The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-02-08
PROHIBITION QUESTION IN
HAWAll--PRO AND CON
c. F. C. Points Out Where Home
Rule Principle Is in
Danger.

Editor Advertiser.-The question
raised by the proposed action of CON
gress relating to the sale of intoxicat-
ing liquors in Hawaii, is not, we in
sist, whether this Territory shall have
prohibition" but whether we shall
have prohibition or any other regula-
ton of our local affairs directly at the
hands of congress. A clear statement
of the question, and clear thinking
with regard to it, are of first import
ance, yet these are factors which seem
to be getting lost in discussion which
is in too great a degree mercenary on
the one hand and sentimental on the
other and on both sides unfair and
shortsiphted. The adherents of Mr..
Woolley, urging this legislation, are
ready in their zeal for present vie
tory to sacrifice everything, regardless
of the dangerous precedent of con-
gressional meddling in our local affairs,
regardless of the disadvantage which
such meddling would bring to Hawaii
from her being unable to watch, or at
times even to know of, legislative
action at Washington, and regardless
of the injustice to Hawaii in depriv-
ing her of her power to regulate her
own household in matter which has
not yet been fairly brought to an issue
here. but which there is good reason
to believe would be solved as prudently
and justly by our own legislature as
by congress, and in a matter in which
we have made distinct progress during
the past five years.
What is the justification for this
activity, this attempt to f'slip
hrN ,fxh 81 "A Il.
however worthy its object. strikes
at the very foundation of our liberty
and which takes away the one thing
that above all others makes for the
real development of the Hawaiian peo-
pie, j. e., elf-edueation, as contrasted
with compulsion. They cannot Justify
their position unless they are ready
to say freely that local government is
failure, that our people are not able
to handle the liquor question here on
the ground as well as congress is at
Washington, that we are so undeserv-
ing political community as to merit
the proposed impairment of our right
, of government
Whatever the evils % the rum-traf-
fic. let MS be delivered from legislation
that is rushed quietly through con-
gress without full discussion and be-
fore the question has been brought
fairly to an issue here at home. And
let it be remembered that there is no
assurance that congress having en-
acted prohibitory law at one session,
would not permit revolutionary
amendment to slip through at any time
| when the pressure happened to be
! one-sided. G. F. G.
n. -. . s~u1 . &C. .
there to work the guano deposits, he
has very specious argument to ad-
vance as the reason why they had in
their possession $4,000 wings and few
tons of feathers additional. They did
this business merely as a side issue while
waiting for orders to get to work ON
the guano. When asked whether the
schooner that called there last August
took away any guano, Schlemmer makes
a sidestep.
AS the name of the company operat-
ing ON the, island, Schlemmer says that
that is fact which will be presented
in court, and he talks as if he had a
sensation to spring when the matter
gets into the courts.
| He is quite certain that the Japanese
consulgeneral of Hawaii, on behalf of
the japanese government, will soon be-
gin searching investigation.