Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-09-12
ANT|-SAiOON LEAGUE.
AGITATION COMMITTEE
PRESENTS ITS CONCLUSIONS
DRAWN FROM QUESTIONS SENT
OUT SOME TIME AGO BEAR.
ING ON THE LIQUOR
PROBLEM.

noon the following report of the Agita-
ton Committee was presented:
Your Agitation Committee would
present the following report as a result
Of the questions sent out during tho
past month:
OF about 300 letters, 200 to whites
and 100 to Hawaiians, the answers to
the total number were in the ratio Of
25 per cent and SO per cent respectively.
As to the character OF the persons ad-
dressed, II may be said that they are
Of the conservative class of people, Of
the non-partisan, non-sectarian ele-
ment. To support this statement Of
ours by giving names or illustrations
would be to betray the confidence re-
posed In us, and to break the promise
which we made. No refusal to accept
the value of. these returns, based on
persons voting, can be valid as long as
any Importance is placed upon the
value Of reports Of juries and grand
juries on this or any other question,
this jury OF ours being four or five
times as numerous and certainly as
fairly drawn. The comparatively
small number OF replies from white
men seems to us to be significant eth
or Of apathy on the subject, or fear that
an expression Of opinion would commit
or involve the writer; or, again, there
might have been a wish to keep the
question in the background for politi-
cal reasons. These differences seem to
be fair and more likely to have been
operative than positive antipathy to the
Anti-Saloon League.
Deductions Made.
The report OF the answers previously
published in The Friend will give rise
to various conclusions. We would make
the following deductions from It:
First-That the natives and the
whites differ diametrically as to the
influence of the saloon on drunkenness,
Illicit selling, and increased immoral
ity in other directions resulting there
from. We give 1t as our opinion that
the natives are in better position to
Judge of all of these things. Independ-
ent evidence corroborative of their
view comes from other sources, that is,
the report of the Hawaiian Evangelical
Association and an item in the Septem-
ber Friend from Kona.
Second-We note that most of the
argument and agitation on the liquor
question has centered around interest
in the natives. We would urge the rea.
sonableness OF the view that their
opinion is worthy Of consideration.
Contrary to officials.
Third-We would again call atten.
tion to the answers on a subject now
receiving most of the popular atten'
tion, viz: the influence OF the light
wine and Primo saloons on the use OF
stronger drinks. Here the Hawaiians
are overwhelmingly of the opinion
that the use of strong drink has been
promoted rather than decreased by
the increase of these saloons. This is
In the face of opinion to the contrary
by prominent public officials in the
town. 1t must be remembered that
this native view represents a country
vote as well. and would seem to be ex
plainable on the grounds OF the edu
eating influence of the saloon In
community. For example, a licensed
saloon suggests profit in that line o.
business; others in that neighborhoot
see no reason why they should not de
rive some profit from the same source
But more important still is the fac
that drinking begets drinking, and thu
tendency OF the licensed saloon is t.
create sentiment in favor Of drinking
This we append as an explanation o
the native vote. We feel at liberty L
say, from our knowledge of the indi
viduals, tnat prominent white men II
the districts, who are. by the charae
ter of their position, best able to al
rive at correct judgment on this sui
ject, coincide with the native view.
Illicit Sales.
Fourth-We note a quite genera
statement as to the amount OF illici
sales of liquor. Both whites and ma
tiyes unite in the almost unanimou
opinion (where they express any a
alD, that liquor is sold and publicly
In many instances we are informe
that the police make no effort to pre-
vent It, This being the case, you
committee wonders as to the supper
, OF the argument generally presente
tnat the enormous increase OF thes
saloons during the last few years ha
. decreased Illicit sales.
Republican Platform.
Fifth-Among other interesting fact
. we note that the policy suggested mos
frequently as best suited to our cond
tions Is government control,
some such way as by the Gothenbur
or South Carolina systems. In tn
connection there seems to be the CO.
=, sensus of opinion that 1t would be u
' wise to make the liquor question a p
litical issue. In sympathy with tn
4 latter opinion we are all the more su
; prised and disappointed in the attitut
! of the Republican party in their la
i issuance OF a platform. First, the
q lhava nrpiudpnd with hut vary lift