The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-07

confidence, invoked in the cause of
temperance, that We welcome very
heartily temperance advocate who
does not put legislation, whether pro-
hibitive or restrictive, in the front rank
of cures for the drinking habit. AS 1t
appears to us, Mr.. Francis Murphy ap-
preciates legislation in relation to the
use and sale of alcoholic liquor at its
true value. At any rate, an unpreju-
diced man can see that the lawmaker
may profitably for the individual and
for society lessen the temptations
which assail the drunkard may regu-
late the drink traffic with intent to
diminish its admitted evils, and may
accommodate the statute to the gen
eral habits of society,". But when the
lawmaker goes further, and essays by
stern thou shalt not" to stem the
practice of drinking, he attempts not
only an impossible task, but he takes
the steps certain to aggravate the evil
he honestly deplores and would most
strenuously fight. Mr.. Francis Murphy
makes no such blunder in his work: he
goes to the root of the EVIL In the In
dividual man, and hopes to reform the
community in this particular OF un-
due indulgence in alcohol, by urging
each man to reform himself or TO keep
himself strong against temptation
Legislative aid would come to a COM
munity powerfully leavened with a
feeling of personal restraint. as a
splendid ally in the temperance cause
but it can never, in the nature or
things, nurture such a feeling. So We
welcome this gentleman, and trust his
visit may bear good fruit His teach
ing has the potency of ensuring the
fullest success, the most genuine re-
form. For it appeals Ito a mans self
respect, to his self-love, to his sense
of manhood, to his duty towards those
whom he loves, and who love him..
The good results of such teaching are
calculated to last, especially when the
office of the lawmaker comes in TO
lessen allurements to relapse in the
case of the weaker brethren, and to
keep the liquor traffic IL its place as
| an agent concerned in providing pub
| lie accommodation.
| 1t will be noticed that Mr. Murphy
appeals TO folk Ito give up the cup
| And we probably shall be parting
company with him when we say that
men may cultivate their MANHOOD and
| their self-respect. although they do
not go so far as to abandon wholly
! the use of alcoholic liquor They can
| be as manly and f-respectful, and
| careful to preserve holy the temple OF
| their bodies by temperate consumption
of alcohol as by total abstinence from
] L. LII ColilIlS " d tight CONCLUSION 1T
! this matter, We must have regard fol-
all the varied human elements of a
community In this case men must be
| allowed to state the law OF their con-
duct for themselves. They ought moi
| to be urged extensively to take II
| from another, or from public opinion
In fact no man and no mass of opIn-
| ion is justified in imposing a law oil
conduct on others in this matter. The
/ article of human consumption is no,
settled. 1t is a disputed question
Physicians may be found who condemn
alcohol absolutely on the ground thai
1t is poison. Others are found who
while they condemn it's immoderatt
use, sanction moderate use for certain
purposes and in certain ways In face
of this conflict of opinion, dogmatisn
is not justifable on the part of tenn
perance reformers, and they err wher
! they attempt it. Many consumers O
alcoholic liquor are distinctly the bet
ter for it, and not only know that they
are better, but also know that they ar,
as wholly safe against immoderate in
dulgence as they are against glutton
Gus eating or other Incorporate use o
the bodily faculties. Undoubtedly, tn
immoderate use of alcohol produce
terrible social ravages, desoIate homes
I LdillS lHS OOliSullitISr HIS DrtS0nS
opens the road to dishonored graves
and establishes fearful heredity o
weakness and vice. Yet the fact re
mains that the rnasterfuI and stron
: nations of the world are not the TEN
perate but the drinking nations l
follows that eloquent advocacy Xix
that with which Mr.. Francis Murph
is addressing this week to charme
!, and interested audiences is after al
only properly addressed to the weak
, lings-to those who have fallen or VIII
, may fall Them il is proper to urg
lovingly to stand against temptatio
or to turn from evil ways But 1t
neither polite nor complimentary no
just to assume that, because in tn
case OF some men the use or com
: modify which is neither a moral no
5 a legal sin to use is dangerous. a
2 men must deny themselves it's use
: And thus, while we are wholly i
: sympathy with Mfr. Francis Murphy
, modes and aims, we must claim fo
those to whom his affectionate appeal
have no application whatever the free
dom of private Interpretation of tn
law of duty.