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

OF politicians catching at public ia
vor and Office. not only to a chance
legislation which some political com
bination may have carried into pow.
er, but to the good sense OF society
in general; good sense and general
opinion absolutely essential to the
permanence and utility OF any stat
ute, however any sudden tide OF pass
ing enthusiasm may have procured
its enactment. When the general
sense of society is agreed that the
greatest good Of the greatest number
requires prohibitory law, that law
will be enacted and enforced as nat
urally and promptly as are the laws
against stealing and smuggling.
Until the law Is desired and sustain.
ed by such general or controlling
sentiment, IL will be positive moral
damage, the constant cause of lies
and evasions. and degrading In the
estimation OF men to the very con-
ception OF the law. which should ever
be held as among things most
sacred.
Prohibition' dropping It's only
valid argument OF social expediehcy'
assumes the dignity OF moral pre-
cept, and declares that the State
ought to prohibit the manufacture
ana SAFE Oh liquor on s.ric,iy ihorai
grounds; that such making ana SELL
ing are sintui; that the license s!s-
tenn is wicked ih, ,nat u draws d
revenue from SIN. ihis idea OF morai
urgency is spoken or Implied In every
resort TO syhods ana conferences Oh
the part OF prohipition, ana 10 the
raise principles involved III i, many
religious Dody giVes CONSENT ei,h-
er unwitingiy or uhwiihhgiy' LOT
the rear OF peihg NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ",
misrepresehted' Inc usual iorm Vi
.. such deiiVerahces REASONS rom Tue
I sin OF drunkenness ana tue urihhihs
nabit TO the necessity OF eN'i stat
ute 10 prevent u.
Thus. whatever force may be sup
posed existent In an ecclesiastical
enactment to formulate spiritual law
Is sought In order to clothe the so
cial expedient of prohibition with
the sanctities Of moral precept' II
is but a borrowed plumage, not ma
tive to the bird which wears 1t. A
moral precept Is an instrument Tor
the education and strengthening oil
the moral man. and as such II may
without hesitation. be affirmed that
prohibition has no standing In the
court Of Christian morality. Preach
ed as a moral dogma, binding on the
conscience, 1t Is reprehensible as the
sin which 1t proposes to abolish. This
ought to be self-evident to- every
mind; and yet because the mind Is
oppressed by the enormous evils oil
ntemperance. and at the same time
drawn by the good which prohibit
ton PROMISES the vital distinction
here noted is apt to be lost. The
truth OF this distinction and Its i'm.
portance will appear from the fol-
lowing considerations:
1. The logical support OF prohi
billion as a moral precept necessarily
involves the assumption of one oil
two things-either that all drinking
Of intoxicants and consequently the
sale OF them is sinful. or that an
nvariable moral law OF total absti
hence. to be enforced on all by con-
science and both canon and civil law,
grow out of their abuse by some
Both OF these assumptions are false
AS to the former, 1t hardly needs tc
be argued to the unbiased mind that
both reason and Scripture place the
marks OF sin at inebriety. To be
drunken Is sin. To drink with the
certainty or probability OF drunken
ness Is a sin. To drink within the
limits OF entire self-controi Is IN
different, This last IL true temper
ance, with which FIRMLY observed, SC
long as mans influence Is MOI
taken into account, for the man him
SELF II 10 as innocent 10 drink as ,o
eat bread. To sell Tor such use must
also be innocent. IL STANDS true thh'
the bipie calls DRUNKENNESS SIN