The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-05-11
THE SALOONS AGAIN.


dealers have petitioned the Councils
for remuneration for the loss they
experienced on account of martial
law during the recent rebellion.
I sincerely hope the Government
will be very slow in granting their
demand. Why should the liquor
trade be the only private business al
ways demanding some kind of
coddling on the part of the Govern
ment? We're the saloon men, the
only ones who suffered by the rebel
lion? Was not almost every bust
ness house in the city closed during
all or part of that notable week
while we were hunting rebels among
our mountains and valleys? It will
probably be said that these business
places closed willingly, of their own
accord; while the saloons were COM
PEELED to do so by law. If the dry
good stores and groceries and hard
ware stores were willing to lose the
trade Of days, for the sake of letting
their clerks join the loyal army, one
would reasonably expect that they
would claim remuneration from the
Government, rather than those who
only closed on compuision. And
how about the tramwsy company
and other public conveyances, which
lost nearly weeks business, while
having to pay their men and feed
their horses all the same. And how
about the steamboats, and sailing
vessels that were obliged to lie idly
at our wharves? Are these all to
receive remuneration" for their loss
of business during the enforcement
of martial law?
I have known of business men who
came down from the other islands
just before the rebellion, and who
were obliged to stay here much
against their will, long after their
business was transacted, to the great
detriment of their interests at home,
and the anxiety of their families.
Are they too, to receive remuneration
for their losses during the enforce
ment of martial law?
And / should like to ask why the
saloons were closed by martial law?
knows it was because
their business tends to foster the
very crimes we were risk1ng our
lives and prosperity to put down
anarchy, treason and rebel
lion. Their closed doors gave us
great feeling of safety during those
trying days. Their open doors
would have been a menace to the |
whole community.
Again, why did we arrest at that |
time the representatives of many
other lines of business, lawyers and |
builders and store keepers and |
planters? The doors of the stores
and offices of some of them are closed
yet, and are likely to be for some
lime to come. Why? Because these
men too If abroad were a menace to
he community. Because their pres
ence on our streets would threaten a
repetition of the crimes of treason
and anarchy and rebellion we had
succeeded in putting down for the
lime being. and because the whole
felt safer to have them
and their capabilities behind closed
and locked doors. Are those men
going to demand of the Government
for their loss of bust
ness during the years that they are
to close their doors?
One would think we had already
enough on our heads as the direct
and indirect assault OF the saloon
business, and I cannot see what
claims the liquor dealers have for
on the part OF our Gov
srnment, nor for sympathy in their
osses. ANTI-SALooN.