The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-10-30
WHAT HAS THE LICENSE SYSTEM !
ACCOMPLISHED?


No one could ask for a fairer trial
than has been granted the license sys-
an as applied to the liquor traffic
High license, low license. medium Il
cense with heavy and light restrictions
administered through excise boards and
through courts. have all been tried
They have been weighed in the balance
and have been found wanting. The Ii
cense system has been supported by the
TWO powerful political parties fer a long
time IN fun control Of every function
Of state and Federal Government This
has been q support rarely given to any
system or policy If any benefits are
70 result from the licensed saloon they.
ought 70 be apparent by this time But
no benefits have ever resulted from
this system TO the individual the State
or the Nation to offset the widespread
social disorder. the criminality, the
pauperism and the increased taxes and
the decrea sed security 10 life and prop
erty which are directly traceable to
the licensed liquor traffic. Prohibition
via never be given fair trial until
the experiment shall be supported by
its political friends. In other words,
the people must demand II and it must
be made an issue in politics. High
tariff advocates see to it that the exc
cution OF the tariff laws are not left in
the hands Of free traders. So # pro-
hibition is 10 Be rightly judged II must
be left in the hands of its political
friends, Both the State and Federal
functions Of government must thor
oughly support the experiment. The
license system, supported by strong po-
itical allies. has impeded and pre-
vented 4 fair trial Of prohibition in ev-'
cry State and county where the reform
has been tried. At no time and in no
place have all the powers Of Govern
rnent. State and Federal been turned to
the support of prohibitory laws. Until
this is done il IS unfair to denoUnce
prohibition on the ground that it does
not prohibit.
Mr.. T. c. Hendrickson has pointed
out IN a recent magazine that two
changes must come to pass before II
can &c trUthtully said that prohibition
has had a fair trial.
l. Interstate Commemorative states
have a right 70 prohibit the liquor
traffic in their own territory. But the
power IN regulate interstate commerce
as vested in Congress exclusively. by
the abortion IF the Federal cons-ftu-
ton Therefore. until Congress passes
a law permitting the States TO make
such legs. alton as VII permit them TO
seize Intoxicating liquors as soon as
they reach prohibited territory. such
liquors may be shipped from any IL
cense state into any portion Of the
prohibited territory Of another State.
The receiving state Is pcwerIess TO leg
islate 10 affect such shipments until
after they reach the original con-
siguee.' as was decided in the original
package decision.
If every state IN the Union but one
should pass pr0hibItory laws and that
one rem ain q license State. intoxicating
liquors could be shipped legally from
that one State into al prohibition ter
ri-ory, as is now almost universally
done, wherever prob bition prevails.
Congress must pass the HApburn-Do Il
Yer measure, or q similar law relating
10 the shipment Of Intoxicating liquors
from one State 70 another before pro
hibtJion viii have fair trial
Because Congress has refused TO pass
such an act two things have resulted.
The present system permits multi ers'
Of state law inside and out. ID connive
10 use the interstate commerce powers
10 prevent fair trial
It has discouraged each State having
part local option AMI part license area
from enacting ant5-iug laws u prevent
the shipment Of intoxicating liquors
from license counties into local option
counties Of the same State Mem bers
81 4 state Legislature declare that they
are not called upon TO cripple the brew
erv and distfIIi7S interests ~ their own