Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 297, 8 ʻOkakopa 1891 — Page 4

This text was transcribed by:	Kate Motoyama
This work is dedicated to:	with deep respect for eric gill, organizer

KA LEO O KA LAHUI.

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

KA LEO O KA LAHUI.

John E. Bush.

Luna Hooponopono a me

Puuku.

THURSDAY, OCT. 8, 1891.

The Hawaiian Jurors.

That the article in Hawaiian, upon which we were libeled, having by its own terms shown that there was no malice in the publication of said article, and that the term luna leta kahiko (old post master) could not by any stretch of the imagination be made to mean Postmaster General, undoubtedly led to a verdict of acquitted by the Jury. This verdict was not only in accordance with the testimony, but in accord with the very fair charge made by the Chief Justice Judd, which closed with, if you have any reasonable doubts in your minds as to any malice, &c., you should give the benefit of the doubt in favor of the accused.

In the chef appeal cases, no appeal to one's nationality, as is hinted at in our English dailies, is of any avail. The Hawaiian Jury, have shown their sense of impartiality by condemning the pernicious practice of their own countrymen, who have been taught this new concomitant to Hawaiian civilization by the indulgence given toward the originators of the game, the Chinese, none of whom have ever been arrested for it.

Respect of Persons.

While gambling is condemned in the poor people, the