The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-09
MOLOKAI FOR THE HAWAIIANS.
Strength OF the Hawaiian Petition Against
Sending American Lepers TO the Island.

To TRF EDITOR OF The SuH-Sir: Not all
the precision OF parliamentary procedure
could rob OF its tense note Of human pain
the petition OF the Hawaiians TO the Govern
ment of the United States TO refrain from
sending the lepers OF continental America
20 the lazar settlement on Molokai. When il
was presented to the Senate it was announced
20 be in the Hawaiian Language and signed
by many persons who seemed 20 lack Chris
tian names"
IL may not seem n very important subject
In the mass of legislation proposed At Wash.
ington. In continental America the popu-
lar knowledge OF leprosy Is rather Theological
than medical, IL Is more commonly derived
from the study OF tho PentatcUCh than from
any degree OF personal experience or medical
Information. IS a menace to any part of
this community II seems no moro alive than
the burnt offerings and the wave offerings
with which the Mosaic legislation essayed
TO stay the epidemic. But to our Hawaiian
fellow citizens IL Is the most deadly peril
OF all lifo.
For themselves they have the fearlessness
Of sheer despair. They krow themselves as
feeble a folk as the comics OF the rocks. They
do not need the columns and the tables Of a
census TO teach that they are rapidly fading.
Within the century since the days OF Kane
haneha the Great and the sturdy mois or
chiefs OF each OF tho eight islands. they have
seen their manhood depart until now there
Is left scarcely 10000. The same fate which
hns ovcrtaken their kin and their forbears
they know will oycrtake them In turn. Fear
Is far in the background. for these Polynesians
IRE In their way philosophers; Tor themselves
they give no thought; the iniee'i9n OF me
called leprosy since II FIRST made It's appear
Rncc in the early years OF the last century.
is In their blood and they are past the risk
Of freshly introduced contagion, such new
foci of infection are not needed. one na-
Maiian IN LIVERY thirty on yo Is q RST or = sltsins e1'9 foT
din examination NJ. the Inspection
station at Il alihi on the outskirts OF Honolulu:
How many there may be besides, those hid
den from the searching gaze OF medical IN
which Is az human as II Is In, contravention
OF the friEid sagacity OF the lawmthat Is a
s snT i nsIsSn 81 IL al SIAM fSmil M.r" With sGfhurHaS Hawaii IS
aware that hidden leprosy does exist.
.Molokai Is one Of the considerable islands
is not Molokai, as some mistakenly suppose.
II is on Molokai, Q far different meter Mid
way xs Ut tss sEFI peninsula %iS'G and a N'p pPscipi "se
The pail. or precipice, can he scaled by a
single; narrow; dIsny Rba at S or Which Is SoI lTSS
S With a gsto and a guard which none may
pass. seward at either end the pail may not
o Ss aanke co. i t2r sca lH~s sRclt OF land rSfr bStwe eeH
the frowning mountain wall and the restless
might OF the sea lies the leper settlement Of
K KSG ~, the fF fsTe IS i IL snf room %mo az SG S@s1;
il would not avail even for Hawaiian needs
were ii moi that the dead on the surface are
steadily progressing TO join the dead below.
each making room for the Others vet to come.
To omen the few acres OF kalaupapa "a the
lepsrs Of the continent thrills the HaNaiinns
with the sense that their graves are 10 he
desacrated II IL even worse than that, for
the Crowding Of this grave will Inconvenience
the living dead.
Nolokoi will bs left TO them Is a little thing
10 us. hut 10 them IL will be much. The pc
,iticn. lin the Hawaiian lnnguag &c and signed
by many persons who seem 10 lack Christian
names. should not he allowed TO slumbcr
in the dies of any. committee or department.
NEW lORk, Fob. \. W. 4.