The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-06-10
THE FRIEND DOESN'T
LIKE SOME Of THE
REFORM ME- HODS

Following is the leading editorial in
this months issue of The Friend:
LAW OFFICERS AGAINST THE
LAW.
| The Friend believes in private box
ing for those who like it. Friendly con-
tests like those between the army and
navy are not forbidden by law and are
! encoura ged by the authorities Against
nothing OF this kind kept within the
bounds of manliness and decency do
we protest We think it would have
been wiser just at this juncture not to
have raised beforehand the issue of
legality in connection with the prize
| fights of last Saturday evening. We
are not in sympathy with the persist
| ent campaign in the newspapers main
| tanned by one of the reformers of the
| city. With the exception just noted
| the objects of that campaign have our
| loyal support. What he was hitting
ought to have been hit. But the way
| of it seemed needlessly irritating to
many worthy citizens.
So far so good. But when the legal
issue was raised anent the recent prize
fights, when a committee representing
an organization of responsible citizens
pointed out to the District Attorney
that a perfectly plain and just law of
the United States was to be violated,
asked him to prevent this violation by
serving notice that offenders would be
prosecuted, were met with the frank |
admission that he could prevent the |
breaking of the law, but would not |
when one principal in the ARRAY called |
upon him to learn whether he would |
the officer sworn to execute the law
would protect him in breaking the law
and when that officer deliberately pro-
famed his office and the people of the
United States by declaring, 81 am
Uncle Sam in this Territory and by
adding that he also would break the
law by attending the fights, he insult
ed the entire Nation and should be adj
nonished accordingly.
This is said in perfect kindness to
the District Attorney. Personally he
is popular and justly so. We like him.
He has done many fine things and has
shown high public spirit in much that
he has done. All this gives to his de-
fance of law a quality correspondingly
dangerous. In our population there
are enough lawless elements already.
Dur Asiatic fellow-residents hail from
ands where the form Of government is
30 repressive that our liberty is taken
,ften to mean license. Our public ser
wants should lean more strictly to the
of faithful observance of law
wen than on the mainland.
1t is reported that the District Attor-
ley claims that the Nations law l
against prizefghting in the Territories
md the District of Columbia was aim
foh oh
t was feared would be held in a Ger
ain Territory, hence its intent was not
o apply generally or to fights in which
10 brutality should appear. If this be
true statement of his opinion. which
We do not quite credit, we believe 1T a
point of view. We well re-
member when Congress passed the law l
n question 1t is true that the occa-
ion for the passage of the law was
,iven by a proposed encounter between
wo notorious bruisers. There had been
brutal exhibition after exhibition in
yarious parts of the Union, felt to be
10 demoralizing to the public, so
raught with gambling menace and so
stimulating to numberless like gladfa-
oriaI shows between lesser pluguglies 4
.hough not a whit less brutal, that
State after state outlawed prizefight- .
ng by promoting nSHIS Will dI dd-
mission fee or with prizes. We recall
he excitement in Massachusetts, at the
line, part of the general outraged pub
ic opinion of the Nation. The forces
behind prizefghtdom scoffed at this
sentiment, appointed place al
er place for the next great fight, were
leaded off by state law after state 1
aw, and proposed then to invade the
Territories of the Union. Congress was
appealed to and responded at once to I
he Nations demand making prize
lights forever impossible where it con-
rolled the situation. We live under
his law passed in reply to as definite 4
md overwhelming a moral sentiment
IS that which outlawed the lottery.
lumber of the best people in Hawaii
emand in the name of the Nation r
hat this law be enforced and that law
Ulcers of the United States be forbid
len to defy this law in future and be
instructed both TO execute 1t and to =
ecure the punishment of those who
freak it. q
$50. |