The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-09-22
rpE paoHlsIrios CONTROVERSY.

HAVING NtCCubiJ ANsN' A' ~ 5000 CN'~
Francisco naturally have looked
over the files of papers published
during nv abse. ace, and nothing has
claimed my attent ION more than the
war being carried OIL between Memo
and Omen regarding prohipitlon'
particularly as | through your COL
umns more than once have given ID
detail my views on same.
| conceive Omen to be a man Oh
few-if not one idea-and there can
be no doubt he is an unscrupuious
special pleader in a cause--A venture
to say not of his seeking-he appears
to me hireling, and his employers
have unwittingly sent fool on a
mans errand, when they employed
such scribe to do work, they them
selves care not to undertake for fear
of being found out at their dubious
task. Taking up more particularly
Omen's letter in BULLETIN of 18th
instant, and on reading it carefully
there has come bubbling up feeling
of indignation, when he writes OF
DR.. De Costa's sermon, and says 1t
has nothing to do with prohibition
and in the same breath urges that he
is discussing the liquor traffic and
not Christianity.
What is Omen! Is he Agnostic,
Mohammedan, Scythian, Bond, or
Free, or is he one of those sad beings
who debarred from any responsible
political party has espoused as his
bride "Prohibition," which l once
designated in your columns as "the
last refuge of scoundrels. "
Not discussing Christianity is well
for Omen-he is certainly untit-still
he has out his nets and fish hooks to
catch-wiat? Like the Pharisee of
old he would compass sea and land
to make one proselyte, and when he
is made, make him twofold more the
child of hell than himself" est
Matthew "a 10.
What then is Omen's object? His
statistics are doubtful, still had he
followed the example of Memo, and
given the public column and page
for his quotations, his assertions
might have acquired force, but not
being Christian in this discussion, it
looks much as if he were but piling
up agony for his own glory, and as
he lets us infer not for the good of
men. Had he been wise he would
not have debarred Christianity from
his arguments.
! do not chop logic with Omen; he
is in the hands of Memo, who so far
has shown himself competent hav-
ing right on his side = to wrestle with
HIM to a finish; still my views on the
liquor traffic may be expressed In a
few words;
1st-It is question to be settled
by every individual for himself or
herself, land it is not the duty or priyl'
lege of anyone to circumscribe liber-
ty; and control humanity, by his or
her code of ethics.
2d-It is impossible to cure moral
evil by legislative attachments.
3d-No man has the right to CO.
cree another, and force quack nos
trums down his throat, because he
himself has been benefited. What
is one mans meat is another mans
poison.
4th-Where what may appear tc
be evil, and cannot be abolished,
would try and put it under bond:
and control it,
5th-It is my honest belief thai
prohibition if ridden to finish woulc
inevitably breed hypocrisy, many
vices, defeat the great objects It's
advocates have in view, and leave
them in a worse condition than he
fore. and this | think has been proven
by all fair minded men.
J would remind Omen that he or
have no special mission in this mat
ter We are free agents. No MAI
can make his rule of conduct that O.
another, and it is despotic and arbi
trary even to attempt It, One nigh
as well expect roses from thistles
hogs from horses, Niagara to becom,
tranquil sea, as expect mans ap
, petites, passions, longings to be APP
peased by specious arguments lik
his.
] infer he is not Christian, still
he desires his family removed from
the neghborhood of vice, gambler
and black-legs (unlike the MASTERY
| do not | desire 10 build all sue
I up, to restore them and bel p them t.
the likeness of that God who mad
US all, and this by the law of love.
Omen is one of many. He is 0
those beings, debarred by "reaso
uncontrolled, of many weaknesses
feeble memory and vitiated intellect
who have just sense enough TO han
on to the skirts of those he think
I sanctlfed, and that for "those thing
J. that perish in the using"
,s Omen | leave you now to Memo
0. but hearken to the words of wis
p man, "Scribes, pharisees, doctrir
aires, and dogmatic writer's take til
" worst measure of human affairs G
all mankind who can read and write
AHAB.
Honolulu, Sept. 21, 1891.