Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 200, 25 May 1891 — Page 4

KA LEO O KA LAHUI.

"E Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono."

 

KA LEO

MONDAY, MAU 25, 1891

 

NOTICE

Copies of he KA LEO o KA LAHUI can be found every morning at both the News Agencies in town.  Price 5 cents a copy.

 

MISSIONS AND MEN

We have no desire to erase from the pages of history the record of any Bacchanalian revelries that we ever indulged in.  In Samoa we entertained the Chiefs according to the customs of that country in order to accomplish the object of our mission, which we did.  The Germans at that time were abot to divide the groups of islands in the South Pacific with Great Britain, and in this intance she was about to take possession of the island of Upolu, the second largest and most valuable of the Samoan group, offering to England the larger island of Savaii, and to avoid unpleasantness with the United States Government the latter would have the option to the possession of Tutuila, ana island with all that was of any value, already given to the U. S. by the acknowledged sovereign or tributary chief of that island, which was confirmed by the King.  One of the artieles of the treaty made between Commodore Wilkes with the natives, was that the United States should preserve their independence, for which the large landlocked harbor of Pagopago was ceded as a considration.  The first attempt of the German to carry out her scheme at Samoa, was frustrated through the courage and magnanimity of Consul Greenebaum, for saving the honor of whose county against Grman official intrigue, he was immolated.  By persistent efforts we succeeded in getting the attention of the Bayard administration to take up the matter in defence of American honor, when Consul Gen S.wall was appointed to Samoa, and with the subsequent result that Germanu was compelled to give up her expected prey.  We also counselled King Malietoa and his Chiefs to prevent German aggressions.  This so offended the Germans that they not only circulated every sort of slanderous repors about us, but threatened to deport us to the coast of Africa, in about the same manner that they undertook to do with Mr. Klein, later, with this diffrence, as an American that gentleman had a fleet to shield him, while we had only the merit of our actions to shields us from a not over scrupulous class of people, especially when they knew that the Hawaiian warship Kaimiloa had been recalled.  Such was the origin of the Samoan scandal.

Now comes the Advertiser and says no Hawaiian should represent Hawaii in Washington, because he could not spend twenty-three thousand a year in “orgies” and “bacchanalian” feasts.  Mr. Carter may have been quite a success in rapid and expensive living for the glory of the Hawaiian Nation.  If the people were informed of the amount of his liquor bills it would appear that Mr. Carter and his friends never allowed themselve to get sober.  It is a very noble thing to get drunk in a swallow-tail coat, at a feast where the ladies appear with their faces painted and their teats partly exposed.  It is altogether a higher form of amusement to go whirling over a polished floor in lascivious embrace to the strains of voluptuous music.  the facilities for getting drunk and staying so and for gratifying the lusts of the flesh are as superior in Washinton as the modern iron-clads are to the war-canoe of the Samoans.

It may be very gratifying to the personal vanity of Mr. Carer to have a mission of the first rank to reresent a country of about the twentieth magnitude, but the advantage to the country cannot be discovered.

The excessive expense and the chagrin which Mr. Carter feels at failure and exposure of his attempt to sell this country have been no doubt the main reasons of his resignation.  The gentleman has really been handsomely paid to dispose of the country for the benefit of himself and his friends.  He negotiated a treaty surrendering our autonomy a a nation for a consideration that the McKinley tariff act has completely destroyed.  If he had succeeded the country would have been bound without the right to withdraw or negotiate any other treaty without the consent of the American government.  This together with the troop clause, and other things in the private correspondence which ex-Miniser Austin refused to reveal, constitute an act of the grossest treachery to the Hawaiian people, and would have caused his disgrace long ere this if there had been an impartial and just government at the head of affairs.  It was virtually the surrender of the government without obtaining the rights and advantages that would result under real annexation.  We helped to unearth this damnable conspiracy two years ago and the brethren have always felt as the Germans in Samoa did against us for showing them up.

Now we repeat what we have said before, the outlook is a dark one for Hawaii, as long as we represented abroad by foreign traitors whose only desire is to barter the country for filthy lucre.

