Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-03-04
SATURDAY PRESS.
ADvISABILITY OF PROHIBITORY
MEASURES.
MARCH 1.

beverages TO the Chlnese; the bill was d
finally passed in the House and would
have become law had it received the sig :.
nature of the King, the reason for the
Withholding of which, has never yet been
satisfactorily explained. As was well
understood and explained at the time. the
reasons which prompted the introduction
of such measure were for other than any
tender or sentimental regard for the moral
welfare of the people upon whom the law
was directly intended to operate, for the
widest stretch of philanthropic sentimen-
tality could scarcely be shocked at the
amount of alcoholic inebriety existing
among the Chinese of these Islands. In
fact it was the utter absence of any indi
cations that the Chinese as rule were
devotees to the use of alcoholic drinks
themselves, and the glaring fact that, not
withstanding the strongest proofs of their
own abstinence. they figured largely as
buyers of liquor; too largely in fact to
allow of any semblance of consistency
with any other theory than that they We're
purchasing almost solely for the purpose
of again becoming themselves the venders
of liquor, that suggested the propriety of
extending a restriction to them.
The shipments of liquor from this port
to other parts of the Islands to Chinese
consignees, have long been and still are,
enormous, and none but an imbecile in
the face of the evidence to the contrary,
would attempt to argue that any consid-
erable portion of it is made use of for pur
poses other than those of illicit sale. The
| facts are simply these: that owing mainly
/ to the instrumentality of the Chinese,
liquor is illicitly sold in almost every dis
trict of the kingdom with scarcely less
| freedom than it is sold in the metropolis
under license; and that natives, almost
anywhere, can purchase it with the same
freedom as those who are not legally bar
red from using it. Adopting the spirit of
the law which now imposes restriction
upon Hawaiians in their liberty to use
alcoholic intoXicants, such a measure as
prohibition to Chinese was thought neces-
sary; and it is necessary if moral and
sanitary considerations are to be subserv-
ed by prohibitive law to natives. But.
much as it would be regretted from phil
anthropic motives, to see the use of liquor
by natives made legal, deeming it but an
extension of the privilege of selfdestruc-
ton, we are still free to say, that not a few
would consider that unless prohibitive
law is made to include the Chinese as well
it were better, from moral and sanitary
considerations, that the existing prohibi-
tive statutes be repealed. In such case
it might be, that in choice between two
evils, we had but chosen the least. AS O
rule the natives now. all over the Islands
can obtain all the liquor they will pay for
and If they were free to buy it, they would
be no worse off in this respect, while if nc
prohibition existed they would be able tc
choose between the purchase Of the poor
est and most poisonous liquor at the high
est price from vagabond Chinese, and ;
better article at less cost from more re
sponsible dealers.
In order to break up our illicit traffic by
which hundreds of Chinese of the lowest
class are supported in idleness through
out the country, one Of two things mus
be done, and it remains for the Legisla
;; ture to decide which it shall be- Had W,
voice in the councils OF the natioi
,, it would be raised in favor of NOR
restriction except under the condition
. we have named. The objection tina
to put an embargo upon the sale o
I, liquor to Chinese is unconstitutional, i
mere twaddle, in view OF the existing pro
! hibitory law which has been declared con
, stitutional by the highest tribunal OF tn
: land; and there are no treaty clauses +
/ be violated thereby,
Aside from the more immediate evil cor
7. sequences 10 the native of this illicit traffi
in spirits, there are consequences affectin
!, the industries of the country that shoul
e not be kept from view. Any one az
!, quainted with Chinese characteristics, an
their greed for money, well know tha
: unlike the native in this respect, unde
/. ordinary circumstances, they are averse /
the observance of holidays where col
4 ditional upon the forfeiture Of wages 70
d the time; and some years ago, before the
: had become SO generally acquainted wit
the lucrativeness Of the liquor traffic,
!. was rule to see Cinnamon on plantations
voluntarily at work on holidays in larg
J, gangs, while other lsbor~s had deserts
the fields, 10 man. Such is far from b,
+ ing the rule to-day, and Cinnamon are O
, eager as others not only to avail then
selves OF holidays, but to shirk their wor
at other times under various pretence
= regardless of Ahe loss of wages involve,