The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-10-28
WILCOX AND THE LEpERs.

WILCOX AND THE LEPERS.
In his more recent speeches on the
subject Delegate wilcox has declared
that he is not in favor Of bringing lep-
ers to Molokai from the mainland. IL
this is true. why then does his bill,
which he still proposes to urge, provide
for lust that transfer? Witness these
extracts from the measure which VII
COX introduced on December II, 1901:
To provide a reservation for Ieprous
persons.
Re il enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United
states of America in Congress as
sembled,
That that part of the island of Mo-
lokai, Territory of Hawaii, known as
Kalaupapa, and now used as place
of confinement for leprous persons, is
HEREBY DECLARED TO BE A GOV
EMINENT RESERVATION.
Sec. 2 That whenever the board or
health of any State or Territory of the
United States shall declare that a per-
son is infected with leprosy, it shall be
the duty of the Secretary of the Treas
ury to transport said infected person to
SAID RESERVATION and there con-
fine said infected person until cured.
In other words, Wilcox is opposed to
the lazaretto idea in his campaign only
but is working for it in Congress.
The lepers should not permit them
selves to be deceived by Wilcox. The
immense sums of money he says would
be spent at Molokai by the Federal
Government are not for the purpose of
setting lepers free. That is an act
which would cost nothing except the
few hundred dollars required for steam
er fares. What is wanted of the Wilcox
money is to build the institutions which
would be required to carry out the pro-
visions of the Wilcox and Wanger bills.
What are these institutions? They are:
L. Prison wards for the complete
segregation of men and women and of
varying types of the disease.
g. Operating and dissecting rooms for
surgical treatment and post mortems.
8. A crematory for burning the dead.
4. Kitchens for the preparation of
special foods required in determining
dietary values.
These structures would all be required
in carrying out the rules of the United
States Marine Hospital Service in the
treatment and study of any kind of
plague. leprosy in especial.
Some friend of Wilcox, who is too
tinid to sign his name to communica-
lions, writes the Bulletin that the
United States could not, from motives
of Christianity, treat the lepers as
harshly as the Advertiser said it would
in yesterdays leading article. Unfor-
tunately for the theory of that writer,
the facts are dead against him. Not
only does Senator Burton declare that
the United States, if it takes charge
at Molokai would separate the male
and female lepers and keep them apart,
but that is precisely what is being done
in the Philippines today wherever lep-
ers have been collected by the Govern
ment. These unfortunates are impris-
oned, segregated as to sex, deprived of
fish and experimental upon by the doc
tors. Within month past this paper
has reprinted from the Manila Times an
account of the escape from jail of sew
eral lepers who could no longer endure
the hardships thrust upon them. II
United States authorities are not in
tentiOnally cruel; but SO great is the
| fear of leprosy among Americans that
they count no measure too drastic tc
prevent the spread of the disease, be-
| lieving that it is better to visit hard
ships upon a few leprous persons thar
to expose millions of non-leprous per-
sons to the visitation of the plague.
| The Wanger leper bill, referred t.
above, was introduced as a supplement.
| tary measure to the Wilcox bill, OF
January %, 1902. This measure con
fesses the object of carrying out the
intention of the Berlin Lepra Confer
ence-a body which formulated rules o
the most severe character-and/ pro
vides that lepers shall be isolated il
special asylums" and shall have NJ
bodily contact with other people
Treating of members of known leprou
families who are free of the disease tn
bill says;
! They shall be kept under strict super
vision by the local boards of health il
the United States for the term of sever
years, at the end of which time
if no leprosy has developed, the
, are to be free 81 any further super
vision.
II Applied to Hawaii this section woul
visit upon the uninfected kindred :