The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-07-15
What Liquor is Doing in Hawaii

w. Z. Il. u.
The people of the Sandwich Islands are suffer-
ing from the curse of liquor, like other nations,
but the effects do not always strike us with the
force which we fancy they would in a larger
place. We, too, in small place often shut our
eyes through sheer pity to lessons we might learn
when we see some awful effects of liquor, lest in
the presence of terrible suffering, we should seem
to reproach when only infinite compassion is felt
and is becoming
few years ago man was dying in Honolulu
from the effect of hard drinking There seemed to
be no organic disease, but total collapse of the
nervous system and an insomnia the most power
full opiutes could not overcome. IL was the mans
wish that the fact should not be concealed that
liquor killed him. that if.possible, his death might
warn others from the suffering he was enduring
and save them from such death as his. But the
sad truth was never openly spoken, and only BY
concealing bis name now can / say liquor killed
the man. A husband and father. and left his
family penness. That is one thing liquor is still
doing among Us.
Liquor is making criminals of our young men.
There are two foreign young men IN prison here
now, both for the same offence. "You paid a
large price for watch" / said to one of them,
1T was not worth it, was it? What made you do
II" 1T was the whiskev in me- be said. The
Government is aiding and abetting the making of
such criminals by granting liquor licenses in
places where men and boys must be trained to
drinking habits before saloon will Pay. Except
for the liquor sold under governments license
this young man would never have committed this
disgraceful deed which shuts him up in prison.
Some years ago two men were coming 10 Homo
lulu from Maialua. When at Eva in an alterca-
tion one killed the other, and then fastening
rope to his victims foot and mounting his horse
galloped madly round and round dragging the
body after him. he had borne the murdered
man no malice, but he was under the influence of
liquor, and the ghastly deed was one of liquors
doings.
Among the passengers by one of the June
steamers was a woman with her infant, who had
lived in Honolulu for several years. Liquor had
broken up her home. The husband mad gone
North few weeks before trying the last human
resort Ito him) of a change Of climate and asso-
Citations to break up his appetite for strong drink
He had had good business here, and chance
to lay by something for the future. The wife was
a thrifty woman and to help her husband had
practised the greatest economy, /" never buying
anything for herself more expensive than calico
| dress and never having servant, and yer the
| two took ont Of the country less than hundred
dollars think, all their worldly POSSESSIONS The
| earnings OF four years were left here Not in
property, but except what paid for scanty food
and clothing, il was left in the llquor saloons
And at the age Of nearly forty years. the wife with
| an infant in her arms finds herself with nothing
| to look to for support but her own hands
Liquor, and not hard times sent this good mechanic
out Of the country, and It was liquor and moi
want of employment which caused the poverty
and discomfort of his home
All this, evil liquor has done and is still doing
IN our little kingdom, and We cannot shut our ewes
to the fact that liquor cannot be licensed and
freely sold here without the fearful train of suffer-
| ing and poverty and disease and death following
which follows wherever iduor Is. F.H