The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-27
GAMBLING.

for the woman. He was one of those /
old sinners who knew. or thought he
knew that all evil came from the
daughters of Eve, no doubt he had
reason for his opinion, though he did
belong to a celibate church. The story
comes up to ones mind when one hears
of an attempt to make this territory
an open place for gambling and finds
that such a scheme is backed by a |
large number of votes in the House. |
1t is not "cherchez la femme" but it is |
very certainly "cherchez les hommes,' |
look for the men. Any such scheme for
gambling is backed by some one who |
hopes to make fortune out of the |
plan.
We may at once dismiss the idea
that Messrs. Mahoe, Kaniho and the
very reverend j. X. Hihio evolved this
scheme out of their own stupendous
brains. Great as those organs are, and
no one wants to belttle them, this
scheme was probably in advance of
what they might have brought to
fruition. The germ of the idea comes
from the mainland and finds a ready
soil here.
IT is not the first time that it has
been proposed to make Monte Carlo
of these Islands. The proposal has been
considered by Hawaiian monarchs of
the past, and has proved a rock upon
which their fortunes have been wreck
ed. Is it going to be used as a bait to
men who are using the franchise grant
ed by the Congress of the United
States? 1t looks very much like it.
We may take it for granted that no
Hawaiian of his own volition would
propose an open gambling law, but we
may also take it as a fair certainty
that there are both white and yellow
races who would be only too delighted
to have the opportunity of carrying on
gambling outfits Hawaii has been
called the Paradise of the Pacific, were
free gambling allowed Hawaii would
very soon become the He'll of the Paci-
fic.
There is no doubt of what The Star
says. There are many vices, loathsome,
degenerating, enerVating. There is no
vice more pregnant with danger to the
body polite than gambling. Drinking
Is a terrible vice. 1t is true that it
has wrecked homes, and left children
and women destitute, but it has never,
at its worst committed greater crimes
against the race than gambling. The
following after Rahab and her very
plentiful posterity has done infinite
harm, but it has not done anything like
the harm that gambling has done. Both
wine and women have been used as
curses to our race, but on the other
hand both wine and women have done
the best for our race. Wine has brought
back the fading and failing strength.
Woman has been the nurse, to sooth
the sick pillow. Wine, according to the
Scripture, has made glad the heart Of
man. Woman has been the greatest
aspiration, and the purest ideal that
man has ever had placed before him.
Both are glorious gifts which God gave
TO the world. That they may have
been misused and disgraced is mans
own fault. 1t was a vicious age which
gave us the verse
"Balnea, vina, Venus corrumpunt cor
pora nostra,"
baths, wine and women corrupt our
bodies. Cleanliness, strength and pur-
ity must assist us, do assist us. 1t is
only our own degraded use which has
Vitiated them. They do not corrupt us
we corrupt them.
But of gambling nothing good can be
said. Gambling is vice pure and sim
pie. 1t never helped mankind in any
way. There is no country and no ag'
which has not put forth it's interdici
against gambling. There has nevel
been any one who has defended it,
Gambling is a glittering vice it Is
true. Were this place to be throw
open to gambling we should have thu
city crowded with all the scoundrels o
the West and of the East. We woul'
have to quadruple our police force AM
then would not be able to cope will
all the crime and criminals whicl
would be the result of admitting a yer
fend into our midst. Even with
gambling law i, is hard enough to kee
gambling within bounds, but let loos
as proposed in the Legislature ther
would be no bounds, and murder an
suicide, assaults, and crimes agains
the person would soon be the common
est of cases on the criminal calendar.
What one would like to find out
who is responsible for this gamblin
move. Does it come from syndicat
of white gamblers from the MAINLAND
or from some emmisary of theirs on tn
Islands, or does it come from the CHI
nese. Should gambling be open her
there would be no difficulty for any OF
who knows how to manage or whom
write to, TO get capital by return ma
to start a gambling house, or half
dozen gambling houses. On the oth'
hand we ALI know how anxious tn
Chinese are to have open gambling an
how ready they are to put up money
order to gain the privilege of unr'
stricted gambling Big money woul
be put up by, GhiRatOwnsif gamblin
ao,,Id ha riin onanlV. HrlJfs t@}''