The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-07-26


''no" means a vote against the saloon,
the direct opposite of the truth, il is
expected that these workers will have
their work cut out in setting misled
voters right.
With the head Of the brewery and
other liquor mems association leaders
in the dark background Of the
bandstand, the anti-prohibition mass
meeting at Aala Park was held last
night, an audience of nearly as great
proportions being present as on the pre-
ceding night when the prohibitionists
held the boards. But all arrangements
for introduction Of speakers was left to
John Wise, the paid Man-Friday of
the association, and as soon as the first
speaker was announced the leaders fad
ed away in the darkness. With music
by the Hawaiian band and the Kaai
quintet club, amusement was afforded
between speeches. On the stand were
Mayor Fern, @. W. Ashford, Charley
Clark, Keawehaku, Link Mecandless, t,
J. Ryan and many Hawaiians the chair
man being Kanekoa Of the Inter-Island
company.
Mayor Fern on Fence.
Mayor Fern began his address by re-.
ferring to the board of health statistics
with reference to deaths from tubercu-
losis and from alcoholism, and propos
ing that if the prohibitionists really
wanted prohibition they should have an
nounced that they not only wanted to
save the Hawaiians, but the Portuguese,
Chinese and all other nationalities. Had
they said that they wanted to save all
these people then he would have been
prohibitionist, but when the advos
Gates of prohibition only desired to save
the Hawaiians he could not be probi-
bitionist. However, the mayor refrain
ed from advising the audience from vot-
ing against prohibition, neither did he
advise them to vote for prohibition.
'tIt is not fair for them to say save
the Hawaiians' only" said the mayor
ttIf they say save the Portuguese and
Chinese and all the people, then I would
be a prohibitionist. The other way is
not fair. This is my own manao to be
here tonight.
Alcohol Sal1es or Some.
"They are talking about the Hawaii
ans dying off because they are drinking
alcohol. They don't say, however, that
white men die of because of alcohol.
They die too because they drink gin
and alcohol. Here is the report of the
board of health for 1908 and 1909. If
what it says is false, then am talking
false. They say that there were only
five people who died Of alcoholism IN
one wear in Honolulu and five on all
the other Islands. That makes ten for
one year. And in this same book they
tell about the people who died of tuber-
culosis in one year-16s in Honolulu;
92 on Hawaii; 33 on Kauai, end 81 on
Maui, or BAT all told in ore year. If
that was the question today, to save the
people who are dying off from tubercu-
losis, I would support it.
Up to the Voters.
"But when it comes to the liquor
question, to say that they are dying on,
don't think it is liquor that is killing
them off. know what is killing off the
Hawaiians-it is hunger. How can they
have enough when they are earning
only 81 a week. How do you expect
the Hawaiian to live on that. We are
importing immigrants year in and year
out, but here we have people in our own
Territory, who can 60 to the planta-
tions to work. But do our people get
work theref No. That is the real rea-
son of our Hawaiian race dying Out.
f'If we can only give the Hawaiians
twenty-four days work every month
they will not die off. These immigrants
are taking away their work on the
waterfront and everywhere. That is
what kills the Hawaiians.
Gentlemen, this question is up tC
YOU to decide upon. Tomorrow is the
day. am not going to tell you how
to vote. 1t is uP to you and up t.
every voter to decide that
"But whatever you do, don t stay al
home. Go to the polls and vote the way
you want"
Ashford a Backslider.
Clarence w. Ashford was the mex
speaker. He lugged in the '95 revolu
ton by pointing to the prison to show
where he was confined as q politica
prisoner and used the worn-old argu
ments to arouse the sentiments and feel
ings Of the Hawaiians. He prefacei
his remarks by saying that he was {
backslider, that when he was youns
and before he came to Hawaii he haC
been temperance man, but after com
ing here and residing here for thirty
years, he had changed his mind; anC
was opposed to prohibition, becaus,
when he went home in the afternoon
hot and tired, he knew he could g,
straight to his iceehest and get coli
bottle of beer out and feel happy. an,
when the audience laughed, he said h
: had apparently struck a popular chord
and remarked fYou have all been Their
BEFORE He added that he and all hi
audience wanted to go home next weel
r and next year and so on and find coll
! bottle of beer in the icechest.
Minority Trying to Rule.
Ashford argued that this was a con
munity, differing from Others where tn
people drank liquor in greater or les
quantities, and when you try to ru