The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1875-08-11
Tempernnce Meeting.

On Sunday evening there was q very large
audience assembled at Kaumakapili Church to
listen to an address from His Majesty, on
the subject of temperance reform. The room
was uncomfortably crowded, while many were
unable to even get inside. The choir of the
Church sang during the evening several hymns
appropriate to the occasion, and the tunes
being familiar, the singing was joined in by
the audience. His Majesty said in substance ::
In response to the invitation of your Com
mittee, and from an earnest desire for your
welfare, wish to speak to you this evening
upon the evils of intemperance, knowing that
the habit of using intoxication drinks is in
creasing among you, and is one Of the great
causes of the decrease of the people. The
principal compound of which liquor is COM
posed is alcohol, and alcohol by the most emf
nent scientific authorities, is placed high in
the list of vegetable poison. He who takes to
intoxicating drink suffers from it the same as
from any other poison. But the liquor drank
here is made of mixture which is worse even
than alcohol. To show more clearly the eff
fects and the diseases which the use of intoxi-
eating drinks brings, let me call your atten-
ton to the names of a few who have died
lately from illness produced by it. speak of
them because they we're cases that came under
my immediate observation. They were prom
inent public men, and you are all familiar with
their lives: Kahai, Kahanawai, Hoapili Ka-
auwai, Lilikalani. and many others. They all
suffered from the effects of intemperance. 1t
took years before hey were aware of their
maladies; but it came upon them sure and un-
erring. Men do not at first feel any of its evil
consequences, and are gradually allured until
they become helpless victims unable 70 control
themselves, and slaves to all the passions en-
gendered by the downward course of the
drunkard, until they sink into drunkard's
grave.
There are various opinions as to the manner
in which we should meet this evil. Some adj
vocate total abstinence, others differ; but
whatever course you may pursue, knowing
its effects,-le me urge you to adhere to it
faithfully. nothing destroys the effect of our
efforts for reform IN this matter more than try
ing to do too much Let us proceed cautiously,
but with firmness in all that we undertake for
this cause. am an advocate of the cause of
temperance, and hope by precept and example
to draw you from the evils of intemperance.
Kauikeaouli, beloved by his people, uttered
these sentiments: None but good men
shall govern my people," 1 will follow him
in this resolve, and would urge you, by all the
recollections of what he did for you and the
aloha you bore him, to reform. Now is the
time"
At the close of the Kings remarks, Mr.. Johu
E. Bush was called on, and said that he spoke
in response to an invitation from the Commit
tee of arrangements, and as an advocate of the
good cause of temperance, in which His Ma
iesty had volunteered to take the lead. He
wished to support the King in his efforts to
stay intemperance, and to check the decrease
of the people. His Majesty's presence here,
his advocacy of reform, and his example were
evidences that he was in earnest. He has re-
ferred you to many who have fallen as victims of
intemperance He has shown the poisonous
nature of alcohol and its villainous compounds,
and has appealed to you to put them away.
He (the speaker) proposed also to recall in
stances familiar to many, who had been vic
tins of intemperance, that his hearers might
take warning and shun the inevitable effects of
After instancing several noble
characters and their untimely end, he said:
"All these statements are facts, familiar to
most of you. 1t is no fancy sketch, but the
history of prominent men whose god-like in
tellects were destroyed by the use of intoxica-
ting drinks. Here in this assembly this even
ing are witnesses who can verify all that have
said. Thus, my friends, if from the proofs
which have brought before you, it is made
clear to your minds that intemperance is an
evil and alcohol an enemy to mankind, why do
you, young and old, persist in in its use? Isit
not time that we should look upon it with
loathsome disgust, and horror? The sanctity of
our homes is destroyed through its agency.
The very existence of this people as nation is
Have we sunk so low that we
cannot break from the letters which this al
Turing evil has bourd us? 1 say, for the
sake of all that we hold dear,-our homes, our
families,-all that makes man what his Crea-
tor designed him ia be, let us now and forever
abstain from the use of intoxicating drinks"
Rev. Mr.. Kuaea closed the addresses, with
few pertinent remarks, in which he appealed
to the audience to remember the counsel which
they had this evening heard. They were the
words of truth and sobeness, and ought not
to be forgotten. The meeting was efficiently
presided over by S. B, Dole, Esq, but the au-
iience, during the latter part of the services
became entirely too demonstrative. 1t may be
very proper to stamp and cheer speaker on
some occasions, but on the Lords day, and in
his sanctuary too, it does appear altogether in
iecorous. Public opinion alone can correct
this lack of good breeding.
Arctic Exploration.