The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-08
THE OPIUM FRAUDS.

The Bulletin" differs from us
radically on the opium smuggling
question. It thinks that smuggling
should be continued on moral
grounds. We think it should not be
continued, and upon precisely SINH
lar grounds. We may be entirely
wrong in our view of the case, and
our contemporary may be entirely
right; but we are not yet convinced
of our error. The abstract question
as to whether the manufacture and
use of opium, except for medicinal
purposes, is right or wrong, does not
enter into the discussion of prac-
teal issue. Anything this Kingdom
may say or do, by its Legislature,
will not stop the production of opium
and It's handling as an article of mer-
chandise; and the sole point to be
considered is whether or not law
prohibiting Its importation should be
retained upon our statute book, when
It Is notorious that 1t is practically
imperative and encourages and in
cites to smuggling, which is an of
Tense against public morals only in
this case, inasmuch as it does not
affect the revenue.
Our position, for practical reasons
heretofore stated by US, is that the
law, being failure, should be
repealed. Its repeal would prevent
smuggling, because there would be
no prohibition, and Custom House
officials and the police would be able
to devote their attention to other
duties, which are certainly neglected
by the latter, owing to tie in
centive of reward in successful opium
hunting.
Furthermore, we hold that a reve-
nue. of 100000 a year may be legiti-
mately secured by the Government
from say three licenses for the sale of
opium in the Kingdom. This propo-
sition our contemporary pronounces
'Apure quackery," and says it offers a
temptation to men of capital to en-
gage in a diabolical trade" Now,
this is sheer nonsense. The "Bul-
1etin" should know that the law pro-
hibiting the importation of opium is
3 comparatively new departure, and
that the very policy we recommend
for adoption now was in force in the
halcyOn days of Hawaiian politics,
and that sales of the opium license
monopoly were held under the adj
fcfss Of
stature, as moral giants, is now the
admiration of the Opposition press.
The truth is, however, that this was
far too straight and open a transac-
ton for the ''party of moral ideas"
The Treasury was benefited by the
opium trade, as it should be, and
there was nothing in it for outsiders.
Consequently the trade was prohib-
tied on "moral grounds and now
the Treasury profiteth not, buta great
many people on the outside profit
hugely. For this reason, among
others equally cogent, we say opium
prohibition should be abolished and
the trade be made source of revenue
to the country. 100000 from opium
licenses would come in very handy
now to help rebuild bridges on Kauai
and Hawaii, and repair roads on Oahu
and the other islands.
The Bulletin" will perceive frona
these remarks that we,do not accuse it
of being identified with the "party of
moral ideas" It is simply ''crankp
on the opium question, if we may use
the term without offense, which we
desire to do. It believes that the
opium traffic is wrong per Sc, and
opposes it from principle. We think
the opium traffic is quite as Iegiti-
mate and proper as any other. This
opinion is evidently entertained by
che British Government and people,