The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-04-03
ATKINSON
WILL LEAD
Continued from Page one)

the liquor dealers are so afraid of it.
They intend to effect its repeal ana are
already working to that end. That
ought to be prevented and can be pre-
vented. Failing to repeal the statute
or emasculate it. they intend to cripple
it by getting liberal men appointed to
fill vacancies as they occur. This too
must be prevented and can be prevent
ed. This Territory is unlikely to have
a governor who would Intentionally
play into the hands of the liquor trade;
but neither is any governor likely to
have prompt and accurate information
as to the peculiar fitness of eligible
men, unless it is furnished by this
league. Nor can the league have it I'M
less it canvasses the subject county by
county in advance of any vacancy. The
precise attitude of men to familiar mat
tiers, and the temper of their courage
are hard to know of hand. The liquor
dealers know their case every hour,
and keep a constant watch and pres
sure on the administration, from the
governor down. We must do as much.
Undoubtedly the incorrigibly bad
character of the liquor traffic is i'm
pTtSSiilS luC VI lAlC
ers. But ii seems to me that they have
not yet fully grasped the idea which
they represent, legally and morally.
They seem to deal with applicants and
professors as if they were before the
board in the relation of litigants, rails
ing issues of justice as between the
two. There are, of course, no such
issues involved. The applicant for a
license may triumphantly refute every
intimation of his unfitness and answer
every objection to his location; he may
show the protestor to be a rival,
villain, or a fool, the particular ground
of protest frivolous, and his petition
regular, and unanimous within the
statutory thousand feet, and yet make
out no case whatever for favorable ac-
ton.
THE sole question before the board
in such a case is: Is it for the best
interests of the county to have this
saloon opened? There are, say, fifty
already. Will fifty-one be better for
the health, comfort, safety and pleasure
of the people? Is it too far, now, for
any citizen to have TO go to buy a
drink of whisky? Is any family at
disadvantage in the race of life for lack
of alcoholic conveniences?
There are over fifty licensed liquor
shops in oahu now. think there can
be no justification for even half that
number. nor any explanation of Their
existence. save very hazy apprehen-
sion by the commission as to what 1t
is here for. The population is below a
i u IT. |,
women and children. Not over ten
thousand patronize the bars because
they feel the need to do it, or any
strong inclination to do it. Half the
patrons of the saloon go there because
they have been invited and treated and
then because they think they ought,
in turn, to invite and treat, or simply
because the place is open and they have
time on their hands. This. of course,
makes no allowance for the visitors
sailors and soldiers. But it is certainly
that the chief hospitality of
Honolulu to enlisted men whom the
government seeks by all possible means
to guard from drink shops and dives,
is in the form of saloons.
so long as it remains the policy Of
the Territory to issue licenses, the
question of the maximum number that
is essential ought to be kept before the
public and the commission, and it
ought to be clearly understood that
there is practically no limit to the
power of the commission to keep the
number down to the lowest that the
public opinion will sustain.
THE commissions ought to be shown,
if they need to be shown a thing so
plain. that wholesale liquor dealers are
not entitled to extraordinary courtesy
at their hands. although they may be
personally well connected, old in the
trade. or strong financially. Their BUSH
ness is a public peril, if not a public
They all sell supplies toy
blind pigs They all despise the pro-
features of the law, and to
the full extent of their ability obstruct
them. They all refuse to accept the
right of personal liberty in citizens
on the subject of their business. They
all shut their eyes tight to the prob |
able consequences of their sales and |
refuse to admit any responsibility in !
that regard. They should be compelled !
as a condition of holding a license, to |
keep a complete record of their pur-
chases and sales and exhibit their |
books to the agent of the commission, |
solely for the purpose Of preventing the !
Illicit traffic. This would be no addi- |
tional disgrace, nor any hardship. The /
banks of this city are establishing audit |
and beginning to limit |
loans to merchants who will subject 1
their business to expert inspection, and |
banks are useful, necessary and reput-
able institutions. Why should not these
hazardous concerns that borrow sover-
eign power by the year from the people
submit themselves to examination in
the common interest?
THE present law ought to be amend
ed so as to prohibit wholesale dealers
from engaging in the retail business
and from soliciting trade in anti-saloon
territory. The will of the people of
Kauai has been largely defeated, by
solicitors for wholesale houses.
Il think the commissioners have
paid no attention to the brewery But
they ought to understand, and every
body ought to understand, that of all
tn evil elements that combine to
make the liquor trade, the brewery
is most aggressively dam