The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-08-04

lulu subscribed $1,000 each yesterday to
the fund for the children s hospital,
bringing the total to 500, 200. Mr.. j,
f. Morgan, who has charge of the sub
seription list, did not have time to GO
further yesterday afternoon, but ex
poets to have no trouble in getting the
remaining $1,000
The following letter has come in from
a large subscriber:
Editor ADVERTISER read in your
Sunday S issue the item under editorials
headed, Wanted-Nine Thousand Dol
lars" This brought up in my mind
the question, what is really the value
of human life? One might say that
depends upon how it is lost. Heroes in
battle are lauded for such sacrifice.
There is feeling of pain and repug
nance when one takes his own life by
suicide or by the slower process of in
dulging in excuses whereby the vitality
is Slapped, causing early death. When
a murder is committed, man volun-
tarily taking another's life, the com
munity is first Mortified, then relieved,
when the offender is punished. I do
not think the relief brought to the av-
erage mind is because the man has had
vengeance brought upon him, but that
there is an added security given to our
own lives, which is the real object of
the law.
Now, in regard to the children S hos
pital, referred to in the article men,
toned, the physicians of Honolulu
have made known to this community
long ago that, for lack of proper care,
the lives of many children are lost
every year right around us, and that
the establishment and endowment of a
children s hospital would be the means
of saving many of these lives. This
statement is probably correct, and the
fact has been from time to time reiter-
ated by the press, SO that the commun-
ity are pretty generally aware of the
fact. AS result of this agitation one
man with warm spot in his heart for !
the suffering of his fellow men starts |
the bali rolling by generous gift. Then
a few others of like sympathies follow,
and the thing stops short of the amount |
necessary for establishing this life
saving station. Then the question !,
comes up again: How much do we real
e.
own or that of a relative or particular
friend2 If we do have broad love for
humanity in general, which I think
nearly every one does have in some de-
gree, why is it not strong enough to
divert for sweet charity IS sake fairer
portion of the surplus we have over.
and above what is required for the
necessities of life7
have no comment to make on the
man who owns an automobile. / hope
to be able to have one myself some day,
nor is there any comment coming to the
man who takes advantage of improved
financial conditions to better the con-
ditions and comfort of his family, his
home and himself; but the lurking dam
ger is always the great big self which
needs watching as one would watch
Self is always on hand to
present demands, many of which are
and some not; but the trou-
bic. is, that before one knows it, self
has the whole thing, to the detriment of
others interests. 1t is a true saying
that can act often repeated becomes
habit, habit long continuing becomes
second nature and this is the rea-
son that we sometimes find instances
where people who have immense wealth
viii be utterly devoid of sympathy for
the necessities and sufferings of others.
1t is self and money and boarding, I'M
til the pile grows so big as to go far
beyond possible necessities, through
years of pampering, but self and money
has become then second nature. and the
person goes on through life loving no
one but himself and his, and when his
sojourn here is through, he goes out unl
loved and unmissed. In contrast to this /
picture let us remember the names of
G. R. and Mrs. Pauahi Bishop, who, in
to their broad love and SYM
pathy for mankind, have generously (
taken from their surplus above necessi-
ties, and established institutions for the
of work for the good of
humanity, they. in doing this, having !