The Hawaiian gazette., 1882-02-22


There Is no desire on the part Of the
GAZETTE to say he Is wrong, he may or he
may not be; all it would ask is, that calm
consideration be given to the matter. To
raise the native hopes, with the probabili-
" that they would only be dashed to the
ground again. would be cruel indeed.
A BILL which VIII occupy considerable
amount Of attention during the next
Legislature, Is that of doing away with
certain present restrictions on the
sale Of liquor: again and again has
this matter been brought forward.
and again and again has it been
cast aside. Last session 1t passed the
House and then failed to receive the
Kings assent: this session If is bound to
come up again. and il viii undoubtedly
continue to do so until it does become
law 1t VIII be well at the present mo-
ment to review the present state of affairs
under the old law. The law. as it at pres
ent stands. IS almost a dead letter here:
the authorities arrest man here and
there. but for one arrest that Is made there
ara probably five hundred cases of Illicit
selling which are never found out The
sale Of liquor upon the islands Is very
large; person has only to examine the
freight lists of our inter-island steamers
and sehO0ners to learn how large it Is
Cases upon cases are being constantly
landed Ut one port or another. 1t must
be very evident that the large quantities
Of liquor, which are shipped weekly, can
not possibly be for private consumption,
they must be for distribution IN the various
districts. Not only IN the country dis
tricts. but here IN town. under the very
nose of the authorities, Is this trade
carried on. Take a walk through the
hikhale or Cape Horn and estimate the
number Of gin bottles that you viii see
stacked around the houses, you may count
them by thousands: very evidently the
police are either totally unable TO cope
with the evasion Of the law, or a number
Of them are content to wink at it.
Since such Is the condition of affairs, it
would be decidedly advisable to look well
at the law and consider whether it had
not better be revised in some way. A
change, coming as q government meas
ure. would be far better, than one
wrung from the executive by an oppo-
sition 1t would be less likely to con
tain Objectionable features, it would have
to back 1t the approval of the sovereign
and Of the more conservative thinkers of
the population.
The object of the law, in past time, has
been to protect the native against himself,
and the Law undoubtedly had the approval
of the native chiefs who had the interest
of their countrymen at heart But how
ever excellently the law may have worked
IN that past time, 1t has ceased to do so
now; It Is really no prohibition
1t may be as well to see what course Ia
hiti has taken in this matter. The license
law there permits all classes to buy aicO-
holie liquors at the properly licensed
houses, but it Is most strict IN the matter
Of drunkenness When man Is drunk it
Is very evident that he obtained his liquor
from some licensed place, and the estab-
ishment which supplied him with the
overdose of liquor Is at once shut up.
The proceedings are summary, the punish
ment swift The government viii tolerate
the use; bat the abuse Of liquor, it Furnishes /
with strong hand
Licensed houses the authorities have /
always a wholesome check upon, they are I
open to their officers at ali times for in
spectiOn: moreover licensed houses IN a 4
great measure do their own police; man
who pays a heavy license Is not going to /
allow another TO be running his trade by I
him at the same business be /
cause he pays no license: he VIII search I
out and denounce the unlicensed man to .
the authorities: and he VIII not then t
appear In the unpleasant light Of an in
former OF q spy, he viii be simply protect
ing his own interests
But far better method than the mere
licensing OF houses might
be adopted. st Gothenburg, IN Sweden,
a crusade IN favor Of temperance has been
upon totally different plan
from what has been done IN any other part
Of the world The evils Of drunkenness
have been fully recognized, but Just as
fully has 1t been recognized that they can
not be ersdicated by penal eaactments:
that you cannot make men sober, any
more than you can make them TIrtuOus,
5y act OF parliament 4 company OF
DhIlauthTOpists have come together, and
q very large sum of money,
have bought up the whole Of the licensed
houses IN the city. Once hsElg become
Of this property, they proceeded
10 shut up certain number, only allowing
3 given area 70 have one house Of refresh
nent; arguing that If a man needed
alcoholic stimulant, It was Just as well
hat he should walk some short distance
lOr 1t. The houses ara supplied with only
he best Of liquor, which Is furnished BY
he company; the man in charge Of the
house Is on salary and can make nothing
Jut Of the liquor he sells; but he IS allowed
% make az much profit as he pleases upon
he sale Of coffee. tea and other temper
lnce beverages, as vel as upon all articles
i food The consequences Is that every
-etaI liquor store becomes really a tenn
1erance centre. Il IS to the interest Of the
iealer TO sell the Temperance drinks, upon
which he makes profit: when a thirsty
nan cones N, he VIII rather press him to
axe cup OF tea OF coffee than a glass Of
,eer- The system has worked admirably: /
he number Of cases Of drunkenness has
zen almost reduced to MI, and town
Thich was once famed for ifs inebriety has
,ecoms one Of the sOberest In the kingdom.
If, as Is quite possible, a measure
flowing the sale Of liquor 10 all classes
4 the population should pass the next
-egislature, some such system as that Of
5othsnburg might vel be adopted Here,