The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-07-05
ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE MASS
rs PROHIBITED.

Is PROHIBITED.
The announcement that the orpheum
Theaier IS to close on Saturday night
is 10 be regretted by every man who
desires to see Honolulu progress Just
one year ago last Tuesday the present
management took control OF the Or
pheum. and in that time they have fur
nished popular amusement for the
people at popular prices The orpheum
company IS composed OF some Of the
foremost business men OF Honolulu.
and an endeavor has been made 70 fur
uish a light class OF entertainment that
any man or woman could drop in upon
in an informal way and enjoy an hour
or two OF amusement and recreation.
That the management set before its
patrons a good bill for the money none
will deny. The idea was TO make the
prices such that the house could be-
come the amusement resort for the
masses.
II was recognized at the outset that
a house OF this kind must depend upon
the bar for a part OF its returns, just
as is the case in every city in the
world. as no theater can furnish such
entertainment as the 0rpheum man
agement presented. on door receipts
alone.
Unfortunately for the people the
Government OF Hawaii resolutely re-
fused to grant the orpheum a license
for bar This. too. in face OF the fact
that license had been strongly rec
commended by Marshal Brown and
practically assured before the orpheum
company had expended thousands Of
dollars in refitting and refurnishlng the
place. Further than this. license of
s. night. or 81 $500 year. was i'm
posed. as against a license OF $1,000 a
year for saloon.
Notwithstanding these impositions.
the management were willing to go on
with the venture IL a saloon license
were granted them. No reason was
ever vouchsafed why saloon license
would not be given furthermore than
that there was a Chinese church in the
near proximity. What influence or
what injury a saloon license for the
theater could have done the church
the church awsv fe65 Hos zee Surely
and as no bars excepting the favored
ones at certain hotels on the beach or
near restaurants. which have no saloon
licensel are allowed to be open On
Sunday. the 0rpheum bar could in no
wise have entered into competition
with the church rs an attraction for the
Chinese residents.
1t is not every resident OF Honolulu
who can afford to pay $3.50 to see a the
atrical performance at the old Royal
Opera House. merely because those in
authority patronize that place. There
are hundreds, aye, thousands. OF resi-
dents OF this city in the humber
walks OF life who are just as hungry
for theatrieals and other legitimate
amusements as are the people of
wealth and position
The Republican endorses Governor
Dole'S proposal to keep all saloons OF
Fort street. IL is a retail business
street where women do their shop
ping. and should be free from saloons
In fact. II The Republican could have
its way, there would not be a saloon |
IN existence anywhere. Further even /
than that. there would not be any
spirits manufactured or allowed to be
sold. excepting for use in the arts. Blu,
Ill people do not hold the same radical
deas regarding liquors and saloons.
here are many who believe ID is as
much their right To secure a drink
hen they want ii as ii is another
ANS right to secure meal when ne | i
ants IL.
And speaking on this vein. there are 4
any forms of intemperance besides q
temperance in the use OF LIQUOR. t
here is intemperanee in eating. intem- c
erance in dress. intemperance in | i
iorais. intemperanee in religion and | |
'tenperanef in everything. There is
lso middle ground which can be i
ken with safety by ali reasonable 4
eople on all these subjects
To force the orpheum To close lis
oors is 10 say TO the masses OF Homo :
iin' You shall not have any theat- e
cal amusement" and when they ask h
ny, reply: Simply because we don't i,
aieve Il is good for your morals a
onolala is no longer a sslf-Stisde,i 81
immunity that can live within itself n
ID go on under the dictation OF few >,
a-appoinsed oensors. Ii has sudden "
become a metropolitan city, and the | n
'hts and amusements OF all. the poor NJ,
well as the rich. must be considered IA
e refusal to grant a license to the OF
pheum after an assurance 10 us ho
ners that such license would be 70
'nted is an arbitrary stretch Of an Vi,
rify that can find no Justification In
minds OF fair-minded men. -,