Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-05-19
Evils Of Prohibition
Is Theme OF Divine
REVEREND WILLIAM WATSON IN PEARsoNs MAGAZINE
lContinned from YesterdaY.l
LILLIAN WATSON IN PEARS0NS MAGAZINE.

10 attempt To abolish the saloon
until some suiiable,institution he es-
as u substitute.
The lives of the great majority are
dull and monotonous. The proper
tion of pleasure and leisure Is mea-
ger ard insufficient. This is as true
Of rural as OF urban life, but IL is
too largely true of the masses every
where. And whatever will tighten
and brighten and cheer their lives
without too great sacrifice will not
be readily surrendered in the inter-
est OF questionable moral reform.
II men can not get this pleasure
openly. they will get It surrepti-
tlously. and even IL II could betaken
from them by force, they would re-
sort TO substitutes which, in all like
lihood. would be far more injurious.
The saloon exists because there Is
a demand for It. A prohibitory law
certainly does not remove this de-
mand. II does not eradicate the so
cial instinct and the desire to drink
that lie back of the demand. In
short. Il does not destroy a single
one of the elements that constitute
ITO life and power Of the saloon. IL
does not Introduce into the commu-
n.ty single element that acts as
m antldote for the saloon. The
Ivnole root OF this institution re-
,nlins in the community intact. un-
disturbed and vigorous. Under these
circumstances II is inevitable that
the saloon, In one form or another.
will continue to serve its customers.
Law enforcement Is. in the long
run. dependent on public sentiment.
Moreover. public sentiment. in order
to make Itself felt. must be active.
alert and persistent. A mere vague
wish that the law be enforced Is not
enough. The wish must be follow
ed up by well-organlzed effort
When you fud community in which
the government IS ring ridden and
corrupt. II does not mean that the
public sentiment Is in favor of such
~
sentiment is impotent because 1t is
either inactive or unorganlzed. Thus
| It occurs that small minorities car
defy, and are today defying, the will
OF large majorities.
Just how much of this active ant
determined public sentiment Is re
qulred to insure strict law enforce
ment, depends largely on the charac
ter OF the law. A stringent. harsl
sumptuary law, like prohibition
could not he enforced unless II ha'
on It's side an almost unanimous pup
lie sentiment, vigiiant ana well-or
ganized. such law mas All I'M
odds against II. IL mas an uphil
JoD from the outset rune onicia'
are as RUE, lar more inclined u
need ana yield 10 the voice OF pro
test against 'he enforcement oi ia'
Oh th's KIM 'nah tneS are 70 man
a." eN''ao'u'h",y o"o'' !" e"'o'.
me Jaw III opealenoe 70 lne ue'h DD,,
oi ,ne o'ne' s'ue' u"ueI STATE W W
p,v"'',"' 49,.
80 n,.o " oa,,o.a, 49, n,oroomon,
80 ohtrIt,oots,.-a Uni, ,ho,
y, ~ on,,,n,nnt,Ias ,hs Iaw Ina
oaras n mara sorce
mt even under tho Local ONTO
svs,em which Is sunnosed tn insur
local moioritv rule prohibition iu
oreat monv instances does not M
1raIIy renresent majority NJ IN
leIecior,te Ana tho reason is tina
a, lo,oI o,tion election. n consit
lor,h,e nronortion NJ the voters d
NOT u,rL che excIse ballot nj all |
linz wrIter,s own town. the vote O
In I,cen.o orest,o, during the In,
es,oon years has ALWAYS fallen fro,
10 10 % nar cant short of the tot,
mt oas, an. o,har ouestions and =,
oandidatas Tor oe,ces During N
ner,od IN ouest,or tho town has bee
. carried for no-,icense n number
times ana In every instance by
u,noritv or the total vote polle