Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-08-11
ALCOHOL
ARE POINTED OUT
BY DIR. NADMAN

DR.. John w. Wadman, superinten-
dent of the Anti-Saloon League, deliver
ed the following address. last Sunday /
night at the Kauluwela Mission: /
"AItruism versus Alcoholism"
.'My text is ante-diluvianism. We !
are taken back to the opening pages
of history Away yonder at the dawn |
of mans advent on the historic plane, |
stands Cain, the second son OF
Adam asking his own self.accusing
conscience, while the warm life blood
of his brother Abel drips from bis |
fingers, IAN l my brothers keeper?
MY subject tonight belongs to the
science of Altruism, somewhat new
but increasingly important subject. We
live in world where absolute selfish
ness Is impossible. Ii is an age in
which social conditions render it quite
out of the question for man to live
wholly/unto himself. Our present day
civilization is constructed on the basal
principal of altruism, term which
first fell from the pen Of Comte and
afterwards was frequently used by Mr..
Spencer in his Data of Ethics. Altru-
ism is Numerically opposed to the
it disinterested Benevolence. Cain
was not an altruist He encroached
upon the rights of his brother. Abel
had just as good a right to live as
Cain but as. soon as Gains jealousy
was aroused and his baser passions
took fire, the big world was too small
| for them to live in together peaceably
and so the page of history is blacken-
/ ed with the story of the terrible fra
tricide. The murderer, however, no
sooner stabs his innocent brother to
death, when his blood cries forth
nightly from the Redeemed earth in
such revengeful tones that Cain asks
the conscience stricken question, Am
my brothers keeper?'
This question has been asked ten
| thousand times and more. It is the
sobbing cry of guilt-the despairing
cry of sin-the uplifting cry of an cut
ragged conscience the eutbursting cry
of manhood. Cain knew that he had
done wrong He needed no preacher
to tell him that--no prophet to blaze
forth the terror of the law. He was
Gods child and in this question which
he now asks, the principles Of his di-
vine nature we're beginning to assert
themselves over the baser passions of
his lower animal self. 1t was case
in which Altruism is gaining over Egg
oism. Am my brothers keeper?'
Let me apply this text in three ways,
or rather, let us ask ourselves this
same question from three different
standpoints or relations. Am ! my
brothers keeper in my personal indi-
viduaI relations?" Under this heading
the speaker referred at some length to
the habit of moderate drinking and the
effects of such an example upon the
young and rising generation. 1t is
not he said, t'the object lesson Of the
poor drunkard lying in the gutter
which influences the young man to
start on a career of drunkenness. Such
an object lesson is warning rather
than an ir1ducement but it is the exam
pie of the well-to-do prosperous bust
ness man and others who in defiance
of the fact that they are their brothers.
keepers quaff their wine in the ban
quoting halls, or University clubs. l
plead for the weaker brother Paul
was genuine Altruist eff meat
cause my brother to stumble / will
eat no meat while the world stands
Can man be Christian and do other
wise?
Secondly: Am my brothers keep
er in my relations as a community
member" 1t is an age of the get-to-
gether spirit. We must have team
work. knock the knocker." they
shout in California. Community inter-
ests are best served by unity, for in
unity there is strength. In self-pro-
lection or self-interset, therefore, we
live today more closely related and al
lied than ever before. 1t is the mod
ern spirit of altruism. Community
welfare is more successfully conserv-
ed. Community nuisances are more
effectively removed. Hence, Local
Option is popular in certain, commune
ties wherein live the more respectable
classes. The saloon is a nuisance, a
menace, they say Let it flourish
where it belongs-in the down town
section where the weaker folks live.
We may be our brothers keepers in
Makiki or Kaimuki but not on Bethel
or Hotel street The Altruism of GER
tain community dwellers is bounded
by the streets running few blocks
from their own front doors. wish to
ask in all soberness and righteousness
if saloon connected with the Plea
santon Hotel is in any special sense
more of a nuisance or a menace than
the saloon on the corner of River and I
Beretania streets? What is the differ
ence between wrecked homes and lost
souls in Punahou as compared with
the same thing in Palama?
Thirdly: Am my brothers keep
er as citizen of the United States?'
The speaker proceeded under this
heading to discuss the pertinent ques-
ton Of personal liberty as connected
with altruistn and as related to the,
liquor problem IN closing Mr.. Wad-
man spoke as follows:
II wish to be courteous and honor
able and not inpnne the motives of
any man. know the saloon has its
49,. /. 49,. $50. ...| |I.. lie. - ~, :. /