Evening star., 1902-02-25
WILCOX'S LEPER BILL
STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE
MEASURE IN HAWAII.
Delegate From the Islands Denounced
In Mass Meeting at
Honolulu.

Mail which left Honolulu on February
II brings news of a mass meeting held IN
that city on Saturday, February 8. in pro-
test against the bill introduced In the
House Of Representatives by Delegate
Wilcox to establish on the island Of Mo-
lokai a national reservation for the con-
f1nement Of lepers. The meeting was rep
resentative of the native, haole. Kamaaina
and Malibini elements. Though there was
a preponderance of white citizens, the ma
tive republican and home rule parties were
we'll represented The drill shed, in which
the meeting was held. was crowded, and
the stage was decorated with American
and Hawaiian flags.
Judge J. L. Kaulukou called the meet
ing to order. The first speaker was Ter
ritorial Senator w. c. Achi, who spoke IN
Hawaiian, the Interpretation being made
by w. J. Coelho. Mr.. Achi expressed sur
prise that Delegate Wilcox should have
introduced his leper BILL which was op-
posed by every interest in the Islands. Hs
traced the history Of the leper settlement
and said that he did not think there ever
would be a Hawaiian legislature which
would fail to make liberal appropriations
for the support Of the persons segregated
there. He said there were LOCO lepers in
the Molokai settlement. and that there were
two thousand on the mainland. The fact
that there are many lepers In the Philip
pines was referred to and also that tho
United States might at any time remove
them from that archipelago.
William Aylett. representative in the
territorial legislature. was next introduced.
and said it must not be permitted that VIII
cox should foist on the Hawaiians a bill
which would change the name of Hawaii
from the Paradise Of the Pacific" to the
dumping ground for lepers."
The following resolution was adopted:
Whereas, there has been recently intro
in 1xr nola TO
cox bill providing for the establishment
of a national reservation for the confine-
ment of lepers on the Island Of Molokai.
"And whereas said bill is calculated to
seriously injure the commercial. property
and social interests of the territory; there
fore, be it
Resolved, That the republican party Of
the territory Of Hawaii in mass meeting
passage Of said bill. and, further. desires
to be placed on record as unalterably op-
posed to any legislation looking to this
end"
Bill Unjust to Hawaii.
The Honolulu Advertiser Of February 10
said:
1.-The republican party spoke Saturday
night in no irresolute voice about the
Kahn-Wilcox leper bill. Representing the
best interests Of the territory as it does,
and knowing what Hawaiian public well
fare requires better even than Congress can
know, the party should be able to gain an
attentive and conslderate ear at Washing
ton. 1t has strong cause to present, and
will present 1t strongly. For Congress to
pass the laZaretto bill and for the Presi-
dent to sign it would be ruinous injustice
to our people and an invasion OF their pri
vate rights. Hawaii Is not an uninhabited
or savage possession waiting upon any use
to which its sovereign may see fit to put 1t,
but a territory Of the United States which
ont ha ypfn In hn fol hot ryN1,16
get fair play, and that in time 1t might be-
come a state. 1t is territory which seeks
homeseekers and tourists; but If Congress
should pass and the President sign the
Kahn-Wilcox bill 1t could expect neither.
The reason Is that outsiders would not DIFF
ferentiate between Molokai and the rest Of
the group, and that the Hawaiian archi-
pelago as a whole would soon become
known as the Leper Islands or the plague
spot Of the Pacific. AS soon as these des-
ignations were fixed the people would not
come here either for pleasure or residence.
And to so fix them every commercial antag-
onist Of Hawaii and every other American
winter resort, especially those Of California.
would draw upon all their resources in
competitive ingenuity.
Every state and territory Of the United
States should care for its own SICK as
Hawaii Is doing. Assuredly it should not
foist them upon us. The wrong Is as clear
in our case as it would be in Arizona, New
Mexico and Oklahoma. or between the states
Of the Union. If 1t were proposed to send
all consumptives to California that state
would feel the injustice as keenly as does
Hawaii over the proposal, which originated
In California, to send all lepers in America
here Hawaii has right to get rid Of the
leprosy If 1t can. and Is trying to do so
with some show Of success. Congress has
moral right to make this effort q fore
doomed failure; no right to perpetuate here
the most dreadful Of human maladies."
A Vicious Proposition.
The Honolulu Star In its issue Of Febru-
ary 10 said!
'As the various speakers brought for
ward their arguments they were applauded
by the audience. This ought to show Con-
gress that the leper bill is most unpopular
here. and from the makeup Of the meeting
1t was not only republicans who were op-
party and even section Of the home
rulers. Delegate Wilcox seems to be work.
ing at his own sweet will in Washington
without any reference to. even his own
party here, let alone the interests Of the
republicans, who. probably. according to
his theory have no interests to be con-
served at all. There never could have been
a more cruel proposal than this bill Of the
delegate. When such an idea came from
Congressman Kahn one could the better
understand it. Mr.. Kahn did not know the
conditions down here. the Hawaiians were
not his countrymen: and he wanted to get
had leper settlement on Molokai, but he
certainly was unacquainted with its size or
Its capabilities. Like many people he no
doubt thought that the whole island was
set apart for this purpose. Congressman
Kahn was looking out for California and
the leper question in California was one Of
the matters Of his campaign. He therefore
felt bound to bring In his bill, and 1t failed
But when this blow came to us from the
delegate Of the territory a man who ought
to be intimately acquainted with all the
needs of the territory, fellow countryman
Of the unfortunates upon the settlement,
whose duty 1t should have been to have
given every consideration to them 1t does
seem one Of the most inexplicable Of acts.
1t Is the act Of man absolutely without
thought or care for his fellow countrymen.
He holsters up his views. or what he sup
poses to be his views. with few cheap
platitudes about expense, and 50 forth, but
he fails to look into the future even Of his
own countrymen, while 1t Is nothing to him
that the paradise of the Pacific, should be-
come as Representative Aylett said, "the