Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1906-02-14
TOM JOHNSON REFORM SCHEMES

While few of our good citizens and
some not so well intentioned are max.
ing the atmosphere warm with their
schemes for reforming the city, 1t can
do them no harm to study the reform
er who does things" without making
so much noise about It. There is no
objection to an enthusiastic campaign
against vice 50 1t is something more
than brass band furore to cover n mul.
titude of other sins committed or over.
looked by the tooters of the horn. ho'
nolulu has had examples of all kinds
and knows what they are.
In consequence of their many exper'
fences with reform and alleged reform.
ers. citizens OF Honolulu will be inter-
ested and instructed by short states
mcnt OF how Tom Johnson is straight
oning out the city OF Cleveland which
can probably display more intrenched
! vico in one ward than can be found in
the whole city of Honolulu. This IL
what Golfers Weekly says Of John
sons work
Tom Johnson's ideas are cogent.
lucid. and incisiye. whatever the topic
OF which he treats. A body of min
listers recently made a communication
to him about the enforcement of laws
again liquor abuses. gambling. and dis
orderly houses. Mr.. Johnson replied
that the usual history of cities was for
q reform wave to include a formal
crusade against vice, without even
temporary Improvement The evil IL
scattered through the city and hidden.
not removed. The police court docke,s
are choked delay is inevitable. and IN
the end most Of the cases arc dismissed.
"The Mayor of Cleveland has used o
different method. He has not spent hi,
strength in securing legal convictions.
lie has practically wiped out gambling
by merely keeping a policeman at the
door OF a house. to make II unproht-
able, or. when this fails, breaking down
the door and destroying the unlawful
paraphernalia instead OF keeping II for
evidence. The most dangerous saloons
have been stamped out by similar pro
ceedings. the well-behaved ones being
unmolested. even II open at forbidden
hours: and the third evil has been NIT
igated in the same spirit. The i'm
provement under this system in Cleve
land has, of course, been made pos
siblo only by the existence OF an ablt
and honest city government. Mr.. John
son appeals primarily to results. bu
. he also offered TO the reverend gentle
men whom he addressed the philos
ophy which underlies his whole proceed
ure More men. In his opinion. drinl
) because they are miserable than ar,
; miserable because they drink; and wo
men who live on vice do so usually no
from choice, but from the pressure o
= conditions. To reduce poverty there
fore. by making opportunity more evel
= by the abolition of unjust privilege
to that slogan the Mayor of Cleyelan
ever returns"
!: Johnson's theory and practice is Il
! line with the spirit OF a letter OF appre
U citation written the Bulletin after tn
publication of the article on condition
In Palama. The letter contained thes
: remarks among others, People don
= go to He'll as readily as many woul
9 have us believe. People get poor an
: circumstances crowd them. A greu
number are naturally improvident an
are not Industrious by nature or educa
, ton"
Waves Of reform operated for IN
! purpose OF getting one set OF official
u out and another set in have a
frequently made conditions wors
than the first. Any alleged reformt
ton scheme (which does not have a
: its foundation a determined effort I
. make opportunities more even and q
y !, least let a little light Of day into tn
!. homes OF those who largely inhab
the districts vice naturally seeks,
indeed an alleged reformation - NJ
real.