The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-09-14
THE HULA.

cOnIlnueS 10 cNnlDll vigorous
vitality in Hawaii nei. Indeed, it
appears to have experienced Il stir
ring revival within the past few
years. There was n period when it
had so far diminished in the city, or
was restricted within prescribed cir
cles to such an extent. that it had
almost assumed the character of n
novelty; and the friends of decency
and advocates of morality had hoped
that demoralizing pastime. so de-
void of any redeeming quality, was
tottering on its last legs. But it has
revived again, and houriShes to-day
like a green bay tree after the rains
that follow period of drouth. Now
the hula is as common as mangoes
in their season, and as public as the
moonlight concerts at Emma Square.
One can scarcely walk around the
outskirts of the city at night time,
without his ears being greeted by its
sound. OF Saturday night, in
some neighborhoods, it is deafening.
Every festival occasion must termin-
ate with hula. When foreign Wis
itors come to the country it is con-
sidered the proper thing TO take
them to hula. Thus the indigen-
Gus eXcrescence is paraded before
the people at home and the people
from abroad, as peculiarly Hawaii
an production to be proud of.
The perpetuation of this pagan
diversion is regretable. It's revival
is an unhappy fact. Well would it
have been for the Hawaiian people
if the hula had been abolished along
with the tabu. Decent people are
grieved and alarmed at the dimen-
sions its practice has acquired of
late years. And well may they be,
because it is an amusement that is
bad-bad in its nature and bad in
its intluence-low, vulgar and OBJ,
scene. Reference is not here meant
to the monotonous chanting of :
= Hawaiian mele or song, which ma,
be unobjectionable, only that TIL
mere sound is enough to make sic
monkey squirm; but TO the hula pre-
per, which divides into variety q
classifications, distnguishable by Il
many names. This is not fit fo
decent eyes nor ears polite, and ca
only be defended from Il plane c
immortality.
The most grievous and dishearten
ing feature of the hula revival is
that it is countenanced, aided, an
encouraged by people of culture an
position. Among its votaries ar
some who have had the best educa
tional advantages the country ca
furnish, and others who have cl
joyed parallel privileges in otht
lands. Better things could /
reasonably expected of them. III
elevation of people is a discoura:
ing undertaking while any conside
able proportion of its cultivated an
influential members encourage d
basing amusements. If the lowe
orders, or the common people, r.
sort to pastimes that are demoral
ing, and find congenial diversion
practices that are degrading, the
having been debarred fro
proper early educational advantage
is allowed as measure of paliatit
OF their perversion. No such pl'
is admissible for the upper ten.
Although the great evil of Il
hula is its mischievous effect
home, in corrupting the minds
the young and communicating Il
morals of the people, the evil do
not end here. 1t goes abb Dad, III
there has the effect of lowering Il
Hawaiian people in the estimate
of civilized and Christian nation
This should be no light matter
people who complain of street ia
and newspaper talk 'injuring
abroad. Perhaps those who ha
muttered over this complaint
many times that it has become ;
idle and meaningless tale which n
body heeds, have never realized Il
''injury done abroad" to II
national character, by the unblus
ing exhibitions of the national hui