The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-01-24
%E LIQUOR PROBLEM. i.

70 must VINO guy beyond their means
and use without discretion, but it is
also an evil TO those who never buy
nor use. The drunkard's wife feels the
evil even more keenly thanthe drunk
ara himself. His children suffer pri-
walton and shame because of his
wicked folly. His unborn babe takes
into its veins poison which the faith
- acquired in the dram shop. The in
SNor3bie laws of heredity decree to
many youth an almost uncontroll-
able appetite, for which he is in no
way accountable. The iniquities of
the fathers are fearfuily visited upon
the children. Besides the drunkard's
family, his Deighbor suffers for his
weakness. He suffers for fhe fearful
influence which one man exerts upon
Others. No man liEeth unto, himself.
How many mothers have prayed in
anguish for the salvation of their sons
from temptations which could not be
presented 10 them but for the drunk
ard Who has not known of fathers
anxiety TO keep his boy away from the
atmosphere which is foul. with the
fsCankari's profanity and the drunk
Snd's obscene language ? An atmos-
phere thus polluted is the native ele-
ment OF the dram shop. But this at
mosphere is not confined to the dram
shop. it is carried out into the streets.
IL Oftends gentlemen. 1t shocks ladies.
1t contaminates children. 1t carries
whit a contagion Of vice which all
to08iten takes hold upon the children,
who come in contact wit it. Drunk
enness is fostered by the dram shop.
It Is the companion of crime, if, in
deed, it Is not a crime itself. 1t is the
parent Of poverty DR. Baer, statfsti-
clan Of the German Empire, SAYS it
produces IS pei. cent. of the crimes of
that country. Yet that is. sober, beer
drinking Germany. Surely beer has
not proved itself the antldote for drunk
enness that its. yotaries claim it to be,
when the officials in its own country
&slrTaign drunkenness for rs per cent. of
al the crime committed IN. that en-
pire- Chief Justice Coieridge says;
IF you could make England sober
You could destroy: nine-tenths of all
the. pooT-houses and jails in England
a few years ago the Canadian Govern
nent appointed acommittee to ascer-
tain, il possible, the greatest cause of
crime. They examined $4,000 cases,
covering a space, of three years, and
attributed 2l,O0Q OF them to the
use % intoxicating liquors. Stats
ties OF the. Massachusetts Bureau
show that 81 per; cent. Of all the
crimes .committe&,.lnn that state
are due to it. Is all Of thee-eeT CRIME and
all of the poverty caused by this maff1-
moth evil Of no concern. to any one
who does not patronize. the rum
-Seller2 Ii certainly concerns others,
and that very deeply. The. dram shop
fosters drunkenness. 1t thus blights-
industry, increases poverty, fills jails,
ruins men, robs women Of more than
money can buy. Furnishes children for
crimes not their own, and sends its
<Svn cOntagion and the contagion of
its companion vices coursing down
through generations vet unborn. 1t is
the enemy Of all that. tries to elevate
society. Ii Injuries innocent men,
women and children. It's victims far
exceed IN number all ofSits patrons 1t
is a curse to all classes of society
Does this seem like q strong arraign-
nent There Is nothing new in it.
The dram shop is not to be tried on
this arraignmeglt. The trial is already
over. The dram shop is found guilty.
= It stands convicted before the civilized
world Why does a dram seller have
10 paw Sl.O00 for isslicense, while a
grocer or a elothier pays but a small
percentage of that sum? 1t is because
The dram seller stands at the bar of
public opinion convicted of keeping
public nuisance. The license fee is in
The nature of fine. 1t is true that
society in most of the civilized world
has dealt with this particular nuisance
in a singular way. 1t says in effect
that the dram seller may continue TO
keep his nuisance provided he will
pay his fine in advance, But the pay
ment of the fine, whether in advance
or otherwise, indicates conviction. He
has appealed 10 the courts against the
conviction at the bar of public opinion,
Git he has not bettercd himself by it.
He has ceased TO appeal on a fine pay
able in advance. But when steps are
taken TO ahate the nuisance, he APP
peais. One of these appeals was lately
heard in the Supreme Court Of the
United States In deciding the case
.Isistiee Harlaa, Speaking for the
I'oart, said: I'VE cannot shut out of
view the fact that public health,
n1orals and public safety may be
Endangered By the general use of
Intoxicating drinks, nor can we ignore
the fact that the disorder, pauperism
and crime, prevalent in the coun-
try, are in a.large measure directly
~ aceable to this end. If, therefore,
"A &c State deems the absolute prohibi-
ton Of The smanufacture and sale
within it of Intoxicating liquors to be
necessary TO the peace and security OF
society the courts cannot override the
viii Of the people as thus expressed by
their chosen representatives. Again
peal1ing az the argument that the
prohibi1ory law of Kansas violates 8
provision in the Constitution of the
United states similar to that of Arti-
cle 8 of the Constitution of the Ha-
waiian Islands, that no person shall
he deprived of life, liberty or property
without due process of law, the Court
through Justice Harlan, says: "Al
property under our form of Govern
inent IS subject to the obligation tina
it shall not be used SO as to iniuriousl!
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