The Hawaiian gazette., 1883-07-18

ana elstHHlIt tl4 We have Ir1t'II1 .aII1lc.
additlnnal infolm4licn at1nl Ils dlo1dloI as.
e1ee. We ara Oh ffwiII1r VITA rs atr.ntt
No dIEt1ro vas ss1I 50 f1lfIdI ndna Us hfn.1ls4.
Il Is net mere matter 90 lie and dzai1, 11t a.
vursn than death; fur IN its coufst death herIns
years before life ends Life % fha Iaref Il worth.
l1ss, and uoEse han worthless He T. loclhsou.e
70 others, and most io1lht1nl Of all % him
self In The middle ages. leprosy extensively
prevailed and segregation aud noItinr t|
has driven Il into ths cnrnsrs Of Enr5os
How Il Il heres tell yon, cr1Ilen1cn lAn
government "a playing with this disc1ee Whtr
you 80 the king and the board Of health ali Law
men, going o. a kidd Of picnic rprt5 % ne kata-
ako hospital. sahinr with them oue-cnly one
physician ont Of The three medical inspectors q
leners examining The paticlifs having them strip
ped. and upon the advice 81 that one phgzipi1r
with his unsupported tlelrios, turning niue q
them loose on 10 the community, and then writing
the affair up in newspape saT id Ike child. ,
play. And they dare to do this when every rncdt-
cal man in the kingdom, exiept one, saysihat suth
action Is dange1uui to the public a lArEs, and
that one Is Doctur Fitch, TIE prosecattng witness
in this case Is II not comemndable thing m .
journalist week in and week out. year in and year
out 10 fight this kind u thing and to denounca
the man who has aided and ahetted this entrage,
and others like II 2 II the most influential medi-
calsofce IN the gift Of the government Is bald By
man Who is unworthy 10 hold il. IS Il not the duty
OF newspapers 10 say 80 his man . uedical
superintendent the leper settlement on Asiokai,
is physician Of ths branch hospital on the out
skirts Of the city, Is the agent Of the board Of
health, With power % arrest, impriser and serrc-
gate every leper that be nf, and Il is his duty
under the law 20 do 50. This inan can stamp his
action for good or III upon the future Of the whole
Hawaiian race, and upon all classes Of the COM
nunity. We have had medical testimony that
leProsy is seen daily on our streets is found in
public. places Of resort aud among government
employees. Il Is the clearly defined duty Of Doc
TOR Fitch 10 carry ont the Law OF segregation How
has he done Il ? We find him with his svo theo-
ries that leprosy and syphilis are identical, and
that eprosy in certain stages Is not contagious,
is not contagious at all, as he says in his printed
II be confined his theories to private
practice we might have less ground for noticing
them. Bat to experiment. with his theories At the
risk Of the whole community aud in defiance alike
Of medical testimony and pEblie opsnion is an
outrage. BE admits that Mr.. Sumner was dis
charged upon his recoEpmendation- Il was said
that Sumner was 20 be isolated at a private house
that place. He remained there few days and
removed to 4 house in the heart Of the city, near
the Hawaiian Hotel has been 70 Waikiki IS free
in fact 70 20 where he likes and 10 associate with
whom he likes. And there Is tho unfortunate
young lady who, believe is iine school teacher,
who has been treated by Fitch for leprcsy for
more than a year. She has been allowed to carry
on large school of little children for all this
time, children who have not the knowledge and
discretion Of adults in regard to this disease Is
not this almost like murder And yet the prose
cnting witness says he believes in segregation. Is
not such action worthy Of all the condemnation
that can be conveyed with types and printers ink
Does it not call for more severe iuvectivc than
hRs yet appeared in any paper Taxpayers have
right 10 inquire into the stewardship Of their
wants have a right 10 know what officials are do
ing and why. II defamatory article be true and
is published from no unworthy motive, Il is not
libel, no damages have been sustained and no
punishment ought to follow This defendant has
no az to griad. He has the same interest that you
in fhfa unhinef Ia tha nj
wrongs strong language is necessaryi milk and
water remarks are useless. Doctor Fitch Is not
on trial before you as you may have imagined from
the efforts Of the counsel for the prosecution TO
limit the in PRODUCTION Of evidence the plrt Of
the defense. The liberty Of the press IS on trial.
