The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-09-12
FREE OPIUM.

The point which the Advertiser de-
sires to make regarding the opium
traffic is that, under the United states
laws the article Is open to importation,
ne. possession and consumption, as
freely as any article Of commerce, ana
that. under the new dispensation, II
will be largely imported into these
Islands.
What. then, will be the conditions
which will confront us? Simply the
conditions which have always, and do
now confront those who desire to re-
duce the use of the article by legisla-
don. because it inficts serious injury
upon many who use 1t to excess.
This community, like other commu-
mites, has legislated on the subject, and
s,as been Influenced by sentimental
rather than by practical reasons.
NE Norwegians, fully satisfied that
the consumption of alcoholic liquor
could not be prevented by legislation,
came to the practical conclusion. that
the State should control the sale OF IT.
and expend the profits OF the sale In
establishing benevolent institutions
The plan is successful. Had the same
wise craftsmanship governed us, in the
mast. and did 1t now govern us, there
would, today, be hospitals for the IN
curables, hospitals for the consump-
lives, free hospitals well endowed for
the poor.
Throughout the Mainland, the State
laws regulating the retail sale of opium
are dead letters. Druggists sell 1t
freely, in spite of restrictive laws. In
one Of the medical conventions held
recently in Detroit, one of the lead
ing physicians declared that any one
could obtain opium and morphine. The
moment there is a sufficient profit In
any contraband article, the trade In II
nourishes.
Congress put high duty on the i'm
ported opium, and the smugglers -four
ished and there was little revenue
from 1t. Then the duty was lowered to
g per pound. the smugglers got no
urofits, and the revenues increased.
within a few months, opium Will
be landed here, under the protection oil
tho United States iaws. The existing
Hawaiian laws on the subject will be
largely repealed by the Federal stat
utes. What shall we do about "? Lei
Il be open to general sale, or forbid
its sale, or regulate its sale by laws
which will be dead letters?
Or, should the Territory follow the
example OF South Carolina, and be-
come the seller, and use the profit from
the sale. in partially repairing the
damages done by the drug? II the
Territory should become the seller
what regulations should be made in or
der to protect the Territorial mon
opoly?
Here is a field for thorough investi'
cation. 1t should be we'll covered be-
fore any local legislation is undertaken
All the facts bearing on this difficult
proposition should be detained.
So also should be well considered
the subject of the sale of alcoholic
: lliauor. Complete annexation means
the sale of the cheapest whiskey In the
world in these Islands. The high local
duties will be abolished, and the Flae
will. unfortunately. cover and protect
che cheapest Jersey lightning" and
the kiu-at-forty-rods rot-gut.' What
shall we do about 1t? Shall We drift
about on the matter, Or shall We SER
iously work out some plan which will
eflectually regulate the opium and
liquor traffic?