The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-07-27
CALLS FOR GRAVE CONSIDERATION.

The following, from an English
paper, contains food for thought for
our public men: "The Chinaman
in Peru has shown considerable
capacity for taking care of himself.
He has not been the cause of much
corruption among the Peruvians, for
the Peruvians were sufficiently cor
rupt in their lives before the advent
of the Chinaman; but in Australia
he has become a source of evil that
calls for grave consideration.
Among his unique vices he has,
made opium smoking common
among the wretched girls who are to
be found in every large colonial
town, and the degradation which
follows is simply indescrihable, and
and would be unfit for publication
if it could be portrayed" Not only
has the Chinaman ''made opium
smoking common among the wretch
ed girls of the Australian towns
and other parts of the world where
he has secured a foothold, but he
has extended the opium smoking
habit to classes outside of the
"wretched girls circle. Police
officers declare that such is the case
in Australia, and the writer can
testify from his own personal obser-
walton and knowledge that it is so to
an alarming extent on the Pacific
Coast. Opium smoking appears to
be habit not difficult to acquire,
and when once acquired extremely
hard to abandon. 1t is also habit
which more quickly and thoroughly
than any other demoralizes its
victim. Moreover, it is sure and
certain destruction to body and
intellect. These propositions are
too generally conceded to require
proof. Then is it not the duty of
governments TO discountenance and
discourage in every possible way
trade in a commodity which pro-
duces such baneful effects? How
can any enlightened and humane
government justify the ilegalizing
and fostering of trade of this
nature? The idea of licensing fol-
the sake of revenue is extremely
repulsive. A revenue acquired
from trade that blights and blasts
and kills the people is blood
stained revenue that curses the
Golfers into which it flows. The
argument adduced times without
number in the discussion of the
question as affecting this country,
that license would restrict the trade
and tend to confine it within narrow
limits, is utterly futile from the fac
that experience, right here, ha
Enthusiastically demonstrated to tn
contrary. There was time whe
opium was licensed here, and peopl
had an opportunity of judging TO
themselves the effect. They hav
not to accept the teaching of th
license advocates as an untrie
theory, whose practical operation
remains untested. Did the licensin
of opium in the Hawaiian Island
prevent smuggling, or restrain tn
smoking habit within Chinese cil
cles? No. Fortunes were made b
smuggling. This statement is mad
on the authority of Cinnamon VIII
confess to have been themselvt
engaged in importing and sellin
secretly. The habit of opium smol
ing was acquired by many of IL
native people, and was rapid
spreading in certain localities th'
could be named, The discontinl
ance of the license and the absolu
prohibition of the trade did not, it
true, prevent opium getting into Il
country, nor entirely stop its us
But the trade was and continues
be greatly checked and the use
opium has been considerably lie
sened. So that to-day it is almO
unknown among the natives. Th
is asserted by police officers an
plantation managers, just the clal
of people who ought to know. III
probability, almost certainty, is tn
return to the license system wou
he destructive blow to the cou
try, and particularly TO the natl
people. We cannot think that al