The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-12-29


bill against the spread of this
terrible vice among the Hawaiians
is that it proposes to confine the
use of opium to four dens Noble
Marsden, one of the promoters Of
this bill, gave as his opinion on
this point that, "You might as well
try to prevent the sun from rising
tomorrow" as to so confine it. No
one can really think otherwise. 1t
is absurd to suppose that planta-
ton managers will allow their
Chinese Iaborers to leave work and
take two or three days trip to an
opium den in order to conform to
the provisions of this bill. 1t is
much more absurd to suppose that
a Chinaman would do such a thing.
Opium will be had when and
wherever it is wanted. There be-
ing nothing to prevent the opium
dealers from selling the opium, it
is absolutely certain that they will
supply all demands for the drug,
and that we shall have lot of
Chinese opium peddlers. If our
law officers cannot, or do not, pre-
vent the peddling of wines, spirits,
etc, when done largely by white
men, does anyone for q moment
suppose that they will stop Chinese
from peddling opium? If there be
one section in the bill more worth
less than another, it is this section
upon which depends the safety of
the Hawaiians.
AS to the revenue which it is
supposed the country will obtain
by the passage of this bill, it is by
no means the certainty that the
promoters of the bill suppose.
Most of the outlying districts and
plantations on each of the other
islands are more readily reached
and supplied from Honolulu than
from any one place on the same
island. The Chinese know this,
and are far too shrewd to be caught
paying for licenses when, by COM
bining, they can do the whole bust
ness under one license in Honolulu
and have the upset price of the
other three licenses-$30, 000-to
divide among themselves.
Another supposition of this bill
is, that the Chinese are going to
pay $4,000 duty on each ton of
opium imported. If, as it is as
serted, that is the price paid Off
Gals to let the opium into the
country now, the only effect of the
passage of this bill will be to lower
the price little.
Just who want this bill passed
outside of a few in the Legislature
is a question. 1t is certain that
the great majority of the people are
strongly opposed. 1t is an attempt
to do what has been tried here
several times, and each time proved
disastrous failure, leaving it's
trail behind in the shape of num-
Der of confirmed opium smokers
chiefly among the Hawaiians. A
law in this case is only as effective
as its penalties. Our police officials
arrested, during the last two years,
1915 Chinese for having opium in
possession. What was the result ?
A nominal fine or a light imprison-
ment. The Judge cannot fine or
| imprison beyond what the law will
allow. What we need is to take
leaf out of recent United States
| legislation and make an opium
law by which every time
that a Chinaman violates it he
will be sent back to China,
and, as far as Hawaii is concerned,
compelled to stay there. If he
cannot pay his passage, make him
work on the roads until the Gov
eminent can afford to pay it for
him. If, instead of paying $500
for smuggling opium, some of these
Chinese had to pay $4,000 to
$4,000 or go out of the country,
there would be little or no snug
Cling for there would be no profit
in it; while the deporting of the
Chinese caught smoking or eating
opium would soon cause the de-
mand for it to cease. Let the pen.
atty for other offenders be equally
severe. 1t would not injure the
planting interests of the country,
for an opium fend is q curse
J wherever found. If our Legislators
/, really meant business, they could
soon stop this opium scandal, not
by licensing it, and thus making
the vice permanent and fastening
upon the country the lasting dis
grace which has attached to every
country so doing, but by leaving
our present law as it is except for
change in its penalties.
II. W. PECK.
| Dec. 26, 1892.