The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-06-14

saloons were open. Other statistics
might be given, but these are enough
to prove that in Massachusetts LOCAL
OPTION Is Il success, for IN the cities
and towns without saloons there is
IS per cent less drunkards the number
of other crimes are less, the amount
spent for the support OF Faupers IS 80
per cent less, the savings are three
times as great, more buildings are erect
ed, and the value of property is far
greater. Thus economically and moral
ly it is success.
Besides given these concrete reasons
for wishing such a law there are other
reasons which should appeal to US. The
biennial elections keep the subject be-
fore the people and public opinion Is
constantly forced to act. This involves
an educatiye plan which would show
the people the evils of intemperance.
1t does not force upon any community
a thing which it does not want. Each
district is independent of all others in
the control of its own social welfare.
1t is not right to force a country com
munity to have a saloon in its midst
when it does not wish it. The system
of petition and protest which was
tId4iilttI ny It's iI4cAtiS " uCI1 IiItcl 'Oi
ed in the present law to be the same
as local option, has failed, and all see
now that it is not the same. Petitions
have been forged and in some instances
saloons have been licensed on such pc
titions. Protests are hard to get, for
one man must voluntarily write the
protest and get signatures for it. In
communities without such a leader no
protest can be made, but if the chance
were given at the polls, the citizens
would vote and assert their rights.
Neither does this system force prohibit
tion upon people who do not wish it,
but allows such a community to have
saloons. for where the public opinion
does not support a law that law will
be broken. hence this method is best
both for the law and for the people.
1t looks toward total prohibition. 1t
is believed that gradually community
after community will thrust the evil
out until finally the common sense of
most in each precinct shall show itself,
and there shall tie a state without
saloon to mar the happiness of the
home, or ruin the life of the individ
ual.
The liquor laws of Hawaii are I'M
satisfactory. The report given by Mr..
Atkinson, while acting as governor, IS
sufficient to show how bad they are.
The report of the committee of the
Civic Federation which Investigated
the matter by correspondence with rep
resentative men all over the territory,
shows conclusivelv that since the pas
sage of the present liquor laws saloons
have increased, drunkenness has in
creased, poverty has increased, indus
trial conditions have been disturbed,
and liquor has been sold with increas-
ing frequency to children. From all
over the islands comes the demand for
q change The people will not sit idle
and watch the young ruined. The sys-
TEN of protest is not sufficient to ria
community OF saloons. The right OF
prohibiting should not rest in a pro-
test, the right of granting license
should not rest in signed petition,
but should be controlled by the greatest
power of republican form of govern
ment-THE BALLOT. In this terri
tory men have been forced to sign pc
titions in order to protect themselves
from commercial loss, men have been
warned in this city that if they signed
a protest. their rents would be lncreas-
ed. Petitions and protests do not give
the necessary secrecy nor the protec-
ton which the ballot gives.
Hawaii has suffered terribly for a
hundred years from the effects of liq-
uor Her people have been swept
away before it, the property of It's
people have been eaten up by 1t or
stolen from them when they were I'M
der it's effects Today the evil is grow
ing until it stands as a menace to the
home, to the school, and to the state; |
the future of our people is at stake.
The demand should go forth for local
option law and with it upon the statue
books, the men of Hawaii with the les
sons of the past in mind, and the well
fare of the future at heart, should go |
to the polls, and there east their votes |
for the protection of the home, the
school, the state, and for the salvation
of the body, the mind, and the soul.
ALBERT MAUNAHINA BUSH.