The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-03-09
Rev. H. w. Peck ParticuIarlzes
Weak Points.
THE EVILS WHICH FOLLOW
Effect Upon the Community - Four
Dens for HonoIulu-Free Use Means
Death to HawaIians-Japanese Not
Addicted-Sunday Pipe Hitters, etc.


now before the Senate is one Of the
best of it's kind drawn, yet it o
necessity has many vicious clauses
It's promoters very frankly Civ,
us their opinion as to whom the
customers will be. Section 26 pro
vides that after the name of the
firm holding the license there shall
be placed on the sign Licensed
Opium Dealer" together with the
Hawaiian and Chinese equivalents
of said words. The sign is to be
placed and lettered go that it can
be conveniently read at a dis
lance of one hundred feet
Whether the promoters thought
that the japanese Government
might not relish the thought of
Hawaii trying to teach it's citizens
the opium habit and thus omitted
the japanese equivalent is not
known.
Under the bill we can have four
opium houses (dens) in Honolulu.
They are to be in "good sanitary
condition." which to anyone having
any knowledge of the sanitary con-
ditions of Chinatown in Honolulu
seems a farcical attempt to make
the bill appear respectable.
These houses are to have at least
twelve outfits for indulgence in the
vice, and as many more as the
demand requires 1t is a certainty
that there will be more. After being
open all day, these dens are to be
closed at 10 pm. to 6 am. each
working day, but anyone on the
premises before 10 pm. can stay.
The law also provides for debauch
from Saturday at 10 pm. to Mon
day a. m. That will give for
Chinese cooks, laborers, vegetable
men and their Hawaiian and white
friends chance to have an all
night, or all Sunday, opium de-
bauch and get around before 7 the
next morning to work, fresh and
ready for business. Nor are the
sugar, rice, coffee and banana plan
tations TO be sighted.
The bill provides (Section 49,
that the icensee may " fit up and
equip for opium smoking as pro-
vided ip Section Is hereof, "addi-
tional premises in any part of his
licensed territory" Except in Ho-
noluIu, where we can have only
four). That will enable the Chi
nese, japanese, Hawaiians and
whites on the plantations to hit
the opium pipe" during the night,
and turn out and hoe cane in the
morning. 1t may seem a little
prosaic, after a night of bliss, but
no matter.
We must shut out these Ubiquitous
smugglers by getting the monetary
benefits of the devilish traffic for
ourselves. Morals and intelligence
and thrift and manliness and COM
mon decency don't count, we must
have few thousands a year any
way!
This bill is a gross injustice to
every Christian man and woman
In the community who is striving
to lessen the evil effects of vices
now prevalent. 1t is by far the
worst stab in the back that the
Republic of Hawaii has received
since its beginning on the 18th of
January, 1898.
This opium bill is the twin sister
and predecessor of ''lottery bills"
Practically the same argument,
used for it, can be used with
equally good reason for establish
ing lottery in Hawaii. We have
appealed to the Christian reason
and sentiment of the United States
for help and sympathy. Some of
the promoters of this bill were
among the most active in doing so,
now they turn about and practi-
cally say that their plea was but a
humbug and a sham. If that is
their position it is not that of the
large majority of the men who in
1898 overturned the former govern
ment because of opium, lottery and
the attempt to destroy the consti-
tuition. There may be a larger
number in this community who
favor an opium license but at least
three-fourths of them are those
who bitterly opposed the formation
of the Republic, are now it's enc
mics, and would rejoice to see this
Government give the lie to its
claims for recognition as good,
honest attempt to give good gov
eminent to Hawaii.
If we wish to use the good name
and influence of the better elements
of the United States it will GER