The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-06-02
Trent Trust Co, Ltd.

opportunities. On the contrary. they
have done wonderfully well. But, in
common with the older nations whose
culture came earlier and whose oppor-
tunities were greater, they have been
content to see the strong make all the
progress, while the weak went to the
wall
Relatively, these islands have made
as good progress as the mainland to
which they now belong, in individual
sobriety. But both the islands and the
mainland have put too little accent on
the protection and elevation of the
masses, and, thus, have left the weak
! and the defective in the lurch.
quarters of a century ago,
when Knakini was governor of Oahu,
| anative temperance society was organ
lied in Honolulu, with thousand mem
| bers, under this pledge:
First We viii not drink ardent
spirits for pleasure.
Second. We will not deal in ardent
spirits for the sake Of gain.
| '.Third. We viii not engage in dis
| tilhng ardent spirits.
q Fourth. We will not treat our rela-
tives, acquaintance, or strangers with
ardent spirits.
| Fifth We win not give ardent
| spirits to workmen on account of their
| labor
1t is an excellent pledge. in sub
stance and in form, SO far as hard liq-
uors are concerned. The beerkeg had
not then become the throne OF the bq-
quor world But naturally, 1t IS
| pledge for the well-disposed and the
strong. The people were, not then the
rulers of the nation. The government
was the king; and the king was at
the mercy of the drink selling nations.
| The abstainers did set good ex-
| ample. and they have left their mark
| upon the community, IN prosperous es-
| tates and capable descendants. But
more than that was necessary. The
! shore was lined with men who set a
| bad example. and the saloon, more ag-
gressive than the temperance society,
/ gathered to itself the waits and strays
/ and wayward Of the people; for It was
| easy TO evade the law prohibiting the
| sale of drink to natives; and, gradually,
! the elements of evil got the whip-hand,
| politically.
The insolence of the liquor trade in
creased. as its success increased. In
1882 it demanded a free hand TO ex-
plot the natives. as well as the whites,
and the demand was granted.
| When the American flag went up at
| the palace. the beer makers considered
that the effect of the ceremony was TO
annex the islands to the American
brewery, and it seemed to be even so,
for the American brewery was thing
| of mighty power in the states.
Then the Hawaiian liquor problem
| became simply the American liquor
problem. in which individual interest,
| local pride and national patriotism are
| equally involved.
But a great thing was happening IN
| the states. The Christian people had
! begun TO realize that they were beaten
/ by the saloon. in the field OF moral
| suasion. and that they had been out
witted from the first, for lack OF poi1t-
/ zeal organization against the business
| whose origin, purpose and produce Is
| public as well as personal corruption.
The intermittent philanthropy OF
good men and women could not com
pete with the steady pull Of an organ
lied and strenuous conspiracy OF PUN
der.
a few odd Christian workers, here
and there. doing odd jobs Of human
salvage. could never hold their own
against a trained and victorious lnstl-
tution that never rested
Christian benevoIence. acting on IN
pulse. in work that seemed all but hope
less. at its own expense. was bound TO
lose, in competition with consolidated
/ corporations. doing work that was al
most embarrassingly easy. and brought
a steady stream Of riches TO their hand
The Church, that was closed six days
| in the week. and nearly seven. had 10
chance. in competition with the saloon
that never closed.
The people were beginning 70 see the
folly Of Iegalizing the liquor business