Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-10-15
THURSDAY. 81. OCT. IS, 1888!
PROHIBITION.

AS the politicians of America have
been asking for years, "Does Protection
protect1" SO are the leading Prohibi-
tionists, after over thirty years Of ex-
perience in some of the United States,
now asking one another, "Does Prohi-
bition prohibit ?"
AS the liquor question has been
constantly before the people Of Hawaii,
and as it will doubtless be an impor-
tant factor in the coming campaign,
it would be as well for those interested
in temperance to study well the lessons
of the past before temperance advo-
Gates here commit themselves to a
definite line Of policy.
We are all agreed as to the curse Of
intemperance; but even prohibitionists
disagree as to the best remedy. 1t is
very easy to become drunken and ac-
quire passion for drink; it is very hard
to remain sober after the habit Of
drinking is fixed. Sometimes intem-
perance seems to be endemic within
certain limits and communities. The
political and moral problem involved is,
to reduce intemperance to minimum.
To absolutely eradicate it is as i'm
possible as it would be to attempt to
Danish the passions and failings Of
humanity.
"Can political parties make practi-
cal success of Prohibition ?" is the
question that is before the temperance
people of the United States to-day,
and is one upon which there is much
division Of opinion. Some hold that
the question can only be determined
by actual experience under existing
laws; others hold, that with new laws
Prohibition may be practically consum-
ated. Some of the strongest temper
ance men in the United States are now
advocating change in the basis of
action. Their present stand is derived
from the results of Prohibition in one
or more of the United States.
The case of Vermont, with thirty
years of unsatisfactory experience, is
cited in the discussion Of repressive
and restrictive legislation. The Yer
mont law was passed in 1852 on close
vote and was ratified afterwards by a
popular majority Of LII votes. Each
legislature since that time amended the
original law until it at last became
"iron-clad" The penalties made in
the end are very severe; but the practi-
cal operation OF the law could never
be enforced and it is a dead letter to-day.
Liquor has been and still is sold openly
in almost every hamlet, and certainly
in every city of the state. Spasmodic
efforts are occasionly made to enforce
the law, but they invariably prove OF
short duration.
The temperance men who now favor
change Of operation seem to have
walked up to the fact that permanent
temperance work must have its founda-
tion IN the moral reformation of the
people and not in restrictive legisla-
tion. One of the staunchest advocates
Of temperance in the United States
closes an article on the Vermont Law
with the following suggestive words ;
"The cause of the failure OF the law
is not far to seek. 1t is obvious that
the law is not sustained by public senti-
ment. 1t is that the world can not be
dragooned into virtue. The supporters
of the prohibitoy law are well meaning
men and women, who are sincerely
desirous of benefting their fellow.
human beings and advancing Gods
kingdom upon earth but not even by
these will humanity suffer itself to be
driven to loftier heights of thought and
action. The people of Vermont are
not singular in this matter and there
would seem to be no reason why the
present prohibitory system, failure in
a moral, God-fearing community,
should be successful anywhere in the
United States"