The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-05-10
BIG ISLAND FOR
PROHIBITION BILL
Arguments Pro and Con Heard
by Representative of The
Advertiser.
(staff COrrespondeneel,

orally on Mani and Hawaii indicates
that the liquor dealers could hardly face
more discouraging circumstances under
which TO make their fight than those
which now exist ON both Of those is
lands. 1t seems impossible to meet a
person of any responsibility who does
not at least 60 as far as to say that
there must be some severe diseiplining
of the liquor interests, or a great re
duction in the number of saloons, If
not total elimination of them. The
leading liquor men themselves are cry.
ing for more drastic action by the
boards of license commissioners. AL
most without exception political lead.
ers refuse to be quoted, but also with.
out a single exception, they privately
declare against the liquor side of the
coming campaign.
"Myself and all those in my employ
are going to vote for the prohibition
bill.' said a Hilo merchant yesterday,
g hut ] do not consider it my duty to
enter the campaign and injure my bust
ness interests
This is the attitude of the politi
clans. One after another, they shun the
fight. But privately they all take the
prohibition side. Some do not go as far
as to approve the proposed prohibition
bill. But they want to shut up saloons
Some want to shut them all up, while
others would greatly reduce the num-
Der. In a canvass of the situation
among many classes, including liquor
men themselves, and both drinkers and
teetotalers, not one single citizen was
found who did not at least believe that
the number of saloons should be re-
dueed, and that the regulations of the
license boards should be stricter. From
this miidost form of antiliquor senti
ment, found in only few, the opinions
vary up to support of absolute prohibi
ton. Not single citizen was found
wholly on the other side Of the con
troversy.
Hilo just now is having something
of a laugh,-at least the liquor men
are.-at the expense of somewhat
weTl-known advocate of prohibition
who within n few days was a member
of a rather jolly company and followed
anything but prohibition conduct, as
generally understood to be proper. In
fact the liquor men say he went a.
pretty good clip. But he stuck to his
prohibition guns just the same, and the
argument was somewhat seriously
turned on the scoffers, about in the
following style:
cts all right to laugh at John Doe
if he talks prohibition and yet drinks
or even gets soused, but doesn't that
indicate that you can't depend even on
your supposed friends7 If man who
takes liquor, likes it and insists on get
ting it, isn't going to support you,
where on earth is any support coming
FRONT Surely the last bit of hope is
gone if drinking men themselves are
going to work for prohibition.
Another example of this was found
in Portuguese employer. "One of
the boys in my store asked me the
other day how thought the vote was
going" he said. "I told him thought
that prohibition would probably carry.
Il hope so, the boy replied, for then
/ shall be able to keep a dollar or two
of my wages once in while.
eff prohibition carries" said an
other Hilo business man of prominence,
who is not at all a prohibitionist, in
theory or practice, sit will be large
ly with the aid of the votes of
men who cast ballots for it more with
view to diseiplining the liquor men
than to passing the law. They know
the discipline is badly needed. 1 am
prepared to vote for it, in order to-
shut the saloons 1t is fearful TO see
the suffering and poverty in some of
the laborers' homes in Waiakea, where
the laborers, natives mostly, work for a
dollar and half day, and spend half
90 thaf
get home on Saturday, in the cheap
saloons. Amy one who employs labor
to any extent soon realizes that this
is the greatest problem that confronts
civilization. 1t is a greater problem
than that of the social evil, of which
in fact liquor is one of the principal
causes"
These are the words of keen, sue
cessful, nonreligious business man, who
has himself used liquor all his life and
is utterly opposed to prohibition.
In the country districts the same SEN
timents appear to prevail. 1t is not
necessary to seek interviews or ask
questions, for everyone seems to be dis.
cussing the subject and invariably 1t
is brought up. A sample of this was
a roadside saloonkeeper, many miles out
OF hllO. a not traveller, VINO ID not
prohibitionist in practise, entered his
place. Before two minutes had elapsed
the saloon man referred to his expec-
tation of closing up soon. emo more
saloons soon," he said. His trade is
among Hawaiians, Japanese and Port
uguese. The Hawaiians buy gin, the
Japs sake and wine, and the Portuguese
mostly wine. he was asked if prohibi-
ton would carry in his district, and
replied "Sure," adding that the Ha-
waiians were going to vote for it, The
Japanese would oppose it If they could,
for nearly all Of them like some sake
when they are through their day Is
work. They don I drink to excess and
have no special liquor problem of their
own. The Portuguese are divided, with
majority opposed TO prohibition.
The head of large public school
not twenty miles away from this place
was another man who raised the SUB.
ieet. He thought the prohibition could
be carried, but was by no means as sure
as the saloon man that IL would carry.
1.-THE prohibition forces will have 10