The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-12-07

" THE HULA"


day festivities has been reaped, the cleo
trio light extinguished, and ''tbe sound
OF Tevelry by night" is heard no more in
the city, we have a word to say regard
ing the hula" And what we shall saw
is in the best possible spirit, having in
view the well-being of the native people.
We are not OF those who would deny the
natives any measure of amusement com
patible with their good. We would
rather strain point in their favor than
endeavOr to put metes and bounds to
their enjoyment. We think that a great
mistake was committed by those who
had the moulding OF Hawaiian habits
and morals in fOrbidding, as sinful, ath-
letic sports and innocent amusements,
thereby ensuring the survival of that
which was least desirable-the "hula"
But the mistake was made, and civiliza-
ton is now paying the penalty.
While we therefore condemn the zeal
of a former period in this regard, we
cannot but regret the Iistlessness and
lack OF energy Of the present The ma
tive people love music and dancing So
do the foreign population. But there are
no schools at which native Hawaiians
can be taught foreign dances Indeed,
the puritanism which Unfortunately
condemned the dances and sports of the
natives regards "all dancing as sinful"
and by this extreme encourages the
assault upon good morals and decency
Of hn
OF this rigid rule even now, and there
fore but little hope for the rising genera
ton of Hawaiians to escape from the
thrall which has debauched and demon
allied their seniors.
Having said this as simple matter of
justice, let US turn to the other side of
the question and speak of the native
people themselves. We say they are not
blameless in this matter. They know
better than to spend night after night
either as spectators or participators in
the monotonous righteousness of the
a." hula" Those who encourage them in
1t also know better. 1t Is not creditable
either to their intelligence or station
We do not refer in these remarks to the
public exhibition at the Opera House the
other evening or to similar performances,
but to those which take place at later hours
when the eye of public criticism Is closed.
Better far, however, abandon the "hula"
altogether than have even a semblance
of it presented if that should encourage
the excuses to which we refer, and
which have made Honolulu by-word in
the earth.
We state the point thus plainly be-
cause the ''hula" has become a social
ulcer which must be healed if decent
people are either to live here or to visit
this country. 1t entraps the young and
unwary; it wsylays the old; and it
coins money for men who pursue their
disreputable calling under license OF the ,
authorities. The hula" must be
stopped, and with it the demoralizing
agencies surrounding IT, Heroic treat
ment may be needed, but this commu-
nifty once fairly aroused, will resort to
that if necessary. The ''hula" may have
powerful protectors, but it must GO Its
days are numbered. The public have
had a surfeit of it. There is a Init to
all things, and that limit has been
reached with regard to The hula" At
the same time innocent amusement 7.
should be provided for the native peo-
pie. They should be taught dancing
and other innocent enjoyments, and so
lit them to the level of educated for .
eigners instead OF permitting them to re-
main as they are now, dragging for
eigners down to the level OF lascivious
barbarism, and utterly demoralizing the
rising generation OF Hawaiian youth.