The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-12-01
TEMPER nee NOTES
LlQuoR AMONG sAvAoEs.

ZEN PER 8 NOTES.
LIouoR AMONG sAvAo1s.
n Iassrnstlonal Enort . Keep Ran
froA the Islands NJ the Paciac Oessn.
Another stepin the worldwide cru
ade against rum has been taken. The
United States government has given
IS final consent TO q convention among
he various European governments
,aving colonies among the islands Of
he Pacific ocean. collectively demons
=,sted Polynesia, TO stop the sale Of
liquor among the natives The propo-
,ition originated with Great Britain,
md was first broached in 1854. At
that time Secretary Of State Freling-
huysen concurrcd in the general prop
osition brought to his attention by the
British minister at Washington. Since
then the project has been urged upon
all the governments having interests
in Polynesia No definite plan was
submitted to the United States for
formal ratification. until July last
This plan. SO framed by the govern
ment of Great Britain. was accepted.
by Secretary OF State John w. Foster,
in an official note to the British minis
ter, on October II. The secretary's
note suggested certain minor modiica-
lions as to details. ind then went on to
discuss the relations of this govern
ment to the matter as follows:
While the sentiments and convictions of this
government fndorse the effective restriction Of
deleterious commerce with the Pacific island
ers the method OF giving expression thereto Is
necessarily influenced by the disparity of policy
and interests between the United States and
the great European stat In the PLcitic ocean.
This disparity has becom, even greater since
the pre- sent propcs Il was first put forth in 1884
Nearly all OF Polynesia has now passed under
European jurisdiction. Were the United States
acolonizing power. expan ling its Jurisdiction
Ii the same wav Us the other great powers
among the islands OF the western Pacific, Ques.
ton might legitimately arise as to the share Of
responsibility that properly should fall to US In
The public control Of these regions
''As 1t Is, the government Of the United States
ia without colonial interest Of any kind in that
quarter of the GLOBE and its admins ;rative re-
sponsibilities are remotely confined to partici.
patton In the encouragement OF good govern
ment and autonomy In the Samoan group To
the colonizing or protecting powers the question
1t issue becomes largely matter OF local
municipal government: TO the United States it
is one Of moral influence and cordial cooperation
within the just limits of domestic and interna-
tional rights Although its responsibilities in
the matter are not so great, this government is
none the less interested in the humanitarian
purposes Of the proposed convention, and I am
happy to express, by direction of the president,
his assent to its general scope"
The necessity for such action needs
no discussion. The inha bitants of these
scattered island groups are savages.
Morally they are not advanced beyond
the stage of childhood. They have not
the strong moral sense of civilized
races, and therefore give loose rein to
their appetites and passions. Where so
many yield in the same way, after Gen.
turtles of civilization. one cannot Won
der that savage people become the in
veterate slaves OF the vices introduced
among them by white men. There is
no way of reaching them on the moral
side, for they have not the mental &C.
quirements which would render an APP
peal to their intelligence and reason
effectual. They must be treated in this
respect as we treat our children. The
means of induiging the vice of intoxi-
cation must he kept from them. This
is the idea of the International agree
ment to which our government has
just given its assent and Endorsement
Under the blighting influence of in
toxicating -liquors-and especially of
The vile and poisonous qualities sup
piled to them by constituencies traders
these savage races deteriorate in
stead of advancing. To civilize them,
to raise them to a higher plane. is the
duty of the governments which have
assumed contro, of their affairs. The
6sst step in this work must be to pre-.
vent the importation of the vices of
civilized lauds-and the worst of these
IS indulgence in distilled liquors. 1t is
true that they make mild intoxicants
out of the juices of the cocoanut, and
in other ways; but these are not half
20 baleful in their effects as are the
rum and whisky Of the t,ader. Hence
the latter are to DC kept. out of their
way. Happy will be the day, when the
people of this nation shall waken to a
full appreciation of the fearful evils
wrought by alcoholic intoxicants, and
rouse themselves to crush out their
manufacture and sale and thus pulver-
ize the rum pOwer.-Toledo Blade.