The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-10-28

insists upon Its practice. and solemnly
%denounces its violations. But where is
the passage comforting authority on any
man or any number of men to enforce
prohibition. Will the gentleman point
it out
Should he say he does not derive his
authority from the Bible, but from the
general consensus Of opinion of an en-
lightened and highly civilized age, and
from his own interior conviction that he
is doing only what is right, his plea is
not admitted. No body of men, how
ever great their number, possesses the
right to prevent acts done In accordance
with acknowledged Divine law, for if
they did. might and right would be con
vertibie terms. Without doubt the
rulers and law makers that nothing be
done by them which can ever be sus-
pected of being in a~ntagOnism to the
Divine law, for it is by this the world
should be governed, and as we act iii ac-
cordance with or repu1iate it so snail we
prosper or fail. If we ~repudiate Divine
law, and substitute for it something in
vented and made by man; how excellent
soever we may consider it, however eX-
alted its morality may appear to its
trainers, break down it must.
The gentleman may be as earnest and
as honest us is possible for man to be,
but that is no reason why, if he have no
right on his side, he should prevail
against others equally so. On the CON
trary, the greater his earnestntss and
aggressiveness, the more dangerous
would be his doctrines, for he would al
ways find some foil wing ready to APP
plause and enforce them. False argu-
ments. when colored with plausible
statements, enlivened by bright imagery,
and fluently delivered. too often capture
the minimizing multitude, and scatter
far and wide the seeds OF prejudice and
error.
But, supposing for argument sake,
that the majority has the right to rule
and compel the minority in every act
of life. what pretensions hal the advo-
Gates of prohibition to endeavor TO force
their measure on this community?
1t has been seen hat a great agitation
had been invited all over the land. Every
effort had been made TO popularIze the
scheme. No money had peer spared.
Petitions to the Legislature, Identical in
phraseology, had been printed and scat
tered broadcast from Kau to Koloa.
Signatures bad been obtained, presuma-
bly, from every village in the country, to
a number exceeding 5000, many OF which
on examination, were found to be Of
plantation hands; men of many national
tiles, evidently untaught, rude, laboring
men, besides school children. Now, us
the entire population of the islands ex-
ceeds $4,000, it may fairly be implied
that after so and determined
an effort, the great majority of the popu-
lation is proved to be either uninterested
in, or opposed to, the proposed innova-
ton.
1 SIS III biS A1CSA ASSCilDlN
was just as marked. 1t was lost by a
large majority. the members being, to
say the least, as intelligent and respecta-
BILE as any who have hitherto had Il
voice in legislative matters. The opinion
is held by thoughtful men, that they
had not only common sense, but the
Divine law as we'll, on their side.
The gentleman, while deprecating for
himself the character of Pharisee or
fanatic, does not hesitate to indulge in
designating others by disparaging and
even opprobrlous epithets. He calls
those who partake of fermented liquors
moderate drinkers-tipplers-by way of
sneer and depreciation. In II subsequent
discourse Il synopsis OF which is published
in the G0zette of the 4th of October he
is reported to have said " II is u crime