Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 111, 12 Mei 1894 Edition 02 — NEARING THE END. [ARTICLE]

NEARING THE END.

The Constitutional Convention. A proclamation has l>oou iasued from tho prent provisional Prosidont, Mr. Smfonl 11. Dole, tiu convention whieli is t > framo a constitution for Hawuii t«>g«*ther, on tlie 30th of Mav lhis vour. Wi' hositate in noticinji the s<>n]ewhat rouimkable eoiueiilonee. that the opeuing of Mr. Dole s convontion takos plaee on tho day, when “we decorute our gravos. Perhaps Mr. Dole has ovorl< oked the fact. Now, this conv. ntion ooniposed of a nnmbor of soini-oducated, whollv inooiupotoit men, is lo frame a c >nstitiiti n whieh is supposed to bo decidotllv based upou Aoioriean pr m ipIos. aud adaptetl so as t«> briug h«ppinoss aml prospor;tv to this couutrv. Sotue chauge is uudoubtedly uoodod to ameli<>rate o\istmg ciroumstauoes. The revolution any juuta. when plaeo.l iu powor, by Mr. 8teveus aud tho American troops. fonn<l a prosj>erou» commuuity, although the “hard times" felt ail over the world had touched or fair slioros. They fuun l a haj«j>v and satisfied ]>oople. i stablo g >veruiueut aiui a well-fillcd troasurv. They may liave foui.d faults and misus«*s eouuuou to aiu govoruuieut, but a> a whele the oouutry eouKl cMebrate . iiaiiksgiving sday with an honest heart aud withuut artificial o\ertious. The provisioual >verumeut paj>ers sj>oke ou bel.alf of tlie juuta iu paterual al t iougb triuuiphant toues. The goverutuoi t wae the guardian of tue j>oor kauakas. The foreiguwho syai|>athiEed with and supj>orted the kanak»s wero ealled ‘ the scam of the earth,” 'uoe<ly sdventarers,' aud the “devil's own.” The “palemUl” govormno.it uuder Mr. Dole’s j>residiuiu a>sisted by 1.. A. | Tuurston—the ox-partuor of the devd—was ready to plaee tbe treasury aud the couutry ou a soand fut liug, aud a Leartv Tt Ik bu st lorth from the lips of the sa utly crowd, who hold seats iu tho Central l’uiou Church —aud offices, AuJ behold! the pruvisioual goverumeut ruled the ioost for fourteeu mouths, and it disap}H>iuied oue aud all of its supporters, but uot its eaouiie» or opi>oueuts. lt esistod, not , through the wili of tbe peopie,. uot through the s(xmta.ueous desire of evcU a class of uuselfish, truly patriotic men—uo, it had to

expeud nearly a qu irter oi a miliion <>f dollars for tfae purpose of upbolding a ruilitary oligarchy. lt Lad to surround its tremhiing memhen» with special gnards, with sjnes and with the very • scum of the earth. even as it sur i with rocnde :ts official bnil<iings eanuon- an i sandhags The taxpa_vers moaey tioated away on - J> nteisures of self-pre»erva- J lion winle roads and wharves, I pnhlie improvement* and schools were all equ»lly neglected. The aucertuinty of arfairs caused a , wave of depression to sweep ■ over th*j lai d. hl<»re 0{>on store closed up. Family after family sold oat and left f<»r pastures new. Starvation. waut. aud ueed stand the iaboring c!a.sses in the face to i * lay bnt the j> g. **alhigh in olliee and allowed tfae money to roll, au«l roll ou into the pockets of the ueedy adveuturers who only waate 1 enough to j<ay their pus.sage aud get from th«- Hawaii «n liepuhlieau Eldorado. But the duy ! eioie, wheu it was learned that annexation was j hopeless. At the same time it was leameii, thut there soo» wou!d be no more money to roil I oat from the treasury. So the wise mea het >uk themselvos to tueir secret chamher and tl:ey sent for Thurston and they said "Lorrin! wheie aro we now'" Aud the mau with the gigantic hiain and a dime-umseuai record huiumed to himself, “ way up in iho sky!” But aloud he said: “Form a pernament goverumeut. Drop tho p. g. racket. Call a convention and heeomo a repuhlic aiul if you ijr( tv<>-(hiril* o/ ihe Ilnu nian vo(e. 1 will guarantee jou that Cleveland aud Greshatu will recognize you. ’ And they were very mueh comforted aml they sent out w nds to their slaves, the olhce-holders, j»n«l to tbeir friends. the pluuters, and they said; “go out and threateu or l or bulUlo/.o or hi ihe the kunakan to vote. that \ve inav i»ave t vothirds of tbem du onr r«-gistcr.” Aiul the ollice-hoMer looked stcrn aud tbreatene«l. and the planter cracked his wuip mul proraised goldeu acres and silver «lollars, hut the mui<* of u kanaka sto«>«l sul!eniy hv uud said: “1 vote not agnust my Country, my tiag; aiul iuy sovereign. Starve mo. punish me, thr <w me into the stre t, but I do n<t hee m*> Traitor to my u»«tive land as m>u, renegade Amer ean, has heeome when you forsw <re your Hllegiauce to the Stars ui.d Strij>os for the purpose of gaining a paltrv advant;ige in those islaiuls." And Mr l>olc and the oflice-hoider aud the planter grievt-d soreIv. because they knew that they were healen. Aud thou the couveutiou \vas called. The constitutiou lhat will never ho •aihmiUe-i to ihe }H'op(e for apprornl is re.*«dy. It provides for a most ohjectiour.ble oligarchy and it will heeome a sourco of interest aiul amuseraeut t<> the student of history. Many and difticult aie the {iruhlems whieh have to be solv«id by the tiukers and shopkoepers who are t«> frame it. Japan demauds e«ju;«l nghts f<>r its residents here. The Chiuese colonv. j> «y ing one-fourth of all tho t.i\es, insists iu heiug recognized. l’he illiterate rortugiiese suj>ercili»usIy declare that they propost toj ruu the shoj>, while the wbite| workingmen and mechuuics <vho hold tho gans aud the flgh:ing «jaahties dictite the f*.:turo of the country. The Adi'erii<rr and the Oocoauut eluh entangle matters >till more by insisting in v the right of sufl"rage for white womeu whilo the Star uob,y espoases the cause of its |>ersoual frieud.> Ihe 'wahiues. Aud, iu tbe nieaniime, j»oor old Dole presses his h:. uls to Lis acbing head and excl.«ims; ‘ Holv Sraoke! what have I got iulo Holy! Fofcer! how am 1 to get out of it agaiu!’’ Aud Lorrin smiies his wickcd smiles, dīves iuto the cash-office an«l counts how many bright dollars he, uot the stockholders, havc raade out of the OycloraraH Comj*any, īhe Volcauo House Compauy, thv Midwinter Fair Company and tho Soper Freak C«*mpauy. And yet the conveutiou wiil go on!