The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-10-26

ness legitimate and through the two
mighty forces of heredity and environ
ment has led them to invest their
money, their energies and themselves
j in their trade. Society must in simple
justice give them a chance to be heard
and time to adjust their affairs if they
are to be legislated out of their occu-
patton. Local option does this hon
estly. 1t takes no unfair advantage of
the liquor dealer. Hence all over the
! United States it is possible to find
men in this business who belfve in this
stated appeal to public opinion. We
have number of such open minded
liquor dealers in Hawaii.
| The law is just as fair to temperance
advocates. 1t proposes a jury of all
the people before whom the supporters
and opponents of the saloon must
come, debate their convictions and
make their pleas. If the temperance
forces cannot win the verdict, they
have themselves to blame. The remov-
al of all chance of trickery and under
handedness is one of the most attrac-
| tive features of the local option expe-
dent.
Another fact that commends it is
that all sorts of citizens can unite up
on this law The discussion which the
Anti-SaIoon League is conducting in
the Honolulu press has demonstrated
that the temperance army here as well
as elsewhere has its serious divisions.
One cohort believes in embodying in
the fundamental law a clause forever
prohibiting the beverage sale of in
toxicants. Others, of whom 1 am not
ashamed to confess myself one, are op-
posed to this procedure, believing that
it has generally proved itself to be
failure Many anti-saloonists scorn
high license. Others of US believe it a
very effective measure FOR fighting the
evil where a no-license majority has
not been secured. AS a rule all these
divisions will unite for local option.
Conversely very many liquor men will
fight to the death against prohibition
or against State control of the liquor
traffic who viii give their support to
a law like Senator Dickey's.
Furthermore local option works.
Thirty-nine out of forty-five States in
the Union have put some form of local
option upon their statute books. This
has not been achieved as a result of
a great political stampede. The his
tory of local option has not been even
that of the Australian ballot which
struck the country with q force that
carried it triumphantly from State leg
islature to State legislature in a few
years. 1t has had to fight its way
slowly and steadily into favor. 1t has
done this by demonstrating that it is
a useful, practicable scheme. 1t calls
for no new machinery, involves no liti-
cation such as some laws occasion, has
no radicalism about it and is enforce
able because the majority vote Wheth-
er for yes or no has behind 1t an
aroused public opinion. States that
have tried local option do not abandon
it. 1t works well.
Anything in a democracy like ours
which promotes Intelligence deserves
fostering. Here local option is golden.
The very essence of this procedure is
education of the entire electorate. The
anti-saloonists cannot be downed. They
have an insatiabl appetite for votes.
They know they cannot get them with
out convincing the voters. Hence
wherever local option prevails the tenn
perance forces concentrate their strong
est guns upon the weaker, less intelli-
gent citizens. The liquor men are
ready to meet them. They go into the
campaign with every force they can
command. The result is that voters
learn to think, to debate, TO decide
questions in accordance with the die
tates of reason. Every campaign be
comes a splendid gymnasium for de-
veIoping mental muscle.
In addition to this the battles precip-
itated by local option merge themselves
into civic training centers. Hawaii has
a very large electorate ignorant of
Americanism. 1t needs to be taught
the sacredness of the ballot. The high
est possession of the individual Ameri-
can is his vote. This is the crown
which marks his kingship. 1t is a pre-
rogative which has cost centuries OF
struggle and has been baptized in the
blood of countless martyrs for liberty.
Bribery is believed to be very frequent
in this Territory. Common report has
it that this vice was taught the Ha-
waiian by Americans as long ago as
the election of King Kalakaua.
The briber is the Judas in our civic
life. Everything that viii make the
ballot sacred, and cause the voter to
spurn a bride is of incalculable value
to our citizenship. Local option be
longs in that category. The debates
which it fosters are one of the best
possible antfdotes to the poison of the
bride SeIf-respect and manhood are
fostered by the high appeals of the BIZ
ennial discussion. Those of US who
have passed through these frequent
campaigns know what splendid tonic
they are to ones loyalty to his coun-
try, how they stimulate true patriot
ism and what fine training they con-
in