The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1882-05-10
MASS MEETING
IL FAVOR OF
TOTAL PROHIBITION

TOTAL PROHIBITION-
On Thursday night last number of gentlemen
convened meeting for the purpose of advocating
tho question of Temperance, by obtaining an e1-
precision Of sentiment the part of the public
garding the advisibility of recommending the
present Legislature to pass law strictly prohibit
ING the importation and sale of spirtuous liquors
throughout these Islands.
Shortly after seven o'clock the Band marched
through the streets, playing lively music. This
caused numbers Of people to follow them to the
Music Hall, where they arrived at the appointed
time 7.SO Pm. The Band marched on to the stage
and opened the proceedings with music.
Judge McCully announced that he had been
called upon to preside He said we had had pro
hibition for number of years outside of Honolulu,
and vet they were called upon to consider whether
we shall have more prohibition. The necessity
has become apparent. They had met together to
listen to the views of several gentlemen interested
in the movement, and they hoped to elicit an eI-
preston of public opinion. He would first call
upon the Rev. j. A. Cruzan.
The Rev. j. A. CruZan said in substance, that
he had set for himself the modest work of remov-
ing the distinctions, leaving to other wise master
builders the work of rearing the structure Of Pro
hibition. We are told that Prohibition is opposed
to the Christian religion, reference being had to
the example of Christ and Bible concentrations of
wine. There are twenty texts in the Bible that
speak approvingly of wine, and one hundred and
twenty that condemn it. Does the Bible contradict
itselfy Some Of the ablest eXegists such as Moses
Stuart. Pres. Mott, Taylor Bewes, and a host of
others. say No. that there are two kinds of wine
referred to in the Bible that which contains alco-
hol and that which does not, and that the Bible
commends the use Of the last and condemns the
use of the first But we are told that Paul ordered
Timothy TO drink wine. Yes as a medicine. lin
uthy was an invalid and a teetotaler, else there
had been no need to order him to drink little =
wine. II you are an Invalid, under the adycle OF
physician You can properly hide your wine glass
behind Timothy: but if you are strong and well,
and still quote him as a warrant for indulgence IN
wine, yOu sadly overload that sick Apostles stOm-
ach. Then, as regards Christ's example, You must
first prove that be used intoxicating wine. Then,
after you have done that remember that he lived
in different circumstances from ours Even the in
tOycating wines Of His day were very weak dis
tillation was unknown; they were a rural and
strongly religious people: the e1citements and
temptations Of our fast nineteenth century city
life were unknown The question Is not What
did Christ do in Gallilee Nineteen Centuries Ago"
but what would He do IN Hawaii To-day :"
Would He drink the adulterated vine Of commerce.
and by his example teach others to do it! Con
vince me that the Bible countenances and upholds
the stupendous crime of liquor drinking and |
have no further use for such Bible. On the con-
trary, the Bible is squarely against the drinking
customs Of to-day. Two principles run through It,
The duty Of reserving ourselves, our faculties our
characters as sacred trust If God. In almost
countless cases, drinking inebriates and destroys
.. We are bound TO refrain from throwing needless
temptation in the way of those who are weak.
Again, Prohibition is opposed because ''it denies
the right 10 properly use a good thing There
are two fallaces: !. That liquor Isl good thing"
That which creates nine-tenths of the crime four
ffths Of the want and beggary, two-thirds of the
woes and sorrows, and one-haf of the insanity of
the civilized world to-day, is not good thing
.. That the moderate use of liquor is perfectly
safe and does not lead to drunkenness. If drinking
does not lead TO drunkenness what doesg Tramp
tramp, the sodden, reeling army marches along
drunkard's hopeless grave. But the ranks are al
ways full. From whence come the recruits If not
from the ranks Of moderate drinkers? +? Certainly
not from the ranks of total abstainers.
But we are told that intOlerable evils would fol-
low the adoption of Prohibition" What. "Smug
glng?" Yes. there would undoubtedly be some
smuggling. There is some opium smuggled-
shall we abolish the law against the importation
of opium, and Is the small amount smuggled a
greater evil than the great amount which wOuld
come in were our ports open TO it There would
be more drunkenness As we'll say that there
would be less stealing in the Kingdom if We had no
law against larceny. Facts are stubborn things.
Maine is a fact. Thirty years ago she had Is dis
ulleres grog-shOps everywhere her liquor bill was
ten million dollars each year, and she had one
drunkard for every forty-tiye of her population
Now, she has not a single distillery or open grOg
shop, her liquor bill is less than half million dol
lars yearly, and she has one drnnkard in every 800
of her population. Prohibition does prohibit.
The Chairman next introduced the Hon. A. f.
Judd. Chief Justice and Chancellor of the Kingdom
He said Let first inquire whetherit is possible
to enact prohlbitOry law. Are there any legal
obstacles in the way The tenth article of the
Treaty with France, by which this Kingdom con-
tracted not TO prohibit the importation of wines
and brandies Of French origin, was terminated
after twelve months notice, in 1873 Hawaii can
make its own laws Independent state, and the
enactment of a law prohibiting the importation
and sale of intoxicating liquor will tend to preserve
the respect and good will Of all Christian govern
mcnts towards us.
Is there any other obstacle &? Who wishes liquor
for himself? VIII any one here be willing 10 ex-
biJit himself on this platform as a man, so COM
plCtely slave Of his appetite, to whom liquor is
necessity Then, for whom do you wish it For
your nelghbOr Docs any father wish 1t that his
sons may drink Is it possible that any wife
wishes II for her husband Does any business
man wish 1t for his employees, for the captains of
his vessels, for his engineers? Would you tolerate
your judges or other government officials if they
would say they could not dO trihi0W IT,
The Hawaiian Government, in the exercise of a
paternal sociude for the aboriginal race is spend
ing large sums for the health and sanitary improve
mCnt Of the people Recently pubishedi figures
were husspent, exclusive of 100000 for the small
pON epidemic, or nearly s. per capita. | do not
say that this would all be saved if there was no
rum here. But mere medicine will not save this
people. They must be stimulated to live higher,
nobler, purer lives. The sanctity of the family
must be more highly regarded, and virtue culti-
waited, and If You remove mtoxication from among
them, you eliminate very IMPORTANT factor, winch
produces disease and death among them, and thus
2redtly lessen the expense of caring for their
bealth.
1t Is said that there will be great loss of reve-
nue.. But the needs of the Government for police,
for iails and for protecting life and property will
be decreased if this crime producing agency be cut
of. In New Haven, Connecticut, where 1 lived
some time there were then 5000 inhabitants. and
yet policemen kept the city in order, in spite Of
the 90 turbulent college boys This was because
the people were virtuOus, industrious and temper
ate. Englands greatest living statesman and
economist, the Rt. Hon. W. L. Gladstone, said
lately, on a similar question, Gentlemen, you
need not give yourselves any trouble about revenue
The question Of revenue must never stand in the
way OF needed reforms. Besides, with a sober
population, not wasting its earnings, shall know
where TO obtain revenue"
II is said that the more difficult YOU make it to
obtain liquor, the more men will try to get it and
The more they will drinkit. This is fallacious and
lbsurd. Why do not all deterring laws have this
fleet II the law forbid the carrying of weapons
md punished men for doing this, would they i'm
make walking arsenal3 of themselves
III lllC otett VI 1tAS llNll ~ dIlutu BECAUSE iilt
aw does not forbid it.
Lastly, some say if you license the traffic in
yery district, you then have in the saloon proprie-
Ors police self constituted, who will see that the
aw is carried out. The appetite for intoxicating
rink is aroused by illicit indulgence and then the
licensed dealer gets new customers. The demand
or liquor is unlimited. Saloon keepers are not
ike mOnopolists of al article of limited demand.
The more liquor Is sold. the more customers they
,et. and the experience of thirty years in Homo
ulu has shown that no saloon keeper has ever in
tituted prosecution against the illicit traffic in
liquors in all this time. Those of you who are able
,y strength Of purpose and Gods grace to resist
ntoxication, give up for the sake Of poor, weak,
differing humanity around you, this Indulgence
# your tastes. loud applause
Mr.. p. c. Jones, Jr followed. He presented fig
lres collected from the Custom House returns,
which clearly showed the alarming increase in the
Importation and consumption Of liquor in this
ountry.
Mr. S 5. Dole spoke at length, as also did the
Rev. James Alexander. J. W. Kalua and S. E
5ishop, each strongly advocating the cause of
Total Prohibition.
After an overture by the Band, Mr.. p c. Jones
Toposed that an expression Of feeling be elected,
Thich Father Damon seconded in short and plthy