The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-05-05

eThe LegisIa ture supported by the present Min
istry passed the free bill and another blow was
given 20 help seal the doom Of the Hawaiian race
Planters Monthly.
The law regulating the sale of spirituOus
liquors, which repeats the restriction upon
Hawaiians in respect to the purchase and
use Of alcoholic drinks is continuously COM
meuted upon by a certain class OF persons
as the especial iniquity of the Kingdom,
and the one evil that must hasten the eX-
t~fnctiOn of the Hawaiian people Frequent
reference Is made to tile conservative lnnu-
ences of the councils OF the past, alleging
that the native race have been guided and
preserved by wise councils during the past
quarter Of a century. But now IN an evil
day a pernicious demagOgueiSm has gained
n foothold. and having misled the people,
has opened the flood gates of ruin upon the
nation. This kind of talk is, to say the
least, rather premature. Not one year mas
VET elapsed since the aw went MO opera
fiou. BY the time another Legislative AS
sembIy convenes and the country has had
two wears test OF the law 1t Will then be
time To- discuss the matter i'm earnest and
to determine whether the present law
should continue in force, or That u snail
lapse and the former order of things be-
restored. In gIHncing back upOn the past
quarter OF n century we may note some
facts which it will beewel To consider IN
view of questions OF prohibition and hou-
prohibition. In 1858 there were II little over
$1,000 native people in this Kingdom. IN
1880 the number had declined to 65,9S4.
In 1856 it had furthermore declined
TO the number OF 5S765. In 1872, there
was still great falling oft and tile
natives numbered 5l,53l, and in 1878
when the last census was taken, there
was a continued decrease, leaving 47,5Oo
as the native population. And at the
perfod Of the passage Of the so-called mis-
chfevous free liquor Bill in 1SS2, the native
population was estimated at about 49,uOO,
Showing a decrease in the native race OF
about $4,000 people during the quarter OF a
-. 1T WrawfnnG Tn tho ngE-nRa OF fins
ALLEGED iniquitious law, which Is to tie
charged with future destruction OF the Ha-
waifan people. Now it Is evident that the
Influence of the new law cannot operate
much more to The detriment of the race than
the ureVfous excellent and conservative coll
dftions of things. Were the former mighty
praised condition of things to be continued
with the same results in the decline OF the
people, il would only require another guar
ter of q century to finish them OIL And 1t
does not seem likely that the new law,
which went into effect in October, lSs2- re-
moving certain restrictions from the sale oil
sDirftuOuS LIQUORS., can possibly produce any
worse results than the former condition ui
tabu. After n while statistics will clearly
show whether the people are really dHnk-
ing any more than formerly or not. We
are inclined to believe that they are not
drinking any more, but that a little more
parade Is possibly made in respect Tn
dram drinking. We deplOre dram drink
inc amongst natives. We feel assured tina
thew. less than foreigners, have need OF
alcoholic drinks. But Legislative prohibit
ton i'm times past did not keep injurious
drink away from them, and now we feel
assured that Legislative permission will not
induce them to drink more than during
the restrictive period. And many who talk
so positively about the doom and
destruction Of the race in consequence OF
the remova Of n discriminating restriction
do not believe what they say. 1t Is "A mere
IMPOSITION outcry. For our part we are con-
tent to await the Issue, and If a fuIFtwO
years test proves great increase OF importa-
ton Of ~spiTituOus liquors and a uauifrstly
large consumption by native people, al
tended by an increased amount OF disease
and death, then we shall hasten To acknow-
ledge we are wrong and unite TO correct the
evil.