 

REPUBLIC AND ANNEXATION VERSUS AUTONOMU

Some comment seems to have been made onthe fact of the LEO publishing a few days ago, an article on annexation, which was kindly contributed by one of the LEO’s friends and admirers.  The new Hawaiian newspaper Holomua, especially tried to make capital of it against us.  Therefore, we do wish, once for all, to state what we consider the duty of the public press, and this will suffice to show why we often publish articles we do not or could not endorse personally.

The duty of the press is to enlighten the masses; newspapers have to give instruction on subjects which are reached in no other school.  But how is public education attainable, if not by free and exhaustive discussions on all topics of public interest?  Social problems are not solved by ignoring them, any more than the ostrich can avoid danger by hiding its head under its wing; on the contrary, the only way of making a healthy public life, is by allowing every man, in the papers as in the legislative hall, to fully entillate his ideas: if wrong, publieity will kill them when suppression would only make them more dangerous; if right, they will be adopted for the general benefit.

Now then, the questions of local government are among the most important ones on which every citizen is entitled to have a say; and these questions embrace republic and annexation as well, both systems having their well-known partizens; and the only way for the masses to form a sane opinion on these questions is by hearing and reading all the arguments possible, pro et con.

At any rate was recommend our contributor;s pictures of affairs in Hawaii Nei, to the attention of all our readers.

This is why the republican ideas were given, some time ago, the honor of an “expose” in these columns, not because the LEO favors the proposition, which may be ideal perfection in theory, but which we consider impracticable and frought with danger in such a cosmopolitan community as this, but because discussion is necessary on it, among the native element especially.

In similar way, we published a friends argument in favor of annexation, and we would have been equally glad to have been called upon to publish some other contributor’s refutation of the same.  The LEO is not and cannot be in favor of annexation, we are Hawaiian born and wish to die Hawaiian, and we would only accept annexation, (and that only with States rights) as a last resort against had government, against the rule of a few tyrannising over the masses, and refusing to listen to public opinion.  As long as there is any hope,-the smallest,-that the masses may yet obtain a hearing and have their desires attended to in the management of the public affairs, we want Hawaii to remain what it is, a@ autonomous native kingdom.

But who can be prepared to say that the abues present and passed, signaled and enumerated by our contributor, in his “Annexation.” as justifying his proposition, are untrue?  Who can deny that reforms are sadly needed here?  If these reforms can be obtained under our present form of government made more popular, well and good; if not, then it will be well to study the matter, to see whether they could be obtained through annexation; and, in tha manner, we also point out to our rulers what might be the dangers of misrule, a warning for which they ought to be thankful in this century of discontent and conspiracy and when rumors of new “leagues” are rife everywhere.

As we read the criminal calander o f the May term of the Circuit Court at Hilo, we were attacked by an acute sensation of regret and remorse.  We saw there the names of several unhappy wretches who are suffering for our misdeeds.  When we attempted to practice law in the semi-aquatic village of Hilo, the Hitchcock famiy who run the whole legal machinery at Hilo, soon developed into a very lively opposition.  One of the cousins led a Portuguese mob against us, for which we were duly fined.  Twice we were assulted i open court, twice we were attacked by hired rutlians on the highway.  But worse than all, every man who ever employed us was fined for it, and if possible imprisoned, so discouraging others from patronizing the new lawyer.  We are sorry to see that some these victims still linger in the Hilo Jail.  It is a favorite device with Mr. Hitchcock to arrest all the witnesses on the other side on a charge of pejury.

The court meets only twice a year, so he can keep them in jail for several months, and then say that he has not evidence to convict them and enter a nolle prosequi; or if he feels that it requires a year’s retribution he can easily manage to have the case go over to the next term; and until the next term the offender lies in Hilo Jail.  Personally we are glad to escape alive from the island of Hawaii; but it is very unpleasant to reflect that our unfortunate clients still suffer in durance vile.                                                                                                     D. L. H.

 

What we Want.

Our contemporaries designing to produce the impression in the public mind that we represent only a set of office-seeking demagogues, have freuently said that the public offices and an unreasonable envious vindictiveness against successful and prosperous men ar the mainsprings of our activities.  We desire to refute this by showing what we do want and demand in behalf of the people. 

