The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-07-03
AID TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
A Protest Against the Governments
Stopping Such Support.

| Mr.. EDITOR The theory that denies
the right of using pu lie funds for the
purpose Of aiding private or sectarian
schools may be sound. although it is
difficult to perceive in what sense it is
more sound than would be the with
holding OF such aid from railroads,
steamship lines, or any other private en-
terprise which is deemed to be more or
less a benefit to the public.
These schools, as a rule, are no less
benefit to the country at large and TO the
members OF 4 community Individually
by raising the level of intelligence aud
average tone OF morals and enhancing
the general safety of life and property,
than are the benefits accruing to the
same parties from the laying OF rail-
road to open up new country aud facili-
| tate traffic.
No one denies the benefits Of the lat
| ter, and thousand OF dollars OF pubic
| funds IN all civilized Countries are grant
ed every year as subsidies TO private en-
terprises of that nature. Suitable cnndi-
tons must be imposed and there must
| be an exercise o; discretion in the one
case as we'll as in the other. But to
withhold aid from many deserving cases
| lest, through car-lrssness or weakness on
the part OF officials, an undeserving case
also is permitted to carry off that to
which it has no right, would seem to be
hardly the fair thing.
No one will deny that our Solons in
| convention assembled, are an able body
whose aim it is 10 do well, bur in dealing
with this matter OF granting much need
ed aid to private schools-schools that
are the source Of no pecuniary benefit
whatever to their promoters, and the
| only schools in the Islands that are doing
| thu class Of work that these are doi"g-
have they not applied their optical or
! gans 10 the wrong end OF the telescope?
Putting aside The qut stiOn as to how it
may ne in otter countries, under other
conditions, or how it may be here at
some distant future time, what We have
to consider now is cur situation here al
| the pre- ent time.
Those HhO have committed themselves
to the principle, 'no publ { funds for
private schools" have, in effect, said to
the promoters and supporters OF these
schools, in behalf OF native Eawaiians
and the Hawaiian Government: " We
know that for years you have, at tile
cost of thousands of dollars and mu.h
unremitting toll and patience, often
times exercis d, in the face of great dis
couragements, reared and educated many
OF our sons and daughters. You have
done for them " hat we thought we could
not nffo to do; and further, you have
bIlt ON a solid foundation the like Of
which we prohicit the use of in our own
schools for YOU have endeavored to i'm
bue their minds with religious principles
as well as give them mental culture and
skill IN DO uestic affairs. True, you have
sometimes a ked US to aid you and We
| have done SO, more or lie 6. That has
| ben all very we'll; but, hereafter il you
wish to rear and educate cur children, in
'diion to the greater expense OF rear
| ing your own families, you must do it
eotifelv at your own expense or not at
ali. Ii your religious principles or spirit
f phuanth Opy pr mpt you to do any
! more so < Of this kind, you must &C.
compli h the whole OF it Yourselves
on must house and c,Othe and feed and
instruct Ia m rs best you can. We will
no longer aid you. Slme of you are
val ard do good work, but, il We aid
you We must also give as much or more
to IN Sc VINO are d,sloyal, and have ac-
comp ished but little or no COOS, or be
bothered with listening to complaints
from them
1t would appear, then, that the true
position to take in The premises in this
case j. this: I labor and money that
have been heretofore expended on these
schools primarily for native hawniIans)
should re regarded by The native ha-
waiian and Hawaiian Government as
gratuities for which they should be ex-
ce+dingly thankful and only roo glad g.
encourage by the occasional expenditure
OF few dollars from the pubic treasury
In other words, they should appreciate
the fact that, what the supp 'Iters OF
these schools have done, aud who
have been often tempted, particu-
arly OF late year, to regard their
efforts as thankless task-bas by 10
much relieved them of a burden and ex-
pense viii h otherwise they would have
been compelled 10 bear themselves, or go
in need
Let them now show proper sense OF
| apprecia ion ~ conf g TO tire rescue in
these time If financial siruEencv with
m r lite a rid Than h"iet lore IA her
| than lmun-e Il greater hurien on those
no ar alre ,dy well lalen, 10y ia WI h
III wal ii aid.
y. hen government Is prepared TO es-
t. , isn schools thai vii. DO the class OF
ark h these ar. DONG j will b time
enough tu w haTaw ~ \ d from PR
vat iisri utirn- a d require them O
| prov de In their oWn maintenance. Ii
the b-neii .iarie@ Of these lrIva'e efjrts
are no, worthy al rubiic encouta- ement,
| ct the sch Hos close u.
Koh Ia, June 26 1884.