Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-02
MARCH ,. 1911,
ACLEANCET PROHIBITION Issue

All prohibition advocates can unite the plan
for submitting the issue to Of the people Of this
territory next July. /
The subsi tutc thillingwOrth bill carries out the
theory Of home rule" 1t provides bonaf de pr"hi-
bition II is sound bill sound in morals in law,
in equitable treatment for the liquor business, and
in practical method of testing the dry" sentiment
in Hawaii.
The StarI;uletn voices the opinion Of probably
the majority Of voters in saving they prefer prohibI
ton broughLa about by the people of Hawaii 10 pro
hibition brought about 10y Washington. But up to
the time when Senator ChilIngwOrth took his stand
with the iry" forces and started the legislation. it
did not sRem that the way would Ike opened for a !
vote of the people here at home. The Republican
territorial platform had unwisely carried plank
pledging the party 10 'standpatisnf on the liquor
laws and even the rapid change in sentiment, even
the growing force of the prohibition issue, could not
apparently overcome the objections of Republicans
to ignoring This plank
Senator Chillingworth's proposals brought the
senate odhe point OF placing the liquor issue before
the people And the Star Bulletin has no hesitation
in saying that in showing itself alive to this vital
ts',iic subject the senate has done a service much
higher than the negative service of standing pat on
sandpat platform plank which does not fit condi
tons today. -..... 49,. 4
As the developments have come, the question will
be put fairly and s1uarelr before the voters by act
of the legislaures and that promises TO help rather
than to hinder action in Wash ngton.
The reason for this is simple There is apparently
not the femotest chance that &C ngress this session
will pass the nowpendng bill calling for plebiseite
or refersndumby The petition method The Hawaiian
measure is buried, with hundreds of others in al
mass of nndigested uncompleted legislation--shOy-
ed aside when the national crisis called for attention
above everything else
Nothing will be done with liquor legislation should
an extra session of the Goth Congress be called That
extra session will be devoted entirely to military
naval and similar preparedness matters. though
possibly he senate may handle the large number of
unconfE1ned presidential nominations. But at any
rats, there seems no hope whatever for action
by tbisG 0ngrssSon prohibition in the territory.
Aiy action by the next Congress would probably
not take place for at least year. 1t might be well
along in 1918 before Congress would pass such egis
lation, and probably then it would take the form of
referendum to local vote. After the referendum
provided il carried-at least nine months or a year
would be given before the law went into operation.
Hence if Hawaii waits now for Congress to act, it
maybe 1919 before the territory really goes dry"
Under the bill now in the senate here, should a
voteenext July give majority for prohibition, the
territory will go dry in July, 1918.
The Anti-Saloon League has headed the prohbi,
ton tight in Hawaii. 1T has also headed the fight
before Congress-, maintaining its representative at
the national capital. The league foresaw no chance
of getting favorable action in the territorial legsa
turea and hence took up the battle in Congress But
the league now puts itself squarey into line on the
shorpe rule basis by unequvocalIy indorsng the
present senate bill and declaring that should this
bill come before the people in special election, the
league will heartily support it, Ii might be added
that President Peters letter indorsing the senate
bill Was written before the senate had adopted the
Julyplebscite amendment but that in conversations
withzthe editor Of the Star Bulletin. Mr. Peters de-
cafes the league will abide by the decision of the
senate and will support the dry" bill in the result
ing referendum vote.
With this standby the leading temperance organi
zton of the islands, there will not he division of
forces on the side of prohibition. 4
The Star Bulletins attitude the liquor question
Is welEknown. This paper believes that Hawaii
should join the ~allwhite column of states and ter
rtories steadily growing the voters get a chance
TO express themselves. And believe absolutely
thatwith organized forces the prohibition advocates
can win the July election. ....
What has impressed itself upon thousands Of men
and women in Hawaii in the past five years is the
economic argument against booze The man who
drinks is giving way to the man who doesn't drink
Many big corporations hesitate TO employ men who
use kquor-many others do not hesitate-they don't
emf such men. Modern business has condemned
boozf an injury to progress 49,.
In Hawaii there are countless men--nOt teetO
talerf-who say frankly, IL drink occasionally but
would vote ip minute for prohibition in Hawaii"
There countless employers who say. Il wish
we had prohibition, Nv men and nv business would