You are 10 decide whether il be worthy Of praise
or blame to try TO prevent official abuse, lol are
to decide whether IL Is desirable or not 10 restrict
truth. As AnQlo-Saxons- members Of a ma
tional stock 10 whom belief in free spsech and
free press is cardinal principle and for which
your ancestors have been ready to nght, 10 you
appeal 10 guard this great privilege. What would
we be to-day without an independent press With
out it the tendency here would be away from 'ibe-
ralism and toward unconstitutional government;
this tendency is alone held IN check by the pre-
sence here Of an independent pres representing
or four small sheets fighting this battle but they
are independent Let US keep them soi let Us not
ignore their protest till che onenses Of misgoyern
ment are reduced to a minimum, till the nations
The PHYSICIANS OF the world, with the single OK
cepton Of Doctor Fitch, agree that leprosy Is
tagious. II Is not safe to let single leper asso
ciate With those who are unoontami1ated. il is
Fitch ngainst the world. He has been unable to
produ &c a single medical opinion in fayar Of his
belief. Doctor Trousseau has told you that he
fears the possibility of leprous incubation by
means OF Aeas, mosquitoes and Aies, and that in
France a certain disease is transmitted through a
kind of fly. How would il be here IN the years when
those purple tliesabound, whose bite ordinarily is
dangerous. should they become charged with the
deadly virus Of Ieprosy imagine a south wind to
send hundred million Of mosquitoes from yonde-
hospital on the reef 70 the homes OF Honolulu
who can defend himself or his family from such
possible MESSENGERS Of infection i say to YOU
that the hospital at Kakaak0 is q standing menace
to the safety OF every man, woman aud child in
this city. II s not detention hospital, but per
manent hOpital. And now as to the use Of the
terms used in the article complained Of
Mr.. Dole continued his review Of the pertinent
points in the evidence of the witnesses called and
closed by saying: l believe gentlemen that you
fully understand the case in all its bearings aud
its great public Importance. l submit to you in
terests of the defendant Mr.. Thrum on trial be-
fore you for his liberty and the interests Of the
free press and free speech in the Hawaiian Islands
/ thank you for the PATIENCE and attention with
which you have followed the course Of this long
trial. and listened to my arguments.
Mr. RussKLLis ADDRESS.
1HH lOllOMllk 10 5uu5hAuhAlnl u 1NAtl-
ment Of the remarks Of Mr. Russell, counsel
for the prosecution: The counsel for the
defense said, the doctors Of this country
fought this dreadful disease Of leprOsy at
their own risk If this be true, which one
Of them has drne any more than Fitch, has
any one done as much, or half as much2
Dr. Fitch tells you, and he is not CONTRA
iieted, that in the dispensary they come
there to be treated for syphilis and leprosy
when the natives knew it was the best thing
to do, they fiocked there by hundreds. IL was
his duty as the medical representative Of
the government to encourage that which
he had instilled in the native mind, and
which was this, that the better course for
them was to come forward and be treated
for whatever diseases they had, and more
particularly leprosy, and not hide away in
caverns and garrets, as had been their Gus
ton, before the kindly influences Of Fitch,
which educated them TO the standard Of
offering themselves fog treatment / con-
tend that Fitch performed what that good
Judgment Dictated / contend that his treat
ment was just such as to nurse the native
mind, and no man has cultivated that
more than he. Is that reckless
treatment?
Reference was made TO the fact that doc
tors meet lepers in the street every day;
the only evidence on that point was given
by Dr. Emerson, He saw two new aequaint-
lnces, and they were lepers In sixty days.
It is said that Flteh's theory was his own.
| don't pretend that a mans success is a
proof of his ability, because hundreds Of
the ablest men have been failures; the at
tempt is made to drag Fitch into disrepute
in comparing him to Columbus. who dis
covered America; Jenner was Knighted for
his discovery Of incubation rs preventive
Of smallpox.
A great deal OF stress was laid on the case
Of Miss Agnes Aylett, year ago she went
to DIR. Fitch, he told her he thought she
had leprosy and he treated her for IL she Is
not private patient, she IL dispensary
patient size told you that the black spots
that were on her person have disappeared
under the treatment Of DR.. Fitch she has
not suspended single day in her vocation
Of schoolmistress; would any Of you sup
pose from her appearance that she was a
leper. Dr. Emerson said in the
early stages Of leprosy 1t was less con-
lagious than in its advanced stage.
AS to the independence of the press / am
at a loss to understand what Ii is Intended 70
convey. II the /" liberties Of the press are
meant. that. understand. II you rank the
fourth estate greater than the government
then the government had better collapse.
There has been nothing unfayorable present
I'd to YOU that affects the diploma Of Isr.
Fitch The vigor hehas shown in bis
former life, in order 70 attain his
present position, 10 highly COM
nendable. He went onward and OH
ward until he reached the point that
he sought 70 achieve. Reference has been
n. l. r.