The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-07-13
OPIUM LICENSE.

During the election campaign Of
last January, and on several occa-
sions previously the BULLETIN as.
serted on what was believed at those
times to he reliable authority that
one of the projected measures of
the National Degradation Party was
the licensing of opium. And here
1t may as well be stated that one Of
the authorities in question was the
Advertiser. The vigorous manner
In which opium license was doomed
in that paper was taken as certain
indication that the abominable mea-
sure would again be attempted to be
foisted on the country. This fore
cast of the proposed legislation of
the present session has proved abso-
lutely correct. The bill, according
to notice given on Thursdy last, will
be introduced by Representative
Kaunamano, and will be strenuously
supported by the Minister Of Foreign
Affairs, as he has already supported
it, when Mr.. Castles resolution for
committee Of enquiry was before
the house. His opinion that license
''would add considerably to the re-
venue and would not increase the
consumption" will be accepted by
all the members of the National
Degradation Party as conclusive.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs has
been intimately acquainted with the
condition Of the people Of this
country for the long period Of fifteen
months, and during that time has
spent some ten days or so outside Of
the city of Honolulu. Two out Of
these ten days were passed on the
blue waves between the Fish Market
and the leper settlement, another
day or thereabout was spent among
the lepers, at Molokai, all of which
leaves some seven days. acquaint-
ance with the country of which he
is Cabinet Minister. No doubt his
Excellency made good use Of his
time, and gathered an incredible
quantity Of information, but the
fatal objection to his opinion is
that the most intelligent members
Of the house and Of the community
who have been intimate with the
country and its people before there
was Hawaiian Minister of Foreign
Affairs in existence, are of precisely
the contrary opinion. Those who
by personal observation know most
about the country and the native
race, testify in the most emphatic
terms to the ruinous consequences
Of licensed opium upon the people.
The opinion of even so formidable
parsonage as the Minister of Foreign
Affairs does not possess the weight
of grain of sand against the OPT
MON based upon the cumulative
evidence of years Of experience and
observation. Whether the Minister
knows it or not, those who are best
acquainted with the effects of
licensed opium in former years as
compared with the effects of the
prohibited drug, during the opera
ton of the present law, know we'll
that license will increase the use Of
the article tenfold.
The silly arguments advanced in
favor of license ought to be suff-
cient to satisfy an intelligent man
that the safe side of the question
lies in the indefinite postponement
of the bill. The fist reason for
backing down on absolute prohibi-
ton put forward both in the house
and in the advertiser is the incom-
potency of the Government and its
officials to cope with the illicit
traffic. "The means at the dis
posal Of the Government" are in
sufficient. Certainly they are, and
wherefore the insutficiency? Are
the Government officials in collu.
sion with the smugglers? Or is il
necessary, at times, to preven
damning exposures, not to scope >
with the nefarious traffic? Thi
little kingdom pays entirely to-
much for officials to be informed b,
a Cabinet Minister, twelve days old
that her executive has becom,
wholly impotent. And suppose tn
National Degradation Party ha
already achieved success to tn,
extent of debilitating the mora
tone of the Legislative AS
sembly sufficiently to vote al
ignominous backdown in the face O
alleged rampant smupplino. ia i