The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-17
IMPORTANT MEASURES
SENATE GIVES AN AFTERNOON
TO THEM.
One the Merchandise License Bill And
Other the Dispensary Bill-Warm
Debate on Latter.


| considered by the Senate yesterday af-
! ternoon. One was the double header
| which provides for merchandise licenses
| Both sides of the house were divided on
the matter The other was the Dis
pensary bill. Though it did not come
until about 1880 the crowd that had
waited for hours still filled all of the
chairs in the rear of the chamber. As
a rule the discussion was heated, at
| times growing almost personal. At the
| hour of adjournment ii looked as
though the bill would be defeated by at
| least one vote.
Senate bills q and 70, both relating to
merchandise LICENSES, came up. Mr.
| Carter supported q, which is a copy of
ported" is left out. Bill % establishes
three classes of licenses, wholesale.
retail and peddler. A straight license
for each of the three classes is made.
This bill was supported in a twenty
minute speech by Cecil Brown.
Senator Carter replied for 81. Dr.
Russell succeeded in forcing through a
motion for the previous question and
at that juncture Senator White took up
the fight in favor of 70. He was re-
peatedly questioned from various parts
of the house.
After more than an hour of wrangling
Bill q passed.
Senator Cecil Brown moved to read
by title.
Dr. Russell moved to read through.
Mr.. Browns motion obtained.
Cecil Brown then read the following
resolution:
Whereas, Senate Bill AZ, otherwise
known as the Dispensary Act, has
been made the order of the day for
consideration at this days session of
the Senate; and whereas, the proposed
measure is radical in the extreme, and
VIII If passed require a large amount
of money to carry out, among other
things, the measures proposed by said
Act, and;
Whereas, at the last general election
no mention was made in the platforms
of any of the political parties to the
electors of this Territory, or any meas
ure regulating the traffic of liquor, nor
upon any temperance measures, nor
upon any measure of like nature, and
Whereas in matters of this import
ance it is to the interest of all persons
that the opinion of the electors of the
whole Territory should be expressed,
and their wishes and desires known
through the ballot box, and
Whereas the question raised by said
Act, and also such other questions in
cidental and pertinent to this measure,
having never been submitted nor pass
GU upon ny ellHeT DOllIlCdl party OF
the Territory and the opinion of a ma
jority of all the voters of the Territory
being an unknown quantity thereon,
Now therefore, be it resolved, that
Senate Bill AZ. otherwise known as the
Dispensary Act, be laid on the table.
and that no further action be taken
on the matter until such time as the
electors of this Territory have had a
chance of expressing their opinion
thereon, at the next general election.
Mr.. Kanuha moved to table the reso-
luton for two years. Seconded by Ka-
lauokalani.
Cecil Brown reached the floor and
made a powerful attack on the bill. He
endeavored to show that the bill was
not temperance measured ii was not
sanctioned by the electarote; to esta-
blish the business would cost more than
the country could stand and the bill, If
passed, would bring hell and damn
alton" to the Islands. Mr. Brown con-
cluded by moving that the bill be
tabled. Seconded by Mr.. White.
Mr.. Baldwin asked the father of the
bill' to say something and said he
wanted to speak later. Mr. Kanuha
the introducer of the bill, said that he
desired to speak last
DR.. Russell took the floor and made
the longest speech he has attempted
this session. He characterized all of
the statements of Cecil Brown as stock
arguments. He declared that the bill
was temperance measure and in proof
of it all the temperance people of the
Islands favored 1t.
Mr.. Baldwin said he had concluded
the bill was not a temperance measure.
He objected to the unlimited distilling
of liquor which he stated would result
from the passage of the bill. 1T seems
to me there would be pandemonium
throughout the country" said Senator
Baldwin, under a law allowing such
indscTimnate manufacture of intoX-
icants." The senator proceeded to cri-
ticiZe the measure on account of de-
tails which he said We're contradictory.
He also objected to local option, declar-
ing that conditions in Hawaii were not
suitable for such system in view or
the constant importation of a class of
voters brought in as laborers and not
competent to vote on such questions.
Mr. Baldwin contended that govern
ment could not make people good nor
temperate If they did not wish so to be.
Obnoxious laws would simply result in
an upheaval of the people and the
downfall of the Legislature passing
them.
Reform must begin in the home and
in the Kindergarten" declared the
Maui Senator Moreover, while
constituents allowed their representa-
llNeS COnSlueIdDle rope luty hdu tiiS
right to express themselves in some
way on a matter of so much import
ance as this. The voters had not had
this chance The speaker had asked
the opinion of the people of Maui on
the Dispensary bill, and the only dis
trict supporting it was his own. Mr..
Baldwin declared he was temperance
man. If the bill were amended so as
to become a temperance measure ana
IL 80. In "a nN
would back the measure. AS man
for many years in the Legislature he
wanted to give little advice. He
wanted the matter referred to com
mission to report two years hence, es-
pecially in order that the will of the
people might be ascertained.
Mr.. Carter supported all Mr.. Baldwin
had been said. One point, however,
had been overlooked 1t was that of
finance. The system would involve an
outlay of a half million dollars. II
might pay if allowed to run on for