Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-06-30

be found in the principles, not of
morality, but of political economy, or,
to use wider phrase, in the require
ments OF public policy. The scope
of public policy is wide. 1t consid-
ers what is necessary or desirable for
the community at large; what best
subserves the interests OF the State;
what will provide for its revenues,
develop Its resources, and protect II
from various dangers. Here is the
ground of power to tax for support
of the State and for public improve
ments; to establish common schools;
to levy duties on IMPORTS to declare
quarantine; to kill diseased cattle;
to regulate the sale OF dangerous ar
ticles, such as gunpowder and poi
sons. Indeed. public policy, the right
Of the State, may go so far In its
demands as to take the body" of
the citizen. enlisting him for war,
or even drafting him by force, IL he
himself is unwilling to fight his
country's battles.
Now, It Is solely In the exercise
of the right which such power i'm
plies. and for reasons of external
public policy, that the State has in
the past interfered, or can ever be
asked to interfere. with the liquor
traffic. in all degrees OF SUCH inter-
ference. from the lowest form OF H.
cense to the most iron-clad prohibit.
ton. The confessed object of all
such legislation Is the lessenning or
the entire suppression OF the evil
suffered by society in consequence Of
that traffic. In the presence Of such
a law, IL any citizen claims the per
sonal right to sell liquor without a
license, or II, as against prohibition,
the citizen claims the personal right
to drink Liquor within the bounds
OF moderation. and hence, the right
to buy or make-both of which
claims found themselves on the per-
sonal liberty OF the citizen--the State
replies, in effect; Whatever your
right may be In itself, or would ibt
In case others were not damaged by
its exercise, yet you and your right
| do not stand alone. All rights must
exist together in harmony, and when
dlscord arises there must ensue a
mutual limita ton. In the application
OF this principle, the public good re-
quires that the sale OF liquor shall
be restricted or suppressed. your in
divjdual rights to the contrary not
withstanding." So saying, the an
swer of the State is complete, and.
IL facts shall warrant, Its position
unassailable.
The Public Good.
| Thus far II is clear that the es-
sential question is solely one Of pub
lie good. The morality of the ques-
ton Is accidental. or course, mod
ern society universally recognizes,
however, II may fail at times In ap-
plying the broad principle, that open
immortality is adverse to the public
good. Society Is also. happily. be-
ginning to epprehend that the po-
litical economy OF the future must.
for reasons OF social prosperity, per-
init large admixture of moral mo-
tives in Its methods and precepts.
And yet, after all. the liquor laws
have not been or could they be enact
ed because the use or abuse Of liquor
is immoral, but because the abuse
of It is injurious to society,
What. then, the Prohibitionist
must do, In order to sustain his ap-
peal to civil legislation. is to dem
onstrate the gravity and extent OF
the evils inflicted on society by the
liquor traffic.
| He must demonstrate the preya-
lence and burden Of this evil In such
preponderance as quite to outweigh
the claims and individual rights that
oppose his cause. He can not deny.
II he keeps within the region OF
facts, that, while the absolute num-
Der of those who abuse liquor to the
result OF drunkenness and social dam
age is absolutely large. yet relative
j ly Il is much smaller than the num-
Der OF those who do not SO abuse
1t, who never are drunken and dam
age society save in the imagination
of that argument for constructive
damage, 30 familiar in some quarters,
/ which denounce the moderate drink
er as the greatest foe to temper
ance and social order. Whatever
may be the moral judgment as TO
the position OF the moderate drinker.
1t will not do for the. Prohibitionist.
seeking civil legislation, to lose sight
OF this undeniable disparity OF num-
bers. To deny It, to take for grant
ed that this larger class is depraved
and destitute of any rights which
the reformer should respect. is sim
ply to offend the good sense OF the
community at large. and to react
In injury to the very cause he seeks
to further.
Damage TO Morals.
With this disparity In mind. then.
II becomes necessary for the advocate
OF prohibition to show that the evil
resulting from drunkenness Is 30