The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-04-16
A HEARING ON
LOCAL OPTION
,rpm Saturdays Advertiser)

sFrurn Saturdays AdvertiserD
Local option and temperance occu-
MED much of the time Of the House
yesterday, being taken up early In the
morning and continued until late
hour last night. The occasion was the
resurrection of the Local Option bill,
which had failed to find a mite of sup
port on Thursday, but which was re-
considered yesterday in response to a
vigorous lobby by the members OF the
Civic Federation and the Anti-Saloon
League prior to the morning session.
After the bill had been dug out of the
discard and brought back before the
House, the committee of the whole re-
sumed their consideration of the meas
ure. inviting DR.. Scudder to present
his side of the question.
From the look Of the House last
night, however, 1t would seem that
there is small hope of the bill becom-
ing law.
DIR. sCUDDER'S ADDRESS.
The Doctor thanked the members
for the opportunity given him oil
sspeaking on a bill which so many or
the citizens of the Territory were In
terested in. The principal reason Tor
the bill was that in the present liq-
uor law there was provision for pc
tition, under which provision opposi-
fion to the granting of any license may
be expressed.
The U. S. Supreme Court has decided
that in itself the liquor traffic is
danger and the laws should be SO
framed that those who wish to estao-
fish 1t must secure the consent OF
majority of the voters rather than that
those who oppose the dangerous traffic
should have to secure majority OF
signatures on their contra petitions
Although it might be just for those
opposed to ask for such a provision,
they do not ask for it, because they
know from experience how hard 1t
would be for the saloonkeepers to Sc
cure a majority of such signatures. 1t
is difficult thing to secure majority
of the signatures of the voters of
precinct either for or against and Is
a very expensive matter And while
those opposed to saloons may feel con-
fident that the people of some districts
are opposed to saloons, they find 1t
Impossible in the time allowed by law
to secure the necessary signatures, es-
pecially in the country districts. For
this reason, and because as soon as
one license is refused another appli-
cant may Immediately apply for a IL
>cense and necessitate the work being
done all over again, for the matter
cannot be settled once for all, the local
option law has been proposed.
The law is in force in many states
of the Union, in South Carolina the
state dispensaries having been done
away with and such a law carried.
In all thirty-nine states have the law
tl.., .,t. 1,tr, fe,
peculiarly American law, the result of
the demand of the common people to
have the control of the liquor traffic
in their own hands. The American
principle is that the people shall de-
eide every issue and the principle of
the local option bill is its perfect fair
mess.
The present law is not fair to the
people. In the district of the speaker
there are no saloons, because there
are enough wealthy and influential peo-
pie there to keep saloons out without |
having to petition for it. But in Ka-
kaako, where poor men live and none
nave much influence, there are many |
saloons preying upon the people.
Give the people of Kakaako the
chance every two years to say If they
want saloons or not and those there
who do not want saloons can see that
there is some hope for Them" urged
the speaker.
Elections may pass without doing
away with the saloons, but in Kaka-
ako even, in time, a sentiment will
arise that will shut the saloons out.
AT any rate the people there can de-
eide, and it is their right SO to decide,
whether they want saloons there or
mot.
The bill is just to the saloonkeeper,
who will have the same chance of ad-
his side with the voter as
the temperance men have and the on I
ly cost will be that of printing the ball
lots.
The law will not change the condi-
tions of the general law in precincts .,
voting for licenses. II
A large number of the prominent
people of the Territory are backing the
local option bill; it has the unanimous /
backing of the Civic Federation, a G
party seeking to advance G
good government It has the unanimous t
endorsement of the Anti-Saloon League I
and the representatives of ninety-three c
Of the old original Christian Hawaiian s
churches. In practise 1t has been g
found to work well elsewhere. $
kALEIOPU AND THE CIVIC FEDS,
Kaleiopu asked regarding the Civic /,
Federation wanting to know what was T
he real work of the organization. DR.. /,
scudder explained what the work was, "
nstancing the investigation now CO.
ng on into the school system. He W
vas about TO elaborate along these "
ines until Kaleiopu cut in to ask about v
he choice of candidates for the House n
~ the Federation. Il
Kaniho Clipped in. He had been W
listener too long and seemed TO resent W
Iaving the floor monopolized. He call h
d down Kaleiopu for asking inmate
ial questions and wanted him to let
he Civic Federation alone and talk on h,
he bill. ~
Kaleiopu agreed and wanted to know :,
the main object of the bill was not a,
o limit the sale of liquor. He was n
old that the real idea of the bill was al
D leave the whole matter directly to ~
he people. as the speaker had
ound that there is a large proportion as
the people DESTROYS OF shutting out be-
ne traffic and the bill gave them a all