The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-05-15
WHY FAVOR PROHIBITION

sale of any liquor to Hawaiians, and
1t didn t amount to much. Very
true The prohibition that left
all the saloons running and permitted
the Hawaiian to get all the liquor he
wanted by sending some one else in
TO buy it and bring it out to him.
con'dn t be expected TO amount to
much, ana simply emphasizes the real
ditticulty-the open saloon. The most
emphatic statements that prohibition
doesn' t prohibit appear to me to
come from the ones who would be most
sorry if 1t did. 1t is possible that the
wish IS father to the thought.
l am reminded that prohibition is
an Infringement on my personal liber-
~, on my constitutional rights-but |
have grown used to that | am rather
fond of my personal liberty, etc, but
| find it restricted in various ways. |
can't buy little opium at the corner
drug store because it is prohibited Eek
cept on doctor s prescrlptlon); can It
speed up my new automobile as | wish
tots prohibited; can t even water
my lawn, build a house, change the
plumbing or burn off the brush on my
own land except under restrictions
made IN the interest of the whole com
tie more in that direction f it will help
to tighten the load Of misery that falls
most heavily on the innocent.
But prohibition, - say some, eds
eliminates in favor of the rich man as
against the poor" Well, the rich man
does generally get all the discrimina-
! ton that 5 coming, in his favor, and /
am sorry for it; but in the present
case if the result Of prohibition was TO
enable the rich man to ply himself with
| liquor while the poor man was assisted
| to avoid it, I should be tempted to
think it a case of discrimination
against the rich, and tending to even
! things up In point of fact. there IL
no more discrimination in prohl-
! hitjon law than in any other law Of a
general character. The law that per
n'its appeals to the Supreme Court Of
/ the Territory or Of the United States.
is not a discriminating one because the
rich man can more easily than the poor,
stand the cost of appeal.
But the chances are. of course. that
the poor man would not take the trou-
bic to import from California, and
would probably be rather glad on the
whole. that he could keep his money in
his pocket long enough TO know that 1t
was his, which 4 good many can do
when the saloon door stands open
~quarely in front Of them asking them
to come in and elbow i.
But ''vested interests. what OF
hoSe} Here | realize that We stand on
holy ground. and | must tread lightly.
Not owning any stock in the liquor cor
/ poratioEs, or holding any is collateral
security, I am perhaps not qualified Ia
speak. and vet in all humility / must
say that il is difficult to see how any
man or set of men can acquire vested
rights against the interest Of the whole
community by virtue Of license that
must he annually renewed. OF by IN
veatlnC in a business which the IN
vestors could know by almost any "h
servarion Of the same business else
where was subject to the ViciS-itude,
Of change in public sentiment
7 should regret that any one suffered
loss under a law by which | believed
the greater part Of the community
would gain. but there are other things
for which I must be more sorry. Per
Ihaps I am not. fguratjvelr speaking
Inv brothers. keeper for he IS man
he = strong. he can have a Voice in the
making OF laws under which he lives
Rut | must be nv sister : keeper anC
the keeper Of her children, for she !:
weak, her voice IS not heard, vet aht