The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-07-16

prohibition bill that our difficulties nul,
tiplied more and more. There was a
persistent feeling in congress that the
question should be in some way sub
mitted to popular vote before a hand
and fast prohibitory law be enacted.
At least the law itself should provide
for plcbiscite to take place either
before or after the enforcement Of
the same; nor was it until we had
exhausted all means possible and exert
ed all the energy at our disposal, were
we at last driven to the conclusion,
after repeated conferences with our
our good friends in and out of con
gress, that any bill without some such
provision was doomed to be defeated.
And when at last we were forced
to substitute the so-called Petition
Plebiscite Bill for the ole then pend
ing, We knew that not only you'd some
Of our good friends and supporters in
Haw ali feel greatly, disappointed, but
that there was risk of repeating the
unfortunate experience we had in 1910.
The bill, however, was most care
fully drawn up by our national attor
ney and seemed to safeguard our in
terests "s well rs it was possible nm
Concluded from Pa9e ~ ~
der the circumstances We then had
new "hearinCs" and the committee
of the house on Territories, after sew
ernl lengthy sessions, reported the same
with a favorable recommendation.
Matters diA not 90 50 smoothly in
the senate. The committee gave us 4
h,k - h. l.
sence of a quorum requested its chair
man to poll the absentees and report
accordingly.
A Hold-up
The result was a hold up--full Of
painful and veXatious delays. 1t was
a most trying experience. The forces
IN opposition were doing their utmost.
Two or three senator's, members of the
! committee, appeared TO be their nc
tive agents Nor does anyone know
until he has had the bitter experience
just how provoVingly impossible it I,
to overcome "frame up" on thu
part of OILY a few wilful obstruction
| lists when bill, as this was, is tied
up hard and fast and those who lea
! in the opposition defy you face to face
I if not in 50 naay words yet by their
deliberpte a. ions. II was che of GU
Gethrarmaurs rud yet as we look back
now We can plainly see that after al
! the hn"d Of God was in it and Opl
Illuminating failure at that time really
! proved to be a splendid step in I'D
vance.
Prohibition Session
This session of congress namely, Thu
G5th, became noted for it's many pro
! hibition enactments. Bills for "dry'
| Capital, a saIoOnless Alaska, a prOhi
biti0n Porto Rico, passed Washington
itself had no machinery for pOpula
election ard 80 the objection to
strai hit prohibition bill was overcome
not, however, without one of the bit
trrest fights ever witnessed on tn,
| floors of congress.
The people of Alaska had already
/ voted in favor Of federal law, while
the bill for Porto Rico had in it i
! provision for an almost immediate
local election. Both of these latte
y bills worked so we'll that the sentimen
: for plrhiscite provisions in all prOhib
! ton Legislation grew by leaps anC
bounds though congress adjourned with
4 our petition plebiScitr measure hangin4
/ fire in the senate committee, with the
chairman. Mr. Shafroth. much more j.
favor Of bill fashioned after tina
Of the Porto Rico law tOf which h'
was the proud father and ardent pro