The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-05
Nay MANUFACTURE
| RUM IN THIS GROUP

saloon is a state within a state. II the
state doesn't hound the saloon. the ga
loon will hound the state.
LAS TO what the people call a 'cinch'
of the Dispensary bill measure, I saw
THAT it is not 'cinch,' and is no OBJ
lection at all. 1t involves the question
!of f-government in the liquor busi-
ness. People have got right to saw
whether they will have liquor or not,
and under the dispensary system no
ldispensary will be established without
the vote of the people of the precinct
where it is proposed to be established.
, It Is certainly for the good of the coun-
try, to which we are pledged. 1t is cer-
tain that if people want liquor sold it
win be sold; it is for people to decide,
and they will decide by vote in their
own precinct whether or not they are
10 have 6ispensary.
| There is another objection that peo-
pie are advancing. They say that It
is too sudden, and that people are not
prepared at present for such a radical
measure. The question has been con-
sidered many years ago. 4 former
legislature investigated It: a commits
a
report of the Investigations, which re-
port have read, and In that report
the measure was commended. Now,
say that If the question was considered
so many years ago, people must have
been thinking of 1t, and why are they
not prepared for the measure? They
say that the people want time to study
the question. I say that II they have
not studied it by this time, how long
how many years-do they want to
study 1t ina hundred? I tell you
there will be- no end to the studying as
long as there is 400 per cent In the
business of selling liquor. There will
be plenty of money to keep the people
studying as long as the saloon with its
profits lasts. The saloon men have
long purses to keep people studying
with.
They win never be prepared. 1t is
Just like some other things, is 1t not?
When there is accumulated a lot OF
money in the treasury an epidemic
breaks out, eA? But when the money
is all gone and the treasury IS empty.
there is no danger Of epidemics, and
we don't have any more bubonic
plague-not until the treasury gets a
"As to the majority report OF the
committee which had the dispensary
bill in hand, against the measure, I
have nothing to say. I do not care to
talk about 1t, because there Is nothing
to that report. 1t is simply a mixture
Of platitude phrases, and has no con-
tents. They might as well try to stop
the wind. There is nothing in that re-
port, only platitude, and it has no
meaning and no argument, SO there is
nothing worth considering about 1t.
Now, while I am in favor of the
dispensary measure, I wish to say that
do not regard it as an ideal measure,
by any means, but il is the best we
have at present, and what more can We
do? There are several amendments I
shall suggest, the principal one being
in regard to the restaurant and hotel
open. They say that the liquor may
be sold. without profit, to the patrons
of these places, but what is TO prevent
the restaurant keeper from charging a
lot more for the other things, and CIV
ing the liquor away? He might charge
liquor, and then give the man the
liquor, which would be really selling
the liquor at the old profit.
1T is the intent of the law that
would be broken, though the letter of
the law would be compiled with. That
ICCpAOIe IS TOO OIu. 1ney nave uSeu II
elsewhere. When il was made prohibi-
tory to sell liquor on election days
people would sell a thimble, or same
other small article for the price Of the
liquor. and throw in the liquor. That
loOphOle will have to be guarded
against, I should suggest, by a fine.
I have several objections to the bill
as 1t stands, but they are minor mat
ters, and l think we should accept the
measure as the best we have, although
1t Is not an ideal one. 1t will have
to be trimmed considerably, but when
1t is in operation our experience with it
will teach us how to trim 1t, and show
us where 1t needs trimming. The only
thing for US to do Is to adopt the dis
peasary bill as it is, and trim it ac-
cordingly, as we see the need of trim
ming. 1t will IN time, If adopted, be
improved and perfected"