Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-01-15


cifc islands met yesterday to receive
the report of the subcommittee APP
pointed at the close of the last session
of congress to investigate conditions
in the Hawaiian islands. This sub
committee consisted Of Senators
Mitchell OF Oregon, Burton of Kansas,
Foster Of Washington, Cockrel OF
Missouri and Blackburn of Kentucky.
The last two named did not visit the
islands. but Senator Blackburn joined
in the recommendations, numbering
26. The visit to the Islands was made
last September and covered 25 days,
during which time 43 meetings were
held and 40 witnesses were intero-
gated
Leprosy.
The condition of affairs in the leper
settlement on the island of Molokai
excited the HveHest interest. The
committee made a quite thorough ill.,
curry concerning this settlement,
which is under territorial control, with
the result that it recommends that the
management of the colony be trans
ferred to the marine hospital service
with headquarters in Washington and
that a general leprosario orreueat for
all the lepers of the United States be
established on that island At the
time of the visit of the committee
there were S5S leprous patients in the
settlement The opinion is expressed
that there are many hundreds of other
cases Of leprosy in the territory. In
the past year on the Molokai settle
ment there were LA deaths and l6
births in the colony, eight of the chill
drcn born being illegitimate. Much
diversity of opinion was found in the
territory as to whether the control of
the settlement should be retained by
the territorial government, though all
the territorial officers were found to
be favorable to such retention. The
committee takes strong grounds in ia
vor of a change. and in this connec-
ton freely discusses the conditions
with reference to morality which pre-
vail, saying;
Your committee has been some
what surprised to find that under eX-
listing management of the leper settle
ment, indiscTiminate legitimate and
illegitimate cohabitation is permitted
in the settlement. Marriages are sut-
fered to be celebrated between lep-
rous men and women, regardless of
their physical condition. Children are
born in the settlement of leprous
union and as a result of COncubinage,
and, strange as it may appear, the
leading officials seem to regard all
this not only as permissible, but pro
test vigorously against a system of
segregation that would prevent it.
Further along the committee says
that unrestricted illegitimate assoCia-
ton is permitted by the authorities.
and adds: The only attempt seem
ingly to abate or minimize this evil is
by counseling and earnestly urging
marriage on the part OF lepers, even
going so far in this direction as to aid
facilitating divorce where a leprous
man or woman has a wife or husband
outside OF the settlement, so that the
husband or wife thus released from
the marriage obligation might again
be married to a leper and inmate of
the leper settlement
|a00r rFoo'en'
In connection with its discussion Of
the labor question, the committee
takes up the effort on the part OF the
business men of the islands to secure
the removal Of some Of the restric-
tons on Chinese immigration, This
desire is conceded to be very general,
but Senators Mitchell and Foster, rep
reseuting a majority of the sub-com-
mittee, take very positive ground in
opposition. They say that the condi-
lions are not different in the islands
from what they are on the mainland,
and make the usual argument against
Chinese admission. They contend al
so that the Chinese 90 much to intro
duce and maintain buoonIc plague and
"'ne. ,ol.'% r5,.-.. u' ,''S ,..
0s""- ~ Dul ~" IaNe9 lns opposlI9
IEIlUGF