The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-10-26
Continued from LIST page.)

utensi used or touched by the lat
ter. These measures would, OF
course. involve the Government in
such additional expense that Japan
would be compelled to foreclose its
mortgage, though that would not
matter much, for it is probable
there would then be left but few
SUBJECTS to BIZ governed - except
perhaps a few of the Chinese and
Japanese contract slaves who, it is
estimated, constitute at present
mora than three ffths Of the entire
population of the islands.
No ordinary quarantine is suffi-
cient to keep lsprosy out of Califor-
mia. Lepers from China and Portu-
gal, and especially from the Sand
wich Islands, are now and have been
for years slipping by our officials,
and are frequently at large in San
Francisco, Oakland and elsewhere
throughout the State for weeks or
months before being arrested AL
ready the pesthouse in San Fran
cisco is leper asylum, and Califor.
mia has even now reached the dis
tinctioa of being rated leper State
by the latest and best medical auth
ority on the subject prince A, Nor
rows Dermatology, etc, vol. 3, page
563.)
Nothing short of most rigid
quarantine, most painstaking ex-
animation Of the persons OF emf
grants arriving at our ports, the
shedding of little of their blood
for the purposes Of investigation
and the keeping of all emigrants
from leprous countries under per-
petual surveillance can prevent lep.
rosy from becoming permanently
endemic in the United States.
The immigration laws should be
strictly enforced against all Hawai-
ians coming to this country. They
should not only not be admitted to
citizenship, but should be kept track
OF by boards of health and examined
from time to time, and whenever
there arises the least suspicion of
their becoming lepsrs they should
Immediately be sent home. 1t would
also be proper precaution to pre-
vent cur citizens visiting the islands,
or, il that cannot be done, treat
them on their return as aliens from
an infected port - examine them
critically and let the health officials
watch them ever afterward. It is
probable, however, before the peo-
pie of this country awake to the
danger that is now threatening
them from the "Dole-fur' govern.
ment across the sea leprosy will be-
come as deeply rooted here and as
ineradicable as is consumption.
Lsprosy is blight upon fair Ha-
waii; it has driven the Queen from
her throne, and will soon annihilste
her people; it prevails extensively
among the Chinese and Japanese
residents, and is seriously under
raining and will ultimately destroy
the white population. Its dismal
shadow is already upon us, and if
this administration should favor an
ne1ation and bring the people of
the islands into yet closer relations
with our people; if the future health
of Americans is to be sacrificed up
on the altar Of commercial advant-
ags-to q favored few, then our
growing civilization will rot ere it
ripens. There can be neither pros
perity nor happiness without health.
With the slime of political cor
ruption permeating every channel
OF our national life; with eonsump-
ton shoaling more and more our
harbor Of future greatness; with
cigaretteism paralyzing the arm and
brain OF this generation, We only
need now the annexation Of leprosy
to insure speedy classification Of
America among the nations that