The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-03-01
OPIUM BILL AGAIN
Senator Brown Introduces Same
Act As At Last Session.
A DISCUSSION ON ITS MERITS
Senate Refuses to Reject the Bill.
Passed First Reading-Other
Measures.
A DISCUSSION ON ITS MERITS
SENATE.
Eleventh Day, February 2S.

ly reject it on the first reading, pre-
cipitated a long discussion on the mer-
its of the bill. Before the motion to
reject was finally lost by a vote of
s to ), and the bill sent to the Printing
Committee, the opinions of the Sena-
tors were thoroughly ventilated
When Senator Brown had finished
reading his bill, Senator Waterhouse
instantly moved its rejection He spoke
at considerable length in support of his
motion. His plea was for consistency
of action. He thanked Senator Brown
for bringing in the bill so early in the
session. The Senate could thus show to
the world at once that its verdict was
irrevocably in opposition to licensing
the drug, that it was consistent. Since
its inception the Government of the Re-
public had been opposed to opium, why
should it change its position now and
go back on a principle of right?
The Senator read extracts from the
Marshal's report in which the licensing
of the sale of opium was recommended
and stated that in his opinion it was
about time that the departments were
investigated if it was impossible for
them to properly enforce the laws.
why does not the Marshal advocate
the licensing of che ia and other gamb-
ling games?" asked the Senator. They
were all evils and the Marshal should
advocate changing the systems instead
of licensing the worst evils. The
speaker charged the various depart
ments with clashing in their attempts
to preserve public safety and asked
what result could be expected under
such a condition. Evidently there was
something behind it all of which the
public knew nothing.
Let us enforce the laws we have or
the statute books at present, and have
all the departments working together
for the suppression of vice, before We
think of bringing in new laws" said
Senator Warehouse in closing.
Senator Baldwin asked that no hasty
conclusion be reached on such an i'm
portant subject. He asked that at leas
the matter be allowed consideration il
committee, provided Senator Brown
asked such disposition. Personally h.
was opposed to licensing opium. Pre-
vious TO the last session Senator Brow
had consistently voted against all sucl
bills. To his mind this was a reason
why it should be considered in com
mittee.
In defense of his bill Senator Brown
said that last year he had found tina
it would be lost in passage and tina
rather than waste the time OF the Sen
ate he had not taken il from commit
tee. During the past two years ne ha
carefully observed the operation undo
the present prohibitory act and he ha
become thoroughly convinced that tn
sooner some such bill as he now advo
Gated was passed, the sooner the coun
try would be freed from the rumor
now being circulated concerning tn
departments and the use of opium, an
accusations against officials woul
cease.
That there is plenty of opium in tn
country, and that the prohibitory lay
was imperative, was sufficiently clea
to his mind because of the present lo7
price of opium in Honolulu as compaI
ed to what il had been in years pas
Yet the present price of opium wa
greatly in excess of what it is in coun
tries where its sale is carefully regu
lated. In Hongkong, No. l Hongkon
opium is selling at so a pound; in He
nolulu on Saturday last the price wa
ST. In San Francisco, No. l. Califor
MIA opium is selling at SIS a pound; i
Honolulu it is $40. Licensing the sal
would in his opinion put an end t
smuggling.
For years the Senator had vote
against opium bills, he said, because {
sentiment. The majority who oppose
il today did so from sentiment for tn
Hawaiians. But of what effect was tn
sentiment for the Hawaiians, whe
they could buy all the opium wishe
today? If the departments are pullin
against one another there must b
something wrong somewhere. Could
be connivance? He held that the Coy
eminent, inasmuch as it found itse
unable to cope with the evil under tn
present laws, should try other law
Put the license law on the statut
books for year and if at the end
that time it was unsuccessful it coul
easily be repealed.
Senator Brown believed that licens
ing the sale would make no dffferenC
in the consumption of opium by Hawa
ians. In many parts of the Islands the
were already addicted to the use of ii
drug. In Kooloa as many as every oil
er Hawaiian was an opium fiend. Lea
ing the question of revenue out of IL
consideration entirely, license bi
would at least put the sale and use
opium under the control of the Poll,
Department
Senator Baldwin said the questiC
was not one which should be decid,
according to the personal prejudiees
opinions of the legislators They shou
consider what was the best thing f
the country. If it was a question
evils, which was the greater, licen