The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-07-16
MR,EDWARDS
On SALOONS
Continues Ills Discussion
of the Liquor
Problem.
BY G.. D. EDWARDS.

| In the Advertiser on Tuesday of las
| week. under the caption Mr.. Edward
Discusses the Liquor Problem TIL
question is raised as to whether trafh
in intoxicants as a beverage should b.
regarded as criminal. Crime is con
/ trasted with business and charity, ant
| DR.. Palmores definitions are accepted
| Business is service with the idea o
| profit. Charity is service without any
| i6ea of profit. And, Crime is prof
| definitions, answer to the question
| raised is made to depend on whether
| traffic in intoxicants renders any rea
| service in those quarters where ser
vice is required. Is any real service
| rendered to the individual who drinks
No, is the conclusion arrived at. Is
| the drinkers family benefited? Again
the answer is No.
THE COMMUNITY.
Today the question is raised, Does
the traffic benefit the community? II
it renders any real service to the COM
munity perchance we can afford to sac
rifice both the drinker and his family.
What must be our answer?
What about the matter from an aes-
thetic standpoint? Is the community
benefited or injured? The tendency is
to increase the number and size of
slum districts. and to intensity their
slumminess. And what does this mean
That the community is furnished lot
of tumble-down houses and dilapidat-
ed properties which are eyesores to all.
Within the home is poverty and ugli-
ness. And within the inmates of the
home anything from a weakening of
body and spirit to sheer desperation, or
contented degradation. Can these be
regarded as assets of value to the
community? Hardly
What about the community's produc-
tive power? This depends on the
physical, mental and moral strength of
her laborers. But we have already OBJ
served that the tendency of the liquor
traffic is to irf1ure in body, mind and
morals. Therefore, the tendency is to
lessen the productive power of the
community. And that is not the worst
of it. The tendency is not only to
lessen productive power for the pres
enI, 1t also l1lDdlES II LOT TIE 1uluIS
This comes about in three ways
through weaknesses bequeathed to the
inebriate's offspring; through stunning
due to lack of food in sufficient guam
tity and of proper quality, and through
losses which always result from evil
tendencies imbibed from a vicious en-
vironment. Can the state afford to
remain quiet while both her present
and her future are put in jeopardy?
No, thousand times No.
Again, what about the comn1unfty's
citizenship? The state is honored and
blessed by a citizenship who at the
ballot box and elsewhere always votes
and acts with an intelligent and zeal
Gus regard for the community's well
fare. What is the influence of the
liquor traffic at this point? How strong
is it's tendency towards the purifying
of politics and the securing of an en-
lightened vote? Does it not do it's ut
most to damn the state at the polls
and to corrupt it's citizenship during
the days and weeks immediateiy pre-
ceding? There is no other influence as
detrimental to good politics. We pass
laws trying to hedge it in at election
time; but we do not wholly succeed
because it's agents and slaves, to-
sether with the corrupt politician who
knows its power to corrupt, conspire
to defeat this decree of good citizen
ship.
once more, what about inspiring ex-
We all know the proneness of
youth to initiate elders. Therefore, we
should be concerned not only that
there be inspiring models for our boys, |
but that there be a lack of evil eX-i
amples. What about the patterns fur |
nished by the liquor traffic? Does the |
inebriate furnish an example worthy |
the imitation of youth? Or, does the
agent of the liquor traffic who places
the cup to his neighbours lips provide
IN himself an exalted type of manhood
TO which the state may point with
pride, saying, My son, go thou and do
likewise? Some of the community's
,oung men have the good influences of
nome, school and church sufficient to
lullify the bad effects of the examples
set by the vicious. But, not all are
10 fortunate. And, to the extent that
hese less fortunate ones consciously or
yield to the seductive
Influences of the dupes and dupers of
he liquor traffic. to that extent is the
tate cursed by the so-called business.
And finally let US remind ourselves
# the harvest of crime which the
community is required to reap as the
esult of the liquor traffic. At least
hree evils not yet mentioned grow
ut of this harvest of crime. % First
5 the shame that comes to the COM
nunity through the commission Of ;
rhine. Who that loves the fair name ]
+ these beautiful islands does not |
lush when he thinks of the drink ]
RACED Johnson who killed little Simeon +
Wharton? Who is he with heart so '
eprobate IS to be void of the sense
f shame when he remembers that it {
vas on these islands Two or three Ko- {
cans haca & ilnfi1nia cd fE,.n11crI, .