1 ^st .  Local self-government.  The voters of each district shall elect their constable or deputy-sheriff the district or police judge, road board, etc.  The people of each island shall elect their governor, sheriff, circuit judges, tax-collectors, custom-collector, post-masters etc.  The people of the kingdom shall elect boards of education, health and immigration, register of conveyances; surveyor general, auditor, postmaster general, marshal, collector general and offices that concern the people at large.  It is to be noted that almost all these changes can be secured without a change in our constitution.

2d.  The prohibition of Asiatic Immigration.

3d.  Imprisonment for refusal to work should be unlawful.

4 ^th .  A tax on land that shall render it impossible for land sharks to hold thousands of    acres of fertile uncultivated land excluding people who are ready and anxious to till and render the soil productive.

5 ^th .  Homestead laws that shall give the land in small lots to bona fide settlers.

6 ^th    The building of roads to open up thousands of acres of now inaccessible lands.

7 ^th    One class of voters         educational, but no property qualifications.

Theses are some of things we are working for, and hope ultimately o wrest from an unwilling pluto-aristocracy.

Every one who thinks upon the matter must admit the essential reason and justice of securing a popular government and an intelligent and independent middle class.

A state of planters and peons is so unstable and unbalanced that it offers no security for life, liberty or property, and even the wealthy themselves are in constant danger of destruction of their fortunes by ervile war and anarchy.

While for anyone who ha the smallest sense of abstract right, who in any degree believes in christian doctrines or feels a philosophic interest in the progress and happiness of the human race, the spread of slavery, the increase of poverty and attendant,vices, the gathering of people from the country land to wander homeless in towns, the accumulation o uncarned and irresponsible wealth, are sad things to see and pregnant with future woe.

By i@aitating the most advaned and prosperous nations we may escape a state of things even worse than we now have upon us.

 

ON DIT.

That the Marquis of Iao will resign in favor of a Mr. Wells.  He will probably retire on his role as a legislator.

That Maui proposes to excel Hawaii in receiving the Queen.  It is a kind of hoopilimeaai business that generally results in disappointment.

That Marshal Wilson intends to leave next Tuesday for Maui.

That since the directions by the Board of Health for the relief and cure of la grippe, people are dying faster.

That if a man gets so erratic as to forget what his promises are and willfully breaks them, it is good to have that man buried alive.

That when Mr. H. A. P. Carter, spends $23,000 a year tomake people bacchanalians and to have them feel good to support the interests of sugar planters, he is called smart, and the people that get drunk with him, are called christians; but when a Hawaiian is sent on a mision, and he succeeds in obtaining what he is sent for, contrary to the wishes of the missionary and his friends, then they call him a bacchanalian sot, and the people he is sen to, pagans, heathens.  This is about the way the P. C. Advertiser and the Protestant Christians measure themselves and others while the real difference is tha some of these church bacchanalians swill behind the door and imagine they do not expose their intemnperance, by their bloated condition.

That the Bulletin “cat” thinks he has struck something awful in the Samoan Mission from Hawaii; but poor “puss” forgets that people see him very often, too often for his own good, with his mug attached to a bung-hole in some Bacchanalian Temple on Merchant Street, eyes bulging out, like a toad, with a stomach tighter than a tick, and pretty well dazed before the noon hour.

That the Hawaiian Mission to Samoa was the means of stirring up Uncle Sam to call those two South Sea pirates, who were about to divide somebody elses little kuleana, to a halt, is something that rankeles in the bosom of some our professing hypocritical friends.  They would like to find something to say, about Bush, but not knowing anything wrong of him here, they draw on their imaginatious elsewhere to fire at him.  Fire away with your imagination and we will meet you with present truth.

That ex-minister Brown is running the Finance Department and the Post Office.

That after taking office Mr. Hill is now to be treated as loblolly boy, by a crank, who does not evidently know what his duties are as a public officer; that Mr. Hill, went into office under certain understandings with the Cabinet, and more particularly with the approval of the Minister of Finance, and he proposes to carry them out or resign, as he justly feels that no man can serve two ministers.