The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-02-08
,wrLEI COULD BE SUPPRESSED

Judge Humphreys charge 10 the
grand jury, and particularly that part
Of Il referring TO the evils OF Iwilei.
is meeting a hearty response from the
moral element Of the community This
is shown BY the interviews with some
OF the leading clergymen published in
The Republican Of yesterday morning
The Rev. G. L Pearson Of the MethO-
dist church said:
Tell me this. Could a man conduct
such a business as that carried on at
lwilei without losing caste with his
fellows and also losing the ordinary
respect OF himself Now IL II Is i'm
possible for any man to engage in The
business OF prostitution without losing
his own self-respect. how is Il possible
for q government TO share in the pro
fits OF prostitution and escape the in
evitable conclusion. Judge Humphreys
hit the keynote when he said that the
practice Of prostitution at Iwilei vas
monstrOus.
The Rev William Morris KiHcaid Of
the Central Union church was quite as
emphatic in mis- views saying in clos
ing:
Il have il from many sources that
the condition OF that awful place IS
quite as bad as Judge Humphreys
painted il in the charge to the jury.
/ II the police department Is in control
Of the management Of the place. Mar
shal Brown should be censured.
think that the charge was so good,
that / wish the entire text OF il could
be printed in a pamphlet for general
distribution and for the use Of the
reformers in their work Of suppressing
this terrible state Of affairs
In regard to the control Of Iwilsi
the grand jury Of August last said in
its inai report:
The condition Of the premises and
general management. which IS con-
Quoted unuer the supervision of tn
Police Department and the Board II
Health. is as satisfactory as could b.
expected provided this shameless
vocation must be tolerated as a neces-
sary evil"
In an attempt TO paliiate the offense
OF allowing such a den of iniquity as
Iwilei to exist. High Sheriff Brown. IN
an interview in the Star Wednesday
evening. refers to the Act TO Mitigate
under which it is asserted that IwiIei
is permitted to flourish and says:
AS a police officer it Is not my pro
vince to criticise or laud the system.
! am here to enforce the law as it is
given me by the legislature. The work
in this particular matter is at times
exceedingly dinicult. but | think the
police and Board of Health have ac-
complished their respective duties I'M
der the law and the results speak for
themselves"
No doubt the High Sheriff feels that
the Police and Board of Health have
accomplished their respective duties
under the law. but The Republican
must disagree with him. In fact We
I beg leave TO call the High Sheriff's
attention TO the Jaw on Common Nuts
ance and ask If that statute is not
/ broad enough to result in a complete
suppression of Iwilei if it were en-
! forced. For fear that the Police De-
partment and the Board of Health,
under whose supervision Iwilei is con-
Quoted. may have lost sight of this
statute in the criminal code, a portion
of it is herewith reproduced:
Sec 324. The offense of common
nuisance is the endangering of the
public personal safety or health, or
doing. causing, or promoting, main
tanning. or continuing what is often
sive. or annoying and veXatious. or
plainly hurtful to the public. or is
public outrage against common de-
cency or common morality, or tends
plainly and directly to the corruption
of the morals. honesty and good habits
Of the people, the same being without
authority or justification by law.
/ AS for instance Making
/ loud and troublesome noises by night;
/ keeping a bawdy house; open lewd-
/ ness or lascivious behavior, or indie
cent exposure.
Sec. 49,. Whoever is guilty or the
offense of common nuisance in the
first degree. for which punishment
is not otherwise expressly provid-
ed by statute. shall be punished by
Imprisonment at hard labor not more
than six months, or by fine not eX-
ceeding $500.
Sec. 1873. Whoever is guilty of the
offense of common nuisance in the
second degree for which punishment
is not otherwise eNpressedly provided
by statute. shan De punished by impris-
onment at hard labor not more than
two months or by fine not exceeding
s25"
II would surely seem from the read
ing of this statute that there ought
be no trouble in suppressing the evils
OF Iwilei by simply enforcing the law
against Common Nuisance. The penal
" is severe ano if the law were en-
forced there would be no need of in
yoking any further power to suppress
/ this foui den of vice.
VIII the law he enforced by those
in Office and whose duty it is TO en-
Z st