The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-03-26
The Legislatures Duty

nUBL1C service is the Justification of public
i body Could any member Of the Eighth Ha-
waiian Legislature have arisen yesterday upon
passing its halfway mark and pointed to any OUT
standing service worthy of mention as justifying
its session? Could il be said in fact that it had
done anything that could not be done by an adj
ministrator OF average intelligence, or board OF
administrators? 81
To the casual onlooker the great need today
seems 70 be some member big enough to get up
in the Legislature and say to his fellow members;
sGentlemen, you are here representing two hum
dred and twenty-seven thousand souls who,
though living in the Paradise Of the Pacific are
suffering from the manifold ills and afflicted with
the myriad plaques of an uninformed society.
Within blocks Of this hall are people dying to-
day as sacrifices on the pagan altar of ignorance,
fear and superstition, from preyentable disease
YOU should prevent, Poverty for which there
is no necessity is rising like slow tide to trap
those on the shore OF society not through fault
Of their own but by mishap in a poorly and
badly regulated economic machine
"You should stop disease; you should prevent
poverty where il is preventable by guarantee
ing life and some degree Of happiness to those
not equipped by society to keep one or enjoy the
other
"If there are imbecles today it is because you
did not protect marriage from sacriledge yester-
day If there are imbeciles tomorrow it is because
you do not do your duty today. n<H
IF men and women whom the Creator gave
life and the ability to use it die today it is often
because you did not, in your past sessions pro
vide, or provide sufficiently for the spread of the
gospel of health, Of immunity from tuberculosis
of child hygiene, of employers responsibility %
There is new conscience abroad in the land
in silent trial of YOU, before which tribunal the
great sin is the sin of omission which costs a
human life .s $500 "a ar-5.,#-. 81
And this having been said the tongue which
utters it should be backed by will strong enough
to drive it home, and an arm to enforce it.
Every day, as the chaplains of house and sen
ate cap down the blessing of Heaven on thu
legislature and the work it does and the bills i
passes, and the bills it kills, some human being
in this Territory expires from tuberculosis. Nor
than one death each day. from this preventabl,
disease is the price we pay for our past omission
Every other death is that of Hawaiian man o
woman There are members in the Eighth Legis
lature who will .diet from tuberculosis within
reasonable period if the law of averages hold
good. The legislators are the public. Their law
effect our homes, our wives and our children
Half the session is gone and nothing has beef
done to stop or hinder the greatest scourge whicl
sever got into the Territory of Hawaii, Do
nowi Members of the legislature, your platform
pledges you to it, and in fulfilling your swor
obligation, do it well. Drop politics. Discar
the ideas of the petty politicians and the wir
pullers and do it right, Go to your department
and bureau chiefs who have been on the FIRM
line and get your information from them. TAX
up the Governors message as it deals with tuber
culosis, go over the report of his commissio
which was made at the request of the City {
Honolulu. Instruct your health committee chair
men to commence public hearings and to formr
late laws to put the tuberculosis campaign on ii
feet.
Get the facts and act on themi -