The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-09
DIR. RussELs REPORT.

Dispensary bill was read before the
Senate yesterday. 1t has been ordered
printed and translated and will be well
worth careful perusal when it can be
studied in full 1t is a scholarly docu-
ment and shows, what one would ex-
pect from man of the Doctors mind,
a great deal of careful research.
The aim DR.. Russell has in his Dis
pensary bill is very different one
from that which many of his support
ers have in view. From his point of
view he desires two things, revenue
from the drink traffic, and the foster
ing of the manufacture of alcoholic
beverages in the Territory. That the
Doctors ideas SAVIOR very much of Bel
lamy's Looking Backward" goes with
out saying. ,'. ....
one view of DR.. Russell is that the
state should getrthe revenue from the
liquor traffic. He does not regard the
liquor traffic as evil, he contends that
too large profit is made by the corpora
tions, and that deleterious stuff is sold.
He does not see why the profit should
not be made by the state, and he feels
assured that the state will never sup
ply other than good liquor, Theoreti-
caly this is right But historically one
knows Of state monopolies which have
not carried out the views of the theo-
rists. Even coinage in time of great
pressure, has been adulterated to such
an extent that it has become a crying
evil. DR.. Russel's scheme would put a
splendid lever into the hands of the
clever and Inscriptions politicians,
and republics however great they may
be at the top depend largely upon the
INSCRIPTIONS politician and reward him
for his services.
But if the theory of government
management for revenue be applied to
the liquor traffic why should it not be
applied to other trades as we'll Enor
NOUS profits are made in the grocery
business, in the dry goods business, in
the clothing business, and chief and
above all in the sugar business. Why
should not all of these pass into gov
eminent control ana be carried on for
the benft of everyone who happens to
be born in the Territory or who be-
comes a citizen of it. Theoretically if
such control could be obtained, every
one would be supplied at a minimum
of cost, there would be no rich, and
there would no poor, and life would be
a beautiful flat uniformity, which for
tunately it at present is not
When one reads DR.. Russel's report
one realizes what he is after, Incident
ally he desires temperance. But that
is not his main idea. He is seeking
after Utopia or the Garden of the Hes
perides. There could be no higher aim
To make every one happy, to Danish
sorrow and pain, to relieve the weary
from the burden of working, to devote
the world to high intellectu, ideals is
something which is well worth strug-
gle for and DR.. Russell hopes and be-
lieves that he has put his first foot
on the ladder which will bring this
about.
These ideals though they are to be
fouid among small sections of the An
ced among the men and women of the
European continent The ideals are
beautiful, and easily fascinate the more
prosaic Anglo-Sa>Qn mind This was
the case with Bel a.ny's book. Shortly
after it's publication there We're Bel
lamy clubs formed all over the main
land. But the hard practical sense of
the AnglO-SaX soon found out that
theory, however beautiful, was one
thing, and practice was a very different
matter. What looked very plausible
and even perfect on paper, was not
workable when put to the test of real
life. SO the Bellamy clubs disappear
ed on the mainland and died of
inanition, just as other ideals have
died before and since.
But on the European continent such
ideals seem to flourish and never die.
Even phlegmatic Germany is full of
them. In France they seem to flourish
as the parasites of some tropical for
est in the heart of Brazil and in Russia
they have found a very congenial men
tai soil. That theoretically most Of
these propositions are good few will
deny, though often they are carried to
extremes which are evil. But hard
headed Anglo Saxonism is usually very
chary of accepting these theories. What
the Anglo-Saxon wants is practical
sense, not theoreuc dreams, What the
true American wants is exactly the
same thing The dreams of an effete
continent are not for him. He has a
new continent and a new Island empire
where new questions and new methods
are to be exploited, based upon actuali-
ties and not upon the visions of races
which dream Of liberty without know
ing how to obtain ID, or having obtained
It, not knowing how TO use it.
DR.. Russers second object, after OBJ
tanning revenue for the state from the