The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-11-18

| Inc Boston JOURNAL OF october ~
says:
| Dr. G.. Stanley Hall of Clarke Un.-
versity is an able scholar and a sound
one, but he seems to nave peen mis-
informed about Hawaii. He stated in
an address, reported in the Journal last
week, that the native Hawaiian race
is believed to have reached the acme
of indigenous culture in 1900" before
the coming of the American mission
aries. On the contrary, as the Hon.
Gorham ID. Gilman, long consul general
of Hawaii at Boston, shows in letter
to the Journal, the Hawaiians hun
dred years ago were distracted by saw
age wars, cursed by degrading super
stition, and ravaged by pestilence. The
| islands were already becoming depOp-
ulated, from causes which the mission
aries did not introduce, but did their
| level best to combat after they landed
in the islands in 1922. DR.. Hall had
stated that the silk culture failed in
Hawaii because the missionaries for
babe the natives to feed the silk worms
on Sunday. Mr.. Gilman denies this
also, and declares that the failure of
the silk experiment was due to natural
conditions. Our missionaries in Ha-
wall have been the target of much
long-range misrepresentation but DR.
Hall surely meant to- do them no in
justice. He was simply misled by
somebody who did not know"
MIR. GILMAN'S REPLY.
To the Editor of the Boston Journal
President G.. Stanley Hall is reported
| to have said in an address which he
delivered last week at Plymouth that
| 'the Hawaiians are believed to have
reached the acme of Indigenous culture
in 1S0o.'
Prof. w. d. Alexander, the historian
| of Hawaii, states on page LAG of his
| history under the date of 1896: capt.
Broughton of Fl. M. S. Providence was
much impressed by the misery and des-
| titution of the common people and the
rapid depopulation that had been going
on since his former visit" touching at
the Island of Kauai, "he found It rent
with civil war" Page 147, Kane
iameha, after dedicating temple with
human sacrifices, caused the whole
stock of hogs on the island to be de-
stroyed, several of the people being
burned alive for stealing food to re-
lieve their hunger" Page 14s: "At the
Island of Niihau Capt. Broughton sent
| a cutter on shore under guard Of two
marines, who were killed by the ma
tives; their village was burned and
four natives killed" Even under the
reign of Kamehameha the Great, hu-
man sacrifices were repeatedly offered
| (pagcs 1928. I'm 1905 pestilence car
red off one-half the population" This
was II years before the arrival OF the
American missionaries, and they can
hardly be held responsible "for check
ing the population" In 1909 Alexander
Campbell in his book describes as an
| eye witness the terrible scenes which
| took place on the death of a younger
brother of the King, the knocking out
Of front teeth, the deafening wailing,
| the general casting off of clothing and
all restraints of decency When the
King was demonstrated with about it,
he replied that it was their law and he
could not prevent it,"
| Prof. Halls opening reference is to
| the interference of the missionaries at
Hawaii with the introduction of the
| silk worm cultivation on those islands.
| He says that the attempt failed be-
| cause of the encouragement given by
| the missionaries, in teaching that the
| feeding of the worms on Sunday was
a breaking of the command to keep
the day holy" 1t is to be hoped that
his references in other cases have bet
ter foundation than the one just al
| luded to. The gentleman who attempt
ed the introduction and cultivation of
the silk worm was Mr.. James Jackson
Jarvis of Boston, author of the His
tory of the Hawaiian Islands, and other
books relating thereto. Mr.. Jarvis's
| attempt was made on the Island OF
Kauai at a place called Koloa, which
| l visited a few years ago, and where l
learned some facts concerning the rails
ing of the silk worms. Large fields OF
| the 'morus multicaulis" were cultivat-
| ed for the purpose of feeding the
worms. So far the enterprise was sue
cessful, the climate favored the growth
| of the plants, but the serious diificulty
was found to be that owing to the
| mild temperature, the cocoons did not
mature. They were carried to the high
| est attitudes on the island but in vain.
| They needed a colder climate This
| was the true reason that the attempt
was abandoned. The missionaries had
no more TO do with IL than the man in
! the moon.
| Mr.. Jarvis, in his books on Hawaii,
does not find 1t necessary 10 bring any
accusation against the missionaries or
the native government. one would
think that II his commercial plans had
been interfered with, and his business
prospects injured, he would certainly
have had good cause to notice such a
fact In his publication, He was for
years publisher OF the principal news
paper Of Honolulu, and on most lntl-
mate and friendly terms with the resl-
DEM missionaries and has said many
noble words in their defense, although
not sympathizing with their religious
| faith,
In reference To the decrease of the
native population, II Is most lament
able act, ana grayest approximations
| are eNCllea IlaI In a nnunnnr-L lH.LA-