The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-09-07

to its being crime for man To be-
come intoxicated. Place II IN the cate
CORY 20 which II belongs.
No man has right to deliberately
loyerthrow his reason and render him
self nuisance and dangerous FAC
tor In society. For the onense OF
drunkenness. subsequent to the frst
conviction. particularly II II has be-
come habitual. the punishment should
3e imprisonment This would be not
only beneficial to the drunkard him
self. but TO his family and the public
as well. The imposition of n fine does
but little good: In fact. II the culprit
has family the fine is punishment
falling most heavily upon the wife ana
children. to which is added the burden
/ of inevita bic shame and humiliation.
believe you will agree with me
when l say that the law In general,
and particularly with regard to intoN-
| icating liquor, is not always treated
with that respect 1t is entitled to- This
is wrong. The preservation of our alb
solute and relative rlghts,-indeed, CIV
| ilization in it's most primitive form
necessarily is based upon and requires
the protection of the law.
1
what its subject matter is, 1t should
be obeyed and respected, and 1t should
be honestly enforced according to its
letter and spirit, regardless of conse-
uuences. II the law is unsatisfactory
in its operation, or does not fulfill the
requirements or expectations of the
sovereign people, let them seek Its re-
peal or amendment through the proper
channel and in the proper way; but we
should not allow 1t to become dead
letter law so long as 1t occupies po-
stion upon the statute books.
There can be no question but that
| Intoxicating licuor Is the cause OF
very large percentage of the crime
committed; and that such crime is US
ually among the gravest offenses
known to the law. This being true.
personal safety alone, to say nothing
of the substantial interests of the COM
munity. demands stlict observation
and vigorous enforcement of the liquor
! laws To more effectually cope with
| this great evil and to deal with 1t
from practical standpoint, 1t might be
suggested that the present liquor law
| be amended with the clear and un-
| equivocal purpose in view, and power
| thereby, to lessen and limit the num-
ber to improve the management, to fix
| location territorial limits and hours OF
| business of saloons as well as to guar
antee the responsibility of those who
may be granted licenses and also the
respectatility of the places so kept.
| Prohibition. however desirable or COM
mendable 1t may be, viewing 1t from
an ethical and beneficial standpoint, is
! impracticable and impossible of en-
forcement under prevailing conditions,
and for that reason alone 1t would be
futile waste of time and energy to
| seek to establish such a law.
In combating an evil 1t is worse than
useless to attempt the impossible; be
cause, while precious time and vital
energy are thus being consumed and
| wasted the evil continues to flourish
and take deeper root. 1t would seem,
| therefore, upon consulting our plain
common sense and daily experience,
| together with an earnest consideration
Of the matter in all it's phases and from
| every possible point of view. that high
license, high bonds and local option,
, with strict governmental supervision
and control, coupled with the constant
aim and purpose to minimize the evil
and to promote temperance. thereby
improving the social condition of our
people, is the only practical solution
of the liquor question.
An associate evil of liquor drinking
is that of gambling. At the April, 1906,
term of this court, gentlemen, l took
occasion to charge the grand jury
upon this evil as follows: This Of
fense, like that of drunkenness, is not
only most pernicious evil of itself, but
1t is often preliminary to and instru-i
mental in, the commission of other and
graver offenses. Gambling tends to
deaden and blunt the moral sense, as
well as to destroy The elements of in-l
dustry, thrift. economy and prosperity.
1t is destructive Of self-respect, sta
bility and manhood, as well as of every
principle essential to good citizen
ship.
'Chapter 217 of the Revised Laws of
Hawaii clearly defines and points out
the various phases of gambling pun
ishabe in this Territory. The Ian
guage OF the statute is broad, covering
many schemes for the disposal or dis
lribuiion Of property by chance,
whether called lottery, rattle, che-fa,
pakapio. gift enterprise or by whatever
name the same may be known.
THE raffles which occur in bar
rooms, at fairs, and at other places
are clearly within the statute as the
most elaborate and carefully organized
lotteries by which the ignorant and
creduous are swind1ed out of their
hard earnings. Nor does it make any
difference whether the betting or raffle
be for religious, benevolent or profane
purposes. 1t doubtless is difficult for
those who are not constantly brought
in contact with this great evil to real
ize its prevalence In this community,
or its demoralizing and debasing infiu-
ences. 1t will require but a moments
reflection. however, to bring to our
minds some appreciation of the enor-
nifty and baneful effects of this evil,
when we are told that there are sew
eral che-fa banks in Honolulu In al
most constant operation, each with
agents going out seeking and
soliciting victims In every street. lane.
alley and by-way, as well as in other
places I'm this city; thus, as 1t We're.
sapping the very life-blood of the com
munity. and visiting impoverishfhent
upon many and bringing distress into
their homes. But, gentlemen, doubt
less you are aware that che-fa and