Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-05-20
Evils OF Prohibition
Is Theme Of Divine
CONTINUED from Yesterday
EvEREND WILLIAM WATSON IN PEARs0N's MAGAZINE.

tlonists: A professor in one of our
accepted an invitation TO
speak ut n Temperance" rally In n
IN the course of his re-
marks he referred 10 the miracle az
Cana. and expressed himself thus:
81 have given this matter profound
thought. and wish to say to YOU
that have reached the conclusion
that when Christ turned that wa
ter. into wine, he did what was
wrong" Blind passion, wild fanat-
icism and bitter intolerance are the
chief characteristics of the whole
prohibition movement. II must be
to every sane and reason
able mind that the sooner this mis-
called Temperance" crusade IL
buried out of sight and forgotten,
the sooner the way will be cleared
for genuine temperance reform.
Finally. prohibition must he con-
demned. not only because Il has
failed to accomplish any good. not
only because II blocks the way 10
real reform, but because It Is itself
tho source of many social and pollt-
ical evils. These evils are briefly
summarized as follows:
|. prohibitory legislation has
Ger succeeded In abolishlng the
l,iuor traffic, but II has succeeded
in degrading and demoralizing the
traffic by driving 1t into secret
places. The liquor laws In most oi
the states prohibit the use OF shades
in saloon windows and screens In
front of the bar. This wise provi-
sion Is based on the common expert
ence that the liquor business Is OF
such nature that It Is far more
likely to do harm when II Is carried
on under cover than when Il Is open
and above board. Now prohibition
forces the liquor traffic to secrete
itself. not merely behind n screen
but behind barricaded door, The
door Is quickly opened for those that
know the password. but shut against
the officers OF the law. The only
practical question ,nat confronts us
Is whether we shall permit the liq'
uor traffic to he carried on openly
under the supervision and control o.
the law, or whether we shall drive
It into places where the arm Of thu
law can not reach IT. License mean!
the open barroom, prohibition meani
the "speak easy.' Which of the two
kinds is the more likely to harbol
evils and encourage intemperance'
2. II there Is any one business
more than another that. in the in
terest of the public, ought to be II
the hands of men with conscience
and moral principle, II is the liquol
business. A proper kind of licens'
law can do considerable toward i'm
proving the personnel of the trade
Prohibition, on the other hand, dis
courages decent, honorable men from
engaging in the business, and thu
throws It into the hands of the mos
unscrupulous and irresponsible mel
In the community. The only quail
fication required to do business un
der prohibition Is the ability to bea
the law without getting caught. 4
couple of years ago, In Il certaii
town on Long Island, one of the hes
hotels had to close its doors shortl.
after the "dry" law went into effect
The proprietor OF this hotel was on
of the most honored men In the com
munity. Prohibition did succeed II
closing this mans bar and drivinI
him out of the hotel business a
well, and It closed other decen
places. But what was the result
Why, within two years between NIT
and sixty Kitchen saloons wer
established In this same town.
| Is a well-known fact that most O
the men that run these "spea
easies" in "A dry town are thor
oughly satisfied with prohibition.
license law would put them out @
business. Again. the only questio
Is. shall we encourage and proteC
the decent liquor dealer, or sha
we encourage the other kind? On
kind or the other We are absolute
ly sure to have.
3. Prohibition has bad effeC
also on the drinker. IL tends
discourage the use OF the lighter a
coholic beverages and to cncourae
the excessive use OF the strongt
liquors. This tendency is especial
pronounced wherever the attempt
made to enforce the law rigorousl
Deterioration in the quality of III
uor Is another one OF the "bles
ings" introduced by prohibition. III
men who run the speak easiei
often make their own whisky al
you can imagine the nature of Il
blend" A few years ago. when Il
town in which the writes lives vi
dry" a confirmed inebriate wi
lived in an adjoining wet" town 6
in the habit of visiting this "drl
town about once a fortnight. !
was always sober when he arriy
and drunk when he left. He W
once asked why he came from