The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-02-08
w. r. Castle Shows Where the
Liquor interests Have Broken
Their Faith.

Editor Administration long is it
necessary that an orderly and light
ened community should be disturbed
and annoyed by the antics of the sell
ers of Intoxicating liquorsl When does
that class become nuisance to be sup
pressed by summary measuresi
1t is recognized today, the world over,
that the traffic in spirituous liquors must
be restrained, regulated and sometimes
suppressed. Here the system has been
that of regulation and restraint. Pro-
hibition or suppression has not been
tried. Has the traffic reached the stage
now when suppression is justifable9
Every person engaging in the bust
ness in this Territory has gone into it
with full knowledge of the law and all
that the law means. 1t has therefore
become the bounden duty of all of them
to support the law in spirit as well as
in the letter None of them can COM
plain Of surprise or the imposition of
| unexpected burdens or unjust restric-
lions and regulations. But instead of a
quiet and faithful observance of the
| law, the community has been surprised
| and disturbed nearly all the time for
more than year past with violations or
evasions of the law by these people.
1t was understood and agreed by the
| various political parties at the last cleo
tion that the liquor laws should remain
intact at present. The candidates of
the Republican party at least pledged
themselves publicly to support the plat
| form, which contained, with other good
h. oh
| LIQUOR Just before the election, the
fact suddenly developed that the liquor
men were making an active campaign
against these laws and that the election
| of John A. Hughes was very doubtful,
| because he could not be induced to
| violate his pledge. Quinn, the plumber,
broke faith and proved himself un-
worthy of confidence because he voted
J for the notorious Moore bill in the
senate contrary to his pledge. The civic
| federation, because it was assured that
| Moore and Harvey would stand by the
present laws, recommended them as
worthy of public confidence. Both vot-
ed against public interest and to emas-
culate the present laws.
Then came the notorious and dis
creditable attempt to affront the COM
munity by smashing the Sunday laws
and break down the restrictions on the
traffic on that day. OF course, this
| failed, but the liquor dealers were piling
up record which was bound to produce
results. In letter to The Advertiser
at that time, / suggested that perhaps
these people were really prohibitionists
in disguise, for nothing that they had
done yet was so likely to call for the
interference of the U. s. congress. They
invoked the wind; they seem to have
got the whirlwnd!
If it had not been for the constant
agitation of the liquor men, it is most
unlikely that the antisaloon people
would have begun their present active
campaign in Washington, for they all
understood at the last election that
things were to be left as they are at
present, with control and restriction.
Now having pulled down the walls of
their house about them, these gentlemen
are raising a hue and cry and want the
business community to help them out
They ask practically that the mer.
chants association and chamber of com
merce, our most dignified commercial
bodies, should become the cats to pull
their chestnuts out of the fire. They
raise hue and cry about home govern
ment, government by commission and
anything else which may help them
But does any one doubt where they will
stand if-these two dignifed bodies
falling into the trap and successfully
averting the danger of congressional
prohibtion-the Hawaiian Legislature
: were to unexpectedly enact prohibition
/ OF course not, no doubt about it! They
. would raise wild whoop and cry ouI
that the experiment of home govern
ment was dismal failure, and that con
gress must interfere to protect ouI
heaven born rights as American citi
zensl
The question therefore is before us
I "When does that class (the liquor deal
f ers) become a nuisance to be sup
q lpressed by summary measuresP'
Are our commercial bodies going t.
: identify themselves with the liquor deal
ers plight and become the catspaws t.
pull their chestnuts from the fire? w
shall see. w. r. CASTLE.
-s.%-s-