The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-10-07
Liquor and Grimm.

EDIroR GAZETTE Il was surprised on reading
an article in Of last weeks BnleiHs at an idea
IN If which seemed TO be seriously put forth to the
elect that men as frequently commit crime when
IN their sober senses. as when under the influence
Of liquor. IL was not said in 50 many words but
that would be reiOrmers' when wishing TO preach
a temperance sermon relate crimes committed by
men under the influence Of liquor and ignore the
crimes committed by men in their sober senses.
That certainly Is natural, because temperance
people as temperance people are not AT war with
other causes Of crime than liquor. II is true that
men, not under the influence of liquor, though
they cannot be said TO be in their sober senses do
lar too often commit crimes of the deepest dye
but how IS that in favor of liquor drinking or how
does that fact make liquor less a cause Of crime?
Temperance people maintain, because statistics
bear them out IN the statement, that liquor is a
more prolific source of crime than any other one
cause IN Christian countries. The Nerr York Err
fnfHc' says, that statistics recently gathered in
that city show that ninety three per cent Of the
inmates Of the House Of Industry. were sent there
for crimes resulting from the use Of liquor In
nineteen counties IN Indiana there are l,l32 sa-
looms and IN nine other counties there are no
saloons. In the nineteen counties there is one
prisoner 10 every seNeuty-two votes, and in the
nine counties there Is one prisoner 10 every seven
hundred and twenty votes-there being ten times
as many prisoners where liquor is sold. Is II not
probable that liquor makes the difference, and
that she crimes which shut up the prisoners in the
nineteen counties committed by men under
the infuence Of liquor rather than by men in their
sober senseSY
There are in Illinois six hundred towns under
no license law. aud in every one of these crime has
been lessened since they came under the no. license
banner. III drunkenness itself is crime. then the
crimes resulting from liquor. in BROOKLYN. n. Y.
IN 1854. were almost as many as those resulting
from all other causes combined. there being out
of total OF y ll9 ARRESTS, II 24 for drunkenness
do not know what proportion of crime COM
United IN Hawaii mel is the result of LIQUOR But
I know one Of the most CHASTITY deeds done in the
Islands for the last twenty years was done by a
mau under tue influence of liquor deed he would
never have committed in his sober senses because
he had no motive, except the excitement resulting
from liquor was a motive. A sentence of death
was committed 10 imprisonment for twenty wears
believe, and tue man sltoday working out the sen
tence IN prison. There other prisoners whose
crimes do not show ON the records as the results
of liquor, but one of them himself told me he was
under the influence of liquor when he committed
the larcency which shut him up in prison. and ex.
cept for the liquor he would never have done the
deed and that this was true of Others who were
serving sentence for the graver crimes.
Liquor IS not only n fruitfulsource but crime IN
duced by liquor Is often fear fully unnatural. like
that of man in e town 1 was visiting two wears
ago. The man. member Of one Of the very best
families in the State, had been drinking heavily
with bis brother aud some friends, when taking a
reSolver he began shooting at his comnauions
killing his friend and woundinc his brother who
only escaped with his life by running. When the
man came out Of his drunken excitement in his
despair at what had done be attempted bis own
life. Men in their sober senses do not Kill their
friends aud brothers without the strongest mo-
lives There Is very little danger that "would-b
temperance reformers will lay anything 10 charge
of liquor, which does not rightly belong there and
they say and statistics will support them that
more crime is due to iqucr than any other one
cause in all Christendom. IENpERsNcF