The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-06-12
THE FRIEND DOESN'T
LIKE SOME Of THE
REFORM NE HODs

Following is the leading editorial in
this months issue of The Friend:
LA, OFFICERS AGAINST THE
LAW.
The Friend believes in private box
lg for those who like it. Friendly con-
rests like those between the army and
navy are not forbidden by law and are
encouraged 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 il 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
be prosecuted and was assured that
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, az 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
In our population there
are enough lawless elements already.
our Asiatic fellow-residents hail from
lands where the form of government is
so repressive that our liberty is taken
often TO mean license. Our public SER
wants should lean more strictly to the
extreme of faithful observance Of law
even than on the mainland.
1t is reported that the District Attor-
ney claims that the Nations law
against prizefghting in the Territories
and the District of Columbia was aim
ed at a single brutal prizefight which
il was feared would be held in GER
tain Territory. hence its intent was not
to apply generally or to fights in which
no brutality should appear. If this be
a true statement of his opinion, which
we do not quite credit, we believe it
mistaken point of view. We well re-
member when Congress passed the law
in question. II is true that the occa-
sion for the passage of the law was
given by proposed encounter between
two notorious bruisers. There had been
brutal exhibition after exhibition in
various parts of the Union, felt to be
so demoralizing to the public, so
fraught with gambling menace and so
to numberless like gladia-
torial shows between lesser pluguglies
though not a whit less brutal, that
state after State outlawed prizefight-
ing by prohibiting fights with an adj
mission fee or with prizes. We recall
the excitement in Massachusetts at the
time. part of the general outraged pub
lie opinion of the Nation. The forces
behind prizefightdom scoffed at this
national sentiment, appointed place af-
ter place for the next great fight, were
headed off by state law after state
aw. and proposed then to invade the
Territories of the Union. Congress was
appealed 10 and responded at once to
he Nations demand making price |
lights forever impossible where it con-
rolled the situation. We live under |
his law passed in reply to as definite
md overwhelming a moral sentiment
Is that which outlawed the lottery. A
lumber of the best people in Hawaii
demand in the name of the Nation
hat this law be enforced and that law
'fficers of the United States be forbid
len 10 defy this law in future and be
instructed both TO execute it and to
ecure the punishment of those who
freak it.