The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-03-02
NO HOME IS SAFE
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ritory after failure of the jury to
agree. A second received sentence of
FIVE years.
Some time ago a child under four
teen was sent to the Girls Industrial
School for truancy. She was not
wantou. A lady subsequently took
her into her home. Here an adopted
son debauched the girl repeatedly |
with the knowledge of his mother. 1t
was clear case and deserved years
of Imprisonment. The man was fined
$25-for cheaper indulgence than if
he had sought to crafty his passion
with prostitutes.
In fact it appears to cost less for
man to force an innocent girl or child
in Honolulu than to frequent house
of i'll fame. Crimes of this character
are becoming so common that they
excite no special comment. Some of
us saw in Palama this week the tiny
tot of few summers debauched by
Chinese and carrying the works of
his approaches in the form of loath-
some disease.
With the ass6ult of last Wednesday
the menace of this crime comes close
to every family in Honolulu. By mere
chance the girl who escaped so mar
rowly is the child of a widow, with
no living father or elder brother to
defend her. Next week the lightning
may strike the home of the wealthiest
and most exclusive in town. In the
sight of men, worthy of the tite man,
it matters not what home it be. But
terror must smite very near some
| people before they will take notice.
| When some shining mark is reached,
our people may be swept away with
mob violence 10 our lasting disgrace.
| The denial of justice to tne children
of non-whites will surely rouse Meme
sis to visit upon us the full recon-
pense of our participation In these
crimes.
Does not public opinion in Honolulu
upon this question of sexual immoral
ity amount to participation in these
awful crimes now becoming so COM
mon? Once more the demand for
medical inspection of prostitutes is be-
ing heard here and that regardless OF
the classical uttersnces of the vice
commissioners of New York, Chica-
go and Minneapolis, which our health
authorities appear not to have read.
These physicians would not think of
declaring themselves on a question of
medical treatment of a given disease
without having made a close study
of the latest authorities, Do they
show equal care in the case of the
most deadly social disease known to
mankind?
Is it not time for our thoughtful peo-
pie to lay aside prudery and give
painitaking study to this entire ques-
ton Of sexual hygiene and the social
evilP No public-spirited citizen of
Honolulu should fail to read Jane Ad-
dams articles now running in Nc
Clure's Magazine. Our civic fedora
ton could do no better service then
to issue full synopsis if not re-
print, of the reports of the New York,
Chicago and Minneapolis vice commits
sions because copies of these pamph-
let's are so difficult to secure. These
should be freely circulated to every
adult able to read and understand
them.
Furthermore we must go to the root
of the difficulty in our economic sy5-
tenn. Judge Whitney recently remark
ed that induftrially the Hawaiian girl
with the pittance of wages open to
her found a terrible alternative in the
brighter financial opportunity present
ed by an impure life. We are today in
Honolulu bribing girls out of starved
lives by the decent living (sic) of
prostitution. It is a disgrace to our
boosted Christianity. What does the
Christian manhood and womanhood of
this Paradise propose to do with the
challenge issued last Wednesday by
crime which has at last dared to stalk
into the sanctum of our public schools?
DOREMUS SCUDDER.