The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-03-13

the people of the State?
Judge Granger recently said of his
| district: "Our saloons are closed, and
stealing is limited. In the three coun-
ties where / hold Court we have prac-
tically no criminal business and not
an inmate in our jails except for con-
tempt of Court"
Judge Ruddick, in an official report
dated June IL, 1887, says: 1.-THE jails
in this district are now idle, and in
eight terms of Court held by me since
January LIST, there has been but one
Indictment presented, and l think the
grand iuries the indicting power in
Iowa have been reasonably dilIgent.
Much of the criminal element has GER
tainly emigrated"
Judge Harvey reports upon his
work for four and half years. In 1888
he sentenced thirty-one persons to the
penitentiary; in 1884, twenty-three;
in 1885, twenty; in 1886, fourteen, and
during the first six months of 1887,
two. These were divided up among
the counties of his district as follows:
Decatur, 8; Ringold, 6; Taylor, s; Page,
II; Montgomery, rs; Adams, ., Union,
20, and Clark, 6. OF this showing
Judge Harvey says:
~ am frequently asked what is the
cause of this decrease in crime during
the last four years. My answer is the
enforcement of the prohibitory law.
And it seems to me that the above
figures prove this beyond doubt. The
first year | was on the bench the sa-
looms were running; the second and
third years they were run in some
H,,E 70, I, I ln ~
believe there was a saloon in the dis
trict. ] am satisfied there was not an
open saloon. Red Oak, in Montgomery
county, and Creston, in Union county,
were the last places in the district to
give up the saloons, and the record
from these two counties show the re-
suit. The result from these counties
is not because they have larger pop
ulation than the other counties of the
district. Page has much larger pop
ulatiOn than either of these counties.
In the counties where the law has
been best enforced there has been the
least crime. During the last year it
has not been an uncommon thing-as
in this county (Decatur) at the last
term-for the grand jury to adjourn
without finding an Indictment. At
first, under the present pharmacy law,
some of the druggists were disposed to
take advantage and abuse the trust
posed in them, but a number of con-
victions and fines and the revocation
of number of pharmacy permits by
the Pharmacy Board has had whole
some effect, and believe that a great
majority of the druggists in this dis
trict are now disposed to obey the
law
These are some samples of testimony
given by men in the best possible posi-
tions to judge of the effects of the law.
1t is not necessary to go into particu-
lars as to all of the judicial districts of
the State. One significant fact, which
needs no comment, will suffice to show
that the good results from the law are
not local but general. The fact refer
red to is this: The State has been in
the habit of contracting its prison
labor. On the strength of these con-
tracts, extending over a number of
years, factories are built by the con-
tractors. During the latter part of
last year the State ran short of con-
victs, and could not fulfill its agree
ments. The deficiency was so great
that contractors have beeu threaten
ing to sue the State for damages.
Whether the matter has been satisfac
torily adjusted yet, | cannot say.
On the further economic aspects of
prohibition in Iowa l shall quote from
a letter written by Governor Larrabee,
for publication, on the 2lst of last
June:
~ have to say that our prohibitory
law is being enforced i'll eighty-tiYe of
the ninety-nine counties of the State,
as well as the laws against other
crimes, all malicious reports to the
contrary Notwithstanding. In the
fourteen remaining counties, situated
principally along the Mississippi
river, and containing large towns
Astounding in foreign population, the
law is but partially enforced, and in a
few instances is defiantly violated.
These places are, however, gradually
yielding to public sentiment in
favor of general enforcement, which is
rapidly growing, even in the eastern
part of the State. Prohibition has GER
tainly not injured any business in
terest, except that of the saloon
keeper, nor has it driven any good
citizen from our borders. 1t is true we
have lost, since the adoption of the
prohibitOry law, several thousand in
durable vendors of liquor and few
hundred incurable topers, but we have
every reason to congratulate ourselves
upon such loss.
GAS regards the internal revenue of a
State, it is no indication whatever of
the amount of liquor consumed in that
State, for the tax on liquors is paid by
the manufacturer and not by the con-
sumner. For several years one of the
largest distilleries in the country was
in operation here. From that institu-
ton alone was collected by far the
greater part of the internal revenue of
Iowa. 1t has long been a disputed
question whether this distillery could
be operated under the prohibitory law,
and three months ago, on final test
in the District Court, it was ordered
closed"
Space forbids my giving further
authorities in this paper. But, in con-
clusion, wish to call attention to the
fact that prohibition in Iowa followed
l,,NI hot n fa1