The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-03-10
MORAL EVILS OF OPIUM.
Traffic VIII Spread Vice Notwith-
standing License.
Rev. II. w. Peck Speaks Against
the New Mll - Bad Politics
and Bad Morals.


Such = law would give the sanction
of government license TO immorsli
" aud one Of the worst vices. IL
licensing would decrease the evil
there would be good plea for SO
doing. The evident object OF the law
Is not to cure nor TO lessen this vice.
but to increase il by making it easy
TO learn the habit OF opium eating and
smoking, and from this encourage
meDt If vice to derive revenue. There
can be but one result, that is, q rapid
increase of the victims of opium rs
bits, with the consequent increase in
Hawaii of still lower class OF vile
sud helpless wrecks of humanity than
we now have.
This opium bill seeks to establish 3
lower moral standard than any we
now have on our statute books. An
.x-msrshsn OF Hawaii after years of
experience in handling the victims of
opium says, 1.-THE use of opium Il as
much worse than the use of whisks
IS whisky is worse than tobacco. +"
Instead Of encouraging this vice any
making il easy; our law-makerd
should endesvor 10 encourage the sen
liDuCht AkSAh>l IL IS tDc uutl vi
lawmakers to try snd make il as
difficult as possible to do wrong, and
as easy SIS possible to do right 1t is
their duty TO remove, =. far as il is
possible for good laws to do, every
thing that tends TO destroy the man
hood, earning and saving power and
morals OF the citizens whom they re-
present The promoters of this opium
bill, forget that good, capable, intellI-
gent moral citizens sre, by all odds,
the best CAPITAL that country can
have and anything which even tends
TO destroy such citizens is the dead
Hest blow which Can be simesi at 8
pstion's welfare. Such injuries are
permanent
That licensed opium does do this is
shown by the fact that every one al
mits its evil effects sud our recods
show that licensing opium increases
it's use. The reports at the Hawaiian
Collector General of Customs show
that
1.-The value of opium paying duty 10
1857 under license was S166i "a; ten
years sitter, in 1870, S7049 81; twenty
seven Yeas sfter-thst Is, 1857
s59, S3l 20, an increase of 800 per cent.
in twenty seven yesrs. The habit
creates its own growth aud ever de
mauds more from its victims. That
licensing Increases the consumption
of opium is also shown by thu price
that men are willing TO pay for the
license On September 6, 1850, Hau-
zip only paid 5000 for the license, but
in 1874 Afony and Achuck were will
ing TO pay $50. 100 for the same privil-
eye. Why? Because there were more
opium eaters aBd smokers as q result
of lie nsing and cultivation of the vice.
After fifteen yesrs of fair trial the
Hawaiian Legislature, by 3 vote OF 80
to S, decided against license. Why
should we adopt now thst which was
shown Clearly to be disastrous IN
every way then? III We license opium
we tarow over it. the cloak of respect
ability. Now it is very improbable
that any one not already q victim will
learn the habit, for our police officers
make matters exceedingly warm for
opium smokers If We license opium
We will add another very powerful
cause 10 the many, now existing,
which are destroying the reproductive
powers of our population, and especi-
ally is this true of the native Hawai-
isus We are resping today in Hawaii
some Of the harvest, the seed of which
vas sown in China by England.
Cbius was forced st the lannon's
mouth 10 admit opium; the shame of
such deed will never be wiped out,
aud yet some Of our Legislators, for the
sske of few thousands Of dollars an-
i.usl!y taken from the victims of this
vice, would practically force opium
upon part of our population with no
voting powers which they could use
in se'f protection. 1t is constantly
said that the Government cannot pro-
bibit the Illicit importation OF opium.
There are exceedingly few things, il
any, that can be absolutely prohibit
ed. Japan has for all practical pur-
poses prohibited opium. How? By
the penalties for violation of
opium laws greater than the pro-pec-
tive gains to smugglers, etc, A
who can make haul
Of $4,000 on q single successful
trip is not likely to be
deferred by the remote possibility
of year or so of comfortable inn.
If our Government real
ly wants 10 stop smuggling make the
penalty five or ten years st hard labor
and men will think many times be-
fore taking the risk. Let the Govern
ment stop putting q premium on dis
honesty among its officials by giving
them starvation wages. 1t is shame
aud disgrace that men in Government
employ aud in responsible positions
should only receive $40 to $50 month
Good wages, good men, good work
Is a trinity that our Government
should respect. III il did, there would
be less talk about connivsnce of Gov
eminent officials in smuggling. Give
the men cbahce to De hOnest-make
positions worth holding
by capable honest men for good honest /
wages and there will be less snug
CLING. Our Government has also |
been put to so much trouble and ex-
pense by its enemies, st home and |
abroad, that it has not bad the means /
Of fully equipping the Customs Bureau |
TO contend with smugglers-give the |
authorities q knot revenue
cutter, well armed, and there will De
lever suspicious schooners hanging
around and ST the same time put au
md to all filibusteriDg scarces, and
II able the Government to safely cut /.
Town Its military expenses by at least /!