The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-07-25
REPLY TO TEMPERANCE MAN."

| Whlcn was published IN tne Advcf-
tiser of July 81 at the request of a
Temperance Man." l would like to
offer few words in reply, for it
seems to another Temperance Man"
that the article referred to is very
/ misleading and contains statements
so far from truthful that some notice
of them should be taken even at this
distance from that poor State which
is suffering from the want of licensed
saloons.
First we are told shat Temper
ance is virtue and its methods are
persuasive. gentle pleadiDgs," etc.,
and the way to promote this virtue
is outlined as being by license law
throwing restrictions around the
traffic. License saloons - gentle
pleadings-fill up the husband and
father in grog shop, protected by
law; and then come In the virtues
persuasions-wooing by gentle plead
ings! Who does the "gentle plead
ing" act? Who uses the "kind
solicitations" so touchingly spoken
of? The saloon-keeper, no doubt.
The next wonderful statement is
that these men who do not take
kindly to thu" gentle pleadings" bust
ness wish tocrowd their principles on
their fellow-men. Well, in Iowa,
where the law was passed saying the
saloons must go, it had 20, 759 maj
GRITTY in favor of it, and yet when
such majority in favor of it as this
demands certain measures, we are
told that school of men are "forc-
ing their principles. What shall rule
if not majorities? Would it be the
right thing for small minority to
force method of dealing with the
liquor traffic upon majority? Sup
pose a majority of 29,759 was in
favor of license laws in Iowa, what
would be thought of the minority if
it was whining that certain princi-
Piles were forced upon them? They
would be laughed to scorn by their
successful opponents. Such talk is
bosh. No law in favor of the saloon
or opposing the saloon but was pass
ed by a majority, and then those
who are on the losing side should be
men and not talk about "being fore
ed" Would they not force" their
principles upon their opponents if
they had the power to d so?
Next we are told that mo moral
reform ever came in that way. Such
methods are not justified in divine
teaching or human experience. f."
What an absurd statement! How
about slavery in the United States,
in Russia, in Brazil? All this curse
was put out of existence by ''gentle
pleadings," was it? No law against
the traffic in human beings, slavery
not prohibited, SIMPLY "pleaded'
with the shareholders and they i'm
povershed themselves, and gave up
their prosperity and went out of the
business? Beautiful, was it not!
Temperance has made no pro-
gress whatever in Iowa." we are next
told, and, "Only a few impractical
bic men and women who know no.
thing of what they are talking about,
dare say that it has" Well, let us
quote from one of the governors of
The State. Gov. Larrabee was op-
posed to the law at first, but after
seeing the results he says: "There
is no question in my mind but what
the law is doing good for the people.
My views heretofore advanced in
favor of the law. are strengthened
and confirmed by added experience.
Our people are more determined
than ever to make no compromise
with the saloons.
U. s. Senator James f. Wilson of
Iowa says: "It gives me pleasure to
be able to say that in every desir-
able aspect of the case, prohibition
has been beneficial to Iowa"
j. F. Kennedy, M. D., Secretary
of the Iowa State Board of Health,
says: ''In all respects our people
have been greatly benefited. Crime
and immortality have greatly de-
creased. Social conditions have i'm
proved"
James P. Fink, Member of Con-
gress from Iowa, says: II was pro-
scouting both before and after the
enactment of the prohibition law in
Iowa, and | know that after the
enactment of the prohibition law,
crime decreased more than so per-
cent. l know this to be fact"
But space will not permit the
testimony of judges and represent
alive men of all classes Except the
liquor dealers) who speak in the
same strain, and yet these citizens
are few impracticable men, who
know absolutely nothing of what they
are talking about"
"The returning sense of the peo-
pie OF Iowa wants chance to de-
clare ITSELF" Well, it had chance
only July |, 1891, when in the Re-
publican State Convention, mind you
this was not Prohibition Conven-
tien. but goon Republicans, an at
tempt was made to insert a local
option and high license plank in the
platform, and it was voted down by
a vote of 95l against and only "a in
favor. This is one of the ways that
The returning sense of the people