The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-01-03
The Opium Bill; or, the Chinese
Benefit and Supremacy Bill.


taken the form in which, if it pass
the third reading and is not vetoed
by Her Majesty, it is likely TO be-
come one of our laws. Its pro-
motors claim that it will be an i'm
provement upon our present pro-
hibitory law against the importation
and use of opium for vicious pur.
poses. The question to be answered
is, is that a fact?
The whole burden of complaint
against the old law is that it was
not enforced. Granted for a mo-
ment that such was the case, how
about the enforcement of this new
law? The same officials who, it is
claimed, did not and would not en-
force the old law will have the
same chance not to enforce this
new one. 1t is not likely that they
viii be fired with enthusiasm in
support of a law the promoters of
which have been openly endeavor-
ing to brand them as opium snug
glers, etc. If all or even part of
the statements made in the Legis-
lature by Rep. Ashford be true,
then he misnamed his bill instead
of calling it a bill to regulate the
importation, use, etc., of opium, it
should have been called ''The Po-
lice and Custom House officials
Anti Bribery and Tip Bill"
Some of the absurdities of the
bill were struck out in the second
reading, but enough remain to sat
isfy any ordinary observer of the
folly of making such bill law.
The bill proposes, in a small way,
to reform the Chinese ideas on san
itation. Heretofore, those of US in
who are forced to pass
by the Chinese quarters situated at
the entrances to the city have
been strongly impressed with the
need of some such reform. Rep.
provides in his bill that all
the opium dens shall be "clean,
well ventilated and in a good sani-
tary condition.! Who can doubt |
but that they will?
One Section of this bill provides
that the keeper of the opium den
can sell, give or furnish opium to
4 Chinaman ''for delivery to or use
BY" another Chinaman, while
another Section of the bill provides
hat as soon as the Chinaman gets
outside the door of the den with
lis purchase he can be fined as
nigh as $3.50 for having opium in
possession. But it would never
occur to Chinaman who had
walked to Honolulu from Kahuku,
n from Kohala to Hilo to have a
moke of opium to imagine him
elf trotting contentedly homeward
With half a dozen neat little tins of
plum slowed away in his bundle
or future reference
The only real safeguard in the
ill against the spread of this
errible vice among the Hawaiians
5 that it proposes to confne the
Sc of opium to four dens. Noble
farsden, one of the promoters of
his bill, gave as his opinion on
his point that, "You might as well
ry to prevent the sun from rising
o-morrow," as to so confne it. No
ne can really think otherwise. 1t
!; absurd to suppose that planta-
on managers will allow their
hinese laborers to leave work and
Ike two or three days trip to an
plum den in order to conform to-
le provisions of this bill. It is
luch more absurd to suppose that
Chinaman would do such thing. {
plum will be had when and &
herever it is wanted. There be-
lg nothing to prevent the opium
callers from selling the opium, it
absolutely certain that they will I
lpply all demands for the drug,
nd that we shall have a lot of |
hinese opium peddlers. If our G
w officers cannot, or do not, pre-
emit the peddling of wines, spirits,
C., when done largely by white I
ZEN, does anyone for moment l
oppose that they will stop Chinese 7
ON peddling opium? If there be t
le section in the bill more worth c
SIS than another, it is this section '
pom which depends the safety of
lie Hawaiians.
As to the revenue which it is l
opposed the country will obtain a
: the passage of this bill, it is by /
} means the certainty that the 2
'omoters of the bill suppose. Z
ost of the outlying districts and S
antations on each of the other v
lands are more readily reached V
Id supplied from Honolulu than '
M, oy,r ono p1ooa on +ho cama q