The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-06-21
ARGUE At LENGTH
A House Committee Does Not
Like The Opium Bill.
ON A HIGH MORAL PLANE
Criticises Construction of Act.
Board of Health and Physi-
clans-OffIciaIs.
On A HIGH MORAL PLANE

Islands under control of the Board of
Health has passed the Senate. The
adverse report given below has been
presented in the House, but the act
has some strong advocates in the low
er branch and the fight will lie a close
one. The committee says:
The claim of those who favor the
act is that it will put an end to SNUG
Cling of opium and that 1t will restrict
its use. This claim your committee
does not think can be good. Inquiry
shows that though it may make the
gains of the smuggler less, there will
still be inducement for him to SNUG
gle. AS to the restriction of its use,
your committee sees that the act pro-
vides that opium shall only be sup
piled to those who are now habituated
to its use, but what is to prevent those
habitues from furnishing the drug TO
others who have never used it, there
by swelling the number of it's users,
who will in time, demand their sup
ply of the legal purveyor of the in
stitutiOn created by law to pander to
the appetites of the victims of this
habit
Under Section 1, your committee
would point out that there is no pro-
per definition of opium. For instance,
the form Of opium used for smoking
is not the medicinal opium, nor can
opium as prepared for smoking be
used in medicine or for the manufac-
ture of medicinal preparations Of
opium.
Under Section 2, the Board of Health
is constituted a body for the impOrta-
ton Of that which is forbidden to firms
and individuals; the importation Of
an article which all agree is the most
harmful and degrading drug within
the reach of man. Boards of Health
are constituted to conserve the health
of people, they should not be the
agents that assist in fastening them
to miserable grave.
Section is one that will strike every
one who gives it thought as essential
ly a vicious one. The Government
Physician, the District Magistrate and
the Sheriff or Deputy Sheriff, of the
different judicial districts, are, by this
act. constituted an Opium Board"
Would any ore propose the appoint
ment of Government officials to act
as a board to allow other vices Incl
dent to weak humanity?
Can any one think that a self-re-
speeding educated physician, one whose
mission in life is to heal the sick, re-
store to health the afflicted, and lead
to a higher hygienic life, would so far
forget his duty and his calling as to
serve on a Board whose duty 1t is
to serve out the means Of degradation
to erring fellow creatures? And what
would be the action of our Board OF
Health supposing any Government
physician refused to serve on an
Opium Board? As the law reads there
must be a Government physician on
the Board and should a conscientious
man refuse to serve there would De
nothing to do but cancel the commits
sion and appoint a man who could put
his conscience in one pocket, while he
put dollars in the other.
Then consider another member OF
the Opium Board the District Ma
gistrate On the one hand, he IS the
dispenser of justice, on the other ne
furnishes victim with the means of
crime This is an anomaly when Is
self-aDparent and self-cOnvicting. An
opium smoker might commit crime
under the influence of the drug and
might have to be sentenced to pun
ishment by the very member Of the
BOARD who assisted in furnishing him
with the drug.
One of the many reasons that are
advanced for the licensing of OPIUM
is that unlicensed it cOrrupts the ON
cials. While we have good materlaI
both among District Magistrates and
Deputy Sheriffs. it does not seem as II
there is any better material IMAM
there has been among our police ana
customs officials and the means OF cor
r11ntiOn are as likely to be used TO de-
! feat the present law, as ever Jhey
were to defeat prohibition of the drug.
| The act provides that no MINOR
shall be enrolled on the list OF haolI-
nal users. This will not, cannot, from
the very circumstances OF the case
! nreyent minors from obtaining access
| TO the drug through the habItuaI users
| whether from curiosity. weakness or
| as a bride to greater crime and mis-
| fortune.
Under Section 4, the Board Of Health
will have to furnish the Opium to the
Opium Boards, in such quantities as
they. in their discretion, think SUM-
Gent Bv whom and by what stand
ard is the quantity sufficient to be
determined? Who of the Board, I'M
less he be a user of opium, can say
when the quantity sufficient, mas
been reached?
\ member of the Opium Board is
reoufred. by this act, TO dole out to
each holder of permit, fifty grains
Of onium a dav. That is, on each
and every day of the year, every hold
ar of . hermit. weaker. more debased.
nearer to the end. by authority OF
law. bv act Of Government. will treem-
b1fngIv approach this Government dis
Denser and obtain his further allow
/ ance in order that he may be still fur
Their degraded.
It is not necessary to so into the
further details Of this act. That those
Who snDDort it are entirely honest in