great source oiall wrong and
misery and crime to exist By authority Of the com
monwealth" The New Hampshire legislature has
Just rejected by large majority the recommends
ton OF her Governor 10 repeal the law. Ohio has n
s,,ecf,s of urohibitorv law which unhealthy public