The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-01
THE BOARD OF HEALTH.

of Health yesterday afternoon, Presi-
dent Raymond exhibited some restive-
ness at what he chose to call unwar-
ranted criticism. Without discussing
the question of whether what he took
exception to was either criticism or un-
warranted criticism, it may be worth
while to suggest that as soon as a free
people or a free press abdicate the right
of criticising their public officials, they
cease to be a free people and a free
press. Incorporate speech and intern
perate criticism is an incident, and an
incident merely, of free speech, and in
the long run, provides its own correc-
tive.
A body constituted as our board of
health is, is peculiarly liable both TO
criticism and to unwarranted criticism,
independently of the personnel of the
board, and that by reason of the i'm
mense and in their nature arbitrary
powers they exercise. When board or
any other body of men have and exer-
else the power to bring the whole COM
merce of a country to a standstill, to
interfere with the personal freedom of
every individual almost to the extent of
making them prisoners, and to rake
public treasury fore and aft, it must
expect violent criticism whenever it
exercises such power or whenever fear
is felt that it will or may exercise it,
The only thing for members of such a
board to do, is to exercise such powers
with discretion, and then only when
they are certain the situation demands
it, and the law justifies it. When such
conditions arise they must be prepared
to endure criticism. They must be men
strong enough to endure it, and to trust
tOthe future and results to justify them
They ought ALSO to be men who can dis
criminate in criticism, and profit by it
when it is we'll founded criticism indie
pendently of the motive or apparent
motive of the criticism, and to ignore it
when it is merely factious and without
reason.
1t is not surprising if this community
with the experience of last year before
1T, should dread repetition of it, or
that intemperance of speech, should be
born of the fear of it. And the board
would go farther toward reassuring the
substantial elements of the community
by calmly addressing itself to the situa-
ton, that by any exhibitions of restive-
ness at what is said of them. DR.. Ray
mond may have noticed that at yester-
days conference, although he repeated
the statement that members of the
board had resigned, and that members
would resign under circumstances he
indicated there not cipola ~
preston of anxiety on the subject from
anyone called into conference This is
not to be taken as an indication that
the community wants the present mem
bers to resign, but simply that there is
an abiding confidence in the community
that when an emergency does arise,
someone or some set of men will arise
with it to meet it.
There is undoubtedly a strong feel
ing in the community that the disas-
trous quarantine measures Of lasr year
must not be repeated. There are many
who believe that the experience Of last
year shows that many measures ADOPT
ed then were worse than us aIess. There
are some who believe that the changed
conditions of government will render
some of last years measures impossible
of repetition, inasmuch as there Is how
United States court in the Territory
to which appeal can be made, if the
rights of American citizens are invaded
San Francisco appealed to the United
states court for relief from certain
measures of quarantine prop 1sed by the
Board of Health of that city, and with
success. And yet no one supposes that
the United States or any court will in
terfere with rational measures to pre-
vent or stamp out epidemic.
There was in DR.. Raymond's manner,
if not in his mind, something in the
questions he put to Dr. Carmicha,l and
in his rephrasing of DR.. Carmichaels'
replies, something to suggest that DR..
Carmichael and not the board was res
ponsible for the fears which gave rise
to some of the criticism of which he
complained, However, Dr. Carmichael
made his position clear. He is here as
the federal quarantine officer, to carry
out the duties of his position JIe is
not here, nor has he ever given evil
dence that he thought he was here, to
harass the community with needless
restrictions. Responsibility for what
ever conditions either of epidemic or
quarantine that may come rests en- the
Board of Health. Let the Board Of
Health do it's duty fearlessly, hat
honestly and with intelligence and thu
members may safely trust sensible
community to give them it's confidence
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THE PHILIPPINE PROBLEM.