Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-23
HOME RULE is ON TOP
Hawaiian Lower House Dom
mated by Natives.
FREAK LEGISLATION
DETERMINED ASSAULTS ON seq
REGATIoN OF LEPERs.
Gov. Dole's Statistics Showing Good
Effects Of Isolating Colony
at Molokai.
FREAK LEGISLATION
ecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

| Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
| HONOLULU. March 8, 1903
Some very queer bills saw the light during
| the last home rule legislatures sessions, and
the home rulers were duly given credit for
them. The indications are that the present
session will develop plenty more of the same
kind. The natives are in larger majority
this time than they were two years ago,
| though. Of course, most Of them are sup
| posed republicans. The final result of the
sweeping republican victory of last fall
shows that the native members of the party
| are natives first and republicans next. The
handful of whites in the republican house
| have little influence. The house with its
| twenty republicans and ten home rulers
elected home rule speaker, a home rule
| clerk who was the clerk Of the last home
rule house. and an assistant clerk who was
| the home rule chairman Of the committee
on accounts in the last house.
1t is stated that former Delegate to Con-
| greSs r. w. Wilcox, who is expected back
from Washington in the near future, will
| be made clerk Of the house, the present
| clerk retiring. This will be the browning
blow for the republican organization, which
won such sweeping victory in the last
| election. The house has already chosen a
| home rule clerk and speaker, but that 1t
| should give the clerkShip to the man who
| led the ticket Of the other party would have
| seemed incredible up to this time. 1t shows
| that. whether calling himself republican or
| democrat. the native is essentially a home
ruler. In the opinion of the best political
| observers In Hawaii, 1t is a proof that the
race line cannot be gotten rid of in Ha-
| waiian politics. The line will prevail, and
| In the end increase of whites will drive the
| natives to the wall and then the division
they have insisted upon will operate against
them.
| The policy of the white republicans has
| been from the start to conciliate the natives.
Natives have been given office in all the
departments of government, they have been
| taken into the party councils and given the
places of leaders. and in the last campaign
! the republican candidate for Congress was
| a native who had previously been home
| ruler. victory was won and 1T seemed
| that with victory by ticket composed of
! natives and whites together. more natives
| than whites, in fact, there was to be we'll
| organized party in which race lines would
| not matter The opening Of the legislature
| showed the error. The house of representa-
| tives. with its twenty men elected from the
| republican ticket and ten from the home
| rule ticket, is essentially home rule.
The Session Disappointment.
The session so far is a deep dtsappoint-
| ment to citizens of the territory generally.
| Instead of the business session" that had
! been promised, there is almost a repeti-
legislature. Just quarter of the
sion is over now, and no important legts-
lation is even well started. The county
government act. which was to be given
the right Of way and rushed through, has
not come from the printing committee,
and it seems utterly impossible to get any
concerted action in the house.
1t is predicted that the last days Of the
session will see deadlock between the
house and senate on many propositions
m oI,or of nofyr oclrrQ
which the senate will certainly disapprove.
With its strong percentage Of native Ha-
waiians, the house Is the scene of vigorous
attacks on the laws providing for the seq
regation Of lepers. Incredible it may
seem. there appears to be much reason
to believe that If the house of represen-
tatives had sole power in the matter the
leper settlement would be practically done
away with. An act to absolutely repeal
all laws providing for the segregation OF
lepers Is under way, but it has no chance
in the senate and none with the governor,
even II 1t does get through the house.
Proposed Leprosy Legislation.
Another act, introduced by a republican
native provides that any person, whether
a licensed physician or not, may treat
leprosy. 1t is an indirect manner Of re-
pealing the leprosy law, for 1t declares
that whenever any one thinks he has
cure for leprosy he may treat any one
keep the patient away from the leper set
Element for the period of one year for
the purpose Of trying the cure OF course,
under such a system no leper with any
friends need go to the leper settlement or
stay there.
A resolution Directing to the plan of the
Mitchell commission to establish a national
leprosarium on Molokai has passed both
houses and will be sent to the President
and others in Washington. 1t did not get
through the house without much debate,
being opposed by all the home rulers ex-
cept Speaker Beckley. The main argument
brought forward in favor of having the ma
tional government take hold of the leper
settlement that American physicians
tive speakers insisted that there were cures
for leprosy, but that the Hawaiian board of
health refused to try them. The subject is
one that will be debated at length again.
Statistics of Leprosy.
Governor Dole treats Of leprosy at some
length in his annual message. He gives
some figures that show the decrease of the
disease, and he presents admirable state
ment of the actual facts of the case for the
benefit of American statesmen. who would
like to make the Molokai settlement a ma
tonal lazaretto, as well as for the informa-
ton of the members Of the Hawaiian legis-
lature. The governor says:
II feel justified in expressing my con-
viction that the disease of leprosy is on the
decline in the territory from the following
showing, derived from the reports of the
board of health:
1.-The settlement on Molokai was estab-
lished in 1865, during which year 141 pa
. tents were admitted. The policy Of segre-
cation was loosely carried out for a num-
Der of years after the establishment of the
settlement. During the first seven years
the patients admitted averaged ia per an
mum, and the largest number admitted In
one year was 1873. In 1873 a strictA-
forcement of the law was -aa--.,1 ,,.f en
tarfc
10. pat zen WERE I'll, 70 the settlement.
me eat.ei -nrlI 1887, the law of segrega-
eAp was only partially enforced, and the
humber of admissions during those years
averaged 141 per annum, and the largest
number admitted in any one year was 301.
A Steady Diminution.
"Since 1887 the law has been vigilantly
carried out. The number Of admissions in