Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-06-17

population have recently adopted pro.
hibitory laws. Already the signs are
that the experiment will not last long
and that other methods will prevail.
In going about the Islands in the
past few months and talking freely
with all sorts and conditions of men.
| have found large number. who while
they are not total abstainers and
while they do not believe in the prin.
ciple Of prohibition, say something
like this: Drink is killing off the Ha.
waiian people and Is the cause of much
suffering and crime; | am therefore In
favor of abolishing the saloon"
They seem to be of the opinion that
prohibition is the only way to accom-.
plish the betterment OF conditions.
Many OF the men who talk this way
are not total abstainers, and they take
a position In favor of prohibition out
of laudable and high.minded desire
to help their fellow men. Some of these
who take this stand are employers of
labor, who feel deeply the intemper.
ance OF their men and desire to help
them. All honor be to them.
There were until recently among
those who favored prohibition here
men who expected to get wines and
beer from San Francisco for house.
hold use. The latest platform OF those
who favor prohibition sets the matter
in its true light. Il was stated some
time ago in The Advertiser. In q
signed letter by Mr. Thurston, that
this was not question of the right OF
wrong OF using intoxicating drinks
nor the use of them. but a question
of saloons or no saloons. Now the
platform puts Il clearly that the in
tention Is to prevent individuals in
their homes or anywhere else from
drinking wines and beer and so on as
beverages, and to accomplish this by 9
federal law prohibiting importations
IF the question were the closing oil
saloons. II could be done under the
excellent law under which we are nov
working. This has been shown, We
are told on Kauai.
My personal opinion may be worth
little. but. since my name has beer
used void like to say that in a city
such as New York for example mucf
may be said about certain class o
saloon being the poor mans club. bu
that can not be said of country sa
looms in these Islands, and | belisv,
Il would be for the best interests o
the people If they were abolished ant
the peddling of liquor on plantations
made an offense punishable by impris
onment.
The issue was said to be SALOONS
or no saloons" The difference OF op
inion was largely how this could b
accomplished. believe. with man!
men in this Territory, that II coult
be accomplished best under the exist
ing Law.
SO far I have spoken on the prac
teal side. | am, however, opposed Il
prohibition on other grounds. What
ever may be said prohibition does in
tend TO stop absolutely the use of in
toxicating dr.a as beverages in thi
Territory.
There are thousands Of men on thes
Islands who believe that II Is a par
Of their individual liberty to drlnl
beer or wine or liquors In their home
and they believe that to deprive then
Of that riaht, which II is the intentio
OF prohib tionlsts to do, would be a
act in IT. =" zee with their persona
liberty . ! 81. is. | an, quite familla
wi :, the ar ment Of those who favo
! r, ohibition ! know that courts hav
dcc''-i II the State can prohibit
] b., ,lio that one Of the. danger
VII c. ssets us as a nation is tina
majorities often forget that democrac
may invade individual rights and be
come tyrannieal-just as readily as a
autocracy may do so.
1t would do men good at this tim
to read John Stuart Mills Essay o.
Liberty" There one finds the matte
argued in the clear logical style O
which Mil was master. In reviewin
the arguments for prohibition he say
they are far more dangerous than an
single Interference with liberty. Their
| Is no violation of liberty which lik
arguments would not Justify. The
acknowledge no right of any free 1or
whatever except perhaps to holdin
opinions In secret. The doctrines e
prohibitionists) ascribe to all mankin
a vested interest in each others mora
| iHteilectudi anu phySicai pei'eSNoh
be defined by each claimant accordin
to his own standard"
He points. out also that "whereve
Puritans have been sufficiently powe
full, as in New England and in Gres
Britain under the Commonwealth, the
have endeavored with considerab
success to put down all public and nea
ly all private amusements, especial
music. dancing and public games an
the theater." They did this becaus
they believed them destructive of mi
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