Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 8.djvu/419

 CA USES OF DECREASE OF HA WAIIAN PEOPLE

1. In an article in the Hawaiian Spectator, 1838, Rev. A. Bishop stated that " more than half who enter the marriage state do not bear children," and that "perhaps not one in four of the families now existing have children of their own alive." These assertions, although doubtless exaggerated, must be regarded as having a foundation in fact. Unfruitfulness prevailed, at least to a limited extent, previous to 1820, and seems to have increased for some time after that date. Its cause is unknown. Licen- tiousness is not a satisfactory explanation. Promiscuity along with disease will account for it only in part. It may be said of course that, under certain conditions, a low birth-rate is in accordance with a general law of life applicable to plants and animals as well as to human beings : that when living organisms change, beyond a certain degree, their conditions and habits of life, their powers of reproduction deteriorate. Why this should be perhaps no reason can be given, except the very general one

which after all explains nothing that the lack of adjustment which arises between the individual and its environment, conse- quent on its rapid transition from a natural to an artificial, or from a less artificial to a more artificial, mode of life, affects prejudicially its reproductive powers. The Hawaiians in a very few years came in contact with civilization at almost every point, and they were apt pupils. They took everything offered. In fact, it might be said that they adopted too quickly civilization, such as was presented to them. Thus the chiefs, that class of the people who first came under the influence of civilization and accepted it most fully, were the ones who became childless soon- est, and who disappeared most rapidly.

2. The causes of the large death-rate are in brief two vice and disease. For both of these, people of Christian nations are largely to blame. In 1839 Malo stated that licentiousness was one of the chief causes of the decrease of population. Disease arising from this vice, he asserted, "has become prevalent among the people, and even children, and all the people of the islands are miserably diseased ; . . . . Foreigners have lent their whole influence to make the Hawaiian Islands one great brothel." This statement is borne out by the facts. In 1826 Lieutenant John