The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-09-29
the SUBWAY TAVERN.

The Literary Digest has collected
some expert opinions about Bishop
Potter's Subway Tavern. which make
good reading In the issue of Sept. 8.
The Digest quotes the Prohibitionist
New Voice (Chicago), several liquor
Journals. the Sing Sing prison Star of
Hope. and Mr.. Dooley.'' The last
named authority, after discussing at
length the claim that drink is "a nicis-
sry evil reaches the conclusion that
ii It's an evil to a man, it's not nicis-
sry; an if its nicissry, it's not an evil"
The New Voice, which considers the
new saloon wolf in sleeps clothing,
declares that in singing the doxology
In such a place the bishop was .'prais-
ing God for HE'LL The liquor journals,
however, approve the enterprise hearth
II. The bishop may meet with scorn
and obloquy from unbalanced reform
ers,', says Midas Criterion of the
Wholesale whisky and Wine Market
xChicago), but he can afford to over
look these and go on his course serene
~, content to suffer for his well-meant
Efforts He represents, the same au-
thority assures US, the highest ideals
Of practical religion, sound ethics, and
upright citizenship But in The Star
OF Hope, published in Sing Sing prison.
the editor in chief expresses the opinion
that the new tavern, with its stamp of
clerical approval, must greatly in
crease drunkenness and its attendant
crimes He writes:
.sThe fact is. there have been more
good lives spoiled in a single 'comforta-
ble,' homelike.' respectable saloon
than in a score of dives. Prisons and
iaiis are full of men who can exactly
trace their present wretched estate to
liquor, and perhaps large majority Of
these can truthfuiiy say that they never
took drink in a disreputable place.
The vile haunts where liquor is sold
are frequented by only the naturally
depraved or those whose misery has
been made complete in the respectable
saloon; but the swell cafes. the old
fashioned Henglish hinns, the cozy
fayerns,r and poor mems clubs are
sought by those whose natural charac-
ter is for decency, but who don't main
tain such a character for 6. great while
after tying up to the liquor habit.
There can be no possible doubt OF
the sincere intention of the estimable
gentlemen who advocated in so move
a manner a patronage OF the Subway
Tavern; but so far as consequences are
concerned they might as well have beer
actuated by the basest of motives, fol
it is a self-evident proposition that the
sa1lctified Subway Tavern will not a
all diminish the number of people wht
drink and who drink until they car
drink no more, but that, on the othel
hand, its conservation will be a licens'
to very many heretofore abstemiou'
persons. and it would seem certain tina
his seal OF clerical approval upon {
truly terrifying evil must greatly in
crease drunkenness and its attendan
crimes
Every one is bound to look at al
matters as they reflect his own condi
ton, and when a man is serving tern
of life Imprisonment for a crime com
rnitted while rendered practically IRE
sponsible by Iiquor-as is the case wit
some of our number-he can but won
der at the strangeness of things whel
he reads that one strenuous divine O
New York unhesitatingly acknowledge
that he takes a drink whenever he feel
like it, and another joins in the sing
ing of the Doxology at the opening G
a saloon
Bonforts Wine and Spirit Circula