The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-09-06
HAWAIIAN SCHOOLS IN
THE EARLY PIONEER DAYS
How and Why They Were Founded Outlook
Sixty-Six Years Ago as Described by E 0.
Ha---Books and Methods.

Following is an article from The Ha.
waiian Spectator, Vol. l. No. 4. fol
october, 1888:
To the rejecting and candid, who
look at things as they actually exist,
the necessity of laying a deep and
broad foundation upon which to build
up a nation, Will be readily seen, and
should be as readily aeknowledg ed. And
in looking at a heather nation, like the
Hawaiian. as it presented itself to the
observation of those who first intro
duced the Gospel among them, it is
not strange that this necessity should
be one of the first convictions forced
upon their minds. Desiring TO make
the blessings of Christianity and con-
sequent civilization permanent, and
entering upon the work fully prepared
to adopt plan requiring the most
unremitted toll and industrious per-
severance, they saw at once that the
rubbish of ignorance. and superstition,
and moral debasement must be remov-
ed; and that the superstructure must
rise slowly, to be sure, but perma-
nently if based on intelligence, virtue
and self-respect; and these could only
be secured by general diffusion of
education among the whole people.
With such convictions, it was the first
care of the early propagators of the
Gospel here, to institute schools as ex-
tensiveIy as possible, and to place
in their power The almost in
finite diversity of labor devolving on
a missionary among the heather, and
Il, aF
larly commanding his own time, OBJ
liged them. in a great measure, to
throw the common schools into the
hands of the best qualified natives
within their reach, and to confine their
own personal efforts to select classes,
which frequently comprised a number
schools. 1t would be useless to claim
for the teachers of such schools, who
themselves We're but just emerging
from the gross darkness of heathen-
ism, the merit of advancing their pu-
pills far in the knowledge of books.
They could not be expected to impart
to others what they themselves dId
not possess. Still their instructions
were very far from being useless. Tens
of thousands have been taught to read
more or less intelligibly; and the way
thus prepared for the extensive circula-
ton of the Bible, and the Introduction
of more advanced studies. as the Ian
guage was acquired and books prepar-
ed by the missionaries. Nor did they
stop here; but as elementary books
were prepared on Yariouss subjects, a
knowledge of their contents was i'm
parted to thousands of children, who
otherwise would have remained in ig-
norance, but are now coming upon the
stage of action with a considerable
stock of knowledge, which cannot fail
to be of service to them in after life,
even should it not be increased, which
will be the case in but few instances.
The labors of the missionaries, there
fore, as will be seen, from their first
access to the people, have. both by a
general supervision. and by direct per
sonal instruction in schools, been d.
rected to the indispensable labor of
diffusing instruction as widely as pos
sible among the whole people. EVIL
dence of this is readily furnished by
the various reports of the Mission,
which are already before the public.
Additional testimony may be found IN
the establishment of the Mission Semi
nary at Lahainaluna on a permanent
to furnish the nation with a good sup
ply of we'll qualified teachers. The ma
ton is even now reaping important
benefits from that institution, although
its establishment is of so recent date.
In their reports to the Mission at the
close of the past year, many of the mis-
sionarfes speak with unqualified appro-.
baton of the labors of graduates OF
that Seminary. Some are stationed at
quite remote points of the islands. and
are there engaged, alone, in imparting
to their countrymen that knowledge
which is calculated to raise them up
from the low degradation to which
they have fallen, and to secure to them
the respect both of their own and other
nations. Many of them have large and
f1ourishins schools of children, as the
writer of this has witnessed, in districts
so remote as TO be visited even by the
nearest missionary but once or twice
in a year. And the proficiency of their
schools is such as would do no dis
credit to teachers of far better qualif1-
cations.
Another evidence. in the minds Of the
missionaries. of the great Importance
of school instruction, may be found In
the fact that such a variety and so
numerous editions of school books have
been provided by them and, to a very
great degree. gratuftously distributed
among the people. This has been nee
essary. heretofore, as the people gem
orally are poor. and have not the means
of paying for them in any thing that
could be made available in reprintlng
the editions as they have failed; and
although books are now nominally sold,
still the receipts are so much less than
the expenses, that it is necessary TO
appropriate more than $4,000 per an
mum. to keep the book account square.
This does not arise so much from
want of interest in the people, or be-
cause they do not value the books, as
from the fact. that they have little
money. and the common products OF
Of To