The times., 1899-01-09

fed to speak. The test of prime quality
is still that one may drink OF it to twenty
four hours Of Inconsistencies, wake up
20 seemingly perfect sobrety. and without
swallowing another drop secure n repeti-
lion Of the first effects by merely taking
q cold bath. The trade in ava root is
licensed monopoly granted by the gorern-
mcnt as means of revenue, and Is now
held by Chinese. Anyone may purchase
ava root from a licensed dealer and manu-
facture for his own use. So much did the
missionary spirit concede 10 aboriginal
habit and custom. and no government in
late years has thought II necessary or po-
lite 10 interfere with the old arrangement.
Swpes postdate the ChristianiZation of
the islands. Swipes cause the police more
trouble than all other police court factors
put together If you ask an experienced
police court magistrate what the stuff is
made Of, he will reply by asking you what
II isn't made of. In its purest state it is
fermenteG from taTo, rice, bread crus. or
anything else that contains starch. But
fermentation from such materials is too
SLOW a process TO meet the emergencies in
which swipes are called on. The native
in his domestic and primitive social life
hasn't the fOrethought TO set his taro fer
mentins against the time when he will be
called on TO extend hospitality 10 some
chance visitor or provide luau for his
neighbors who unexpectedly call The
emergency arises and to meet it he goes
TO some Cbinaman or renegade Hawaiian
who has descended to the degradation of
avarice and for quarter gets generous
bottle of as vile a compound as ever
wrecked a sound constitution or deranged
nervous system.
Kerosene and Cayenne Pepper.
added kerosene. cayenne pepper, fusel oil
and metbylated spirits, till an oblivion of
intellect accompanied by maniacal com
batiyensss quickly follows its use. 1t is a
most disastrous drink, as many of the sol
diers who stopped here on their way TO
Manila and accepted the hospitality of
chance native Hawaiian acquaintances
found 10 their sorrow. Swipes have no le-
gal standing except the inevitable certainty
of fine in the police court following their
use. Their manufacture and sale are
strictly prohibited by law.
There is not a Hawaiian. native or
''haole' who does not warm with pride in
okolehao 1t is the one indigenous liquor
of which he can be proud His feeling for
it is like that of the kentuckian for whis-
ky. When properly made, and it is only
when il is properly made that it is okole
hao, ii is the purest OF intOXicants and
freest from other and i'll effects. 1t is the
typical Hawaiian product and the one Of
tenest taken abroad by travelling islanders
as the eXemplar of the perfection attain
able in This paradise OF the Pacific.
Awards from the Columbian Exposition
at Chicago and the Paris Exposition of 1889
attest its merits. Whether an islander *
drinking man or not. ne has only praise
for okolehaO Yet every drop of okolehao
distilled from the te' root is distilled il
liCitly. II is moonshine liGuor, but such
clear, glorious moonshine, Out of pure
patriotism Hawaiian officials do not inter
fere with its manufacture except when it
is entered upon as making busi-
ness.
Prohibitionists may be interested in
knowing the relation Of clubs and club
( life to the liquor traffic in the Hawaiian
Islands. There are only two clubs in
Honolulu of character to have any bear
ing on the question. One Of these is the
officers Club. comprising the commits
stoned officers of the National Guard of
Hawaii. Here the sidebOard is in action
only when the club as a club is enter
tanning guests. At such times no liquor
Is sold; it is given away. The laws OF
the late republic never required a license
to give liquor away.
The other organization is the Pacific
Club complete in its appointments and
punctilious in observing the requirements
of a first-class club; but there is no
buffet The club has never taken out a
liquor license. and it has steadfastly re-
fused to raise the issue with the gov
ernment of its right TO run buffet as a
club without license; but each member
has u locker of which he holds the key
In this locker are conveniences for an
| assortment of the things that ordinarily
stand on a sideboard.
If a member wishes to extend hospi-
tality to a guest. he rings for the steward,
gives him the key TO the locker. and or
ders from his own individual and private
stock whatever the occasion demands, to-
gether with whatever accessories are
needed in the way OF lemons aerated
waters. sugar or spices, from the clubs
stock such things not being contraband.