The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1882-03-01
The Liquor Laws.

| Enron GAzETTr: II your editorial last week
you tell us that new bill in regard to the liquor
traffic is to be brought forward in the next Legis
lature Nou speak Of the failure of the present
prohibitury legislation 4 reason for giving up
the sytesem Of prohibition. YoH advocate the plan
of granting licenses for the traffic III other places
than Honolulu, our present laws limiting the sale
20 this CITY.
But some Of your readers regard such legislation
as q step backward and downward. il Is true that
many good men advocate q license system. They
talk of a stringent license law. and would require
every saloon keeper TO be person Of good moral
character attested 10 lie such by two or more re-
spectacle citizens. But such requisites. in order
TO the successful operation OF license system are
very much ike trying TO buy horse that shall be
q mettlesome charger for the parade ground and
safe for any child 80 manage IN the family car
rage. Ii is deludIng ourselves by nice sounding
Upithets. when the facts uf Gfe-demand plain talk
about the evil in the traffic itself. a curse 10 both
buyer and and seller and 20 the whole community.
The arguments advanced in favor Of a license sys-
TEN are speclOus falaCles- il Is ignorance, child
like ahd bland. to suppose that it IS for the inter
est OF licensed dealers 20 check the sale Of Intoxi
eating drinks. 1t Is their business policy and
peCuuiary interest rather TO encourage habits of
drinking, and offer facilities for 1t. license from
the government gives apparent respectability
the business. and this quasl.sanctiun of the gov
eminent Is SO far an encouragement rather than
check TO drinking habits.
How TO deal with the sale and use Of alcoholic
lens OF our modern Christian civilization. Il
never VIII be settled until IL is settled rightly and
1t never will be settled rightly till the public con-
science endorses and uphulds the right. It Is IN
denlable thai the liquor which men will sell and
men will drink as yet in spite Of most abundant
warning from scientific Investigation and better
persOnal experience. drains the resources and
wastes the energies that would else build up the
nation and increase the prosperity Of the cOmmu-
nifty. The reasonable and righteous and only sta
ble settlement Of this question is the utter annihi
latlon Of this prolific seed-bgd of SORROWS and
sufferinCs To license the liquor traffic. 10 increase
the facilities for the use Of alcoholic beverages as
a remedy for the evils Of intemperance, is very
much like setting apart a certain portion Of the
lawn for the cultivation Of weeds. Ask any man who
has come under the spell Of this vice what will
free him from is calling chains VIII moderate
indulgence VIII occasional iuebncty Viii pure
liquor No; nothing save breaking of the habit
NJ once and forever Society. staggering under the
evils now inflicted by lutemperauce, must adopt
the same sharp, short method Of dealing with this
deadly foe 10 social comfort and progress.
You speak Of the failure of prohibition. We adj |
init the fact OF evil still rampant, but are not
vet out Of The light We are still busy preaching |
righteousness and temperance and Judgment TO |
come, to closed ears and obdurate hearts. But is
Christianity failure It Is remedial system for
souls diseased. according 20 its representa- |
items In the fullness Of time we shall see the I'm
ished salvation that is now only a hope and an |
endegvor. We shall see society rpgenerated as now
see and rejoice in individual regeneration /
Shall we compromise with evil Shall we yield /
to Satan when be arroCautlv claims as his own the
kingdom Of this world Or shall we not rather |
look anew 90 he Captain Of our Salvation and be /
uerved with fresh vigor for the conflict inspired L
with new enthusiasm for the work Of delivering /
this fair earth from vice and crime Would /
you advocate tie licensing Of the opium traffic /
also You Will hear voice from our planta- Il
ton managers that VIII insist protecting prop
erty from the loss which any larger use of opium
would inevitably bring upon our largest vested in
tereSt Would you repeal the laws against gam
bling because they are not enfored as they might
be Would Won allow people 70 carry concealed
weapons because il Is personal privilege that no
policeman should be allowed TO interfere with
Car there be no better administration of our
present laws Either public opinion is very much |
at fault or the officials swcrnto execute the laws.
policemen. and district judges. and higher officials
connive at offences and shield offenders Rather /
than denounce the laws, deuouuce these derelict
officials Hold them up for the reprobation of all
honorable men. show up the evils of intempef-
ance, and brand with public infamY the names Of
those engaged in psfpetuasing these evils. And |
one other thought. II your sword is too short |
make il longer by adding a step to il. Why re- |
treat why weaken: Who that has any adequate |
Of the evils of intefnperance will take
any backward step Rather Let us try TO extend
still further the principle of present restrictive
legislation, and improve the methods Of admins
tration. The Chinese. by their Illegal sale Of
liquor have forfeited q class. whatever special
privilege there may be supposed % be in buying
ana selling liquor Let the coming Legislature
prohibit all sale gift of liquor 70 Chinese as well
rs 20 Hawaiians The Chinese themselves Il they
care for something else besides money, viii be
glad to know that the Government has put such a
check on the temptations that have ruined so
many OF Their own young men. and made Chinese
parents dread the thought Of their sons coming to
Hawaii only to be ruined for life. Hear the pite-
ous story Of the min that liquor is working among
he Maories Of New Zealand Ii any one wants to
hasten the extinction Of this Hawaiian nation. 10
loom 10 despair those who might be helped into
higher and nobler life, let him advocate license
iysie1n, and open the way for lava food Of in |
emperance In ihe waning light Of all past expe-
hence, against the plain directions Of scientific
eaching. in spite Of the friendly al1nouitious Of
rue Christian philanthropy we shall only TO our |
Wi rum and disgrace tamper with this nonstrous |
vi Of lntemperance by extending the license sys-
en- We have too much of L now. rather than too
title: For the sake Of Ierishing thousands, lured
o ruin by the demon Of strong drink restrict the
ale still more, rather than license It.
Nh DrsrFRkNur-,r