The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-07-20
REPORT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
SECOND ARTICLE.

There were II, 408 arrests during
the period and 1917 convictions,
an increase of 1888 arrests and
$3.50 convictions over the preced-
ing. About three out of every
four persons arrested, or little
less than IS per cent. were con-
victed. In the absence Of like
statistics from other countries, no
comparison can be made, but the
difference between arrests and con-
victions seems very large. indicat-
ing possibly. a free exercise of the
dangerous power of restraining the
liberty of the subject. AS the
population of the country at the
last census was $1,000 it shows
that about one-ffth of the entire
country has, been under arrest
during the period. These figures
| differ from the report of the Chief
Justice, but as the periods reported
do not coincide exactly they can
not be verified Of the arrests
57O6 were for deserving contract
service, 2950 for drunkenness, 1881
various opium offenses and 1888
for gambling offenses. Now let us.
see what the Marshal says of this:
cit will thus be noted that the
| greater portion of the work of the
police consists of arrests; for what
[ may describe as offenses created
by statute, upon the commission
of which the moral sense Of the
community apparently casts but
little stigma-as deserving con-
tract service possession of opium,
gambling and drunkenness, viz,
1908 out of total of II ,40S."
The first is not an offense at all !;
any more than the arrest of a
debtor because he is about to quit
the country makes him a criminal.
The other three are statutory
offenses just as murder, robbery,
assault and battery, are made
criminal by law. We have no
common law offenses. But to say
that ''the moral sense of the COM
nunity apparently casts but little
stigma" on gambling and drunk
enness, perhaps on opium offenses,
is simply insulting to the common
and moral sense of the people. If
| there is no stigma, why are gam
blers and drunkards Stunned and
avoided by the moral, that is the
greater portion of the community?
Why are they not trusted and per-
mitted to hold places of public or
private trust f? Simply because
they are unworthy of confidence !;
they are a public menace and re-
quire to be watched and guarded
that the public may not suffer
To certain extent the same may
be said of the user of opium. One
opium victim might exist and the
public receive no harm except that
of pernicious example, but if all
were permitted to use the poison
freely, the public would very soon
become a by-word and reproach.
Control of opium is very properly
within the police power Does
Mr.. Wilson wish the public, whom
he serves, to understand that
gambling has become open, public,
notorious and all but universal
with the lower portion of the popu-
lation of Honolulu, because it is
; right enough in itself, but is sim
ply forbidden by law, and so the
law is not enforced? Surely this
may be the key to the present
aspect of this question in Homo
lulu!
With regard to the very long list
of minor ofenses, which constitute
the bulk of our criminal cases, the
Marshal makes an excellent sug-
gestion, that in some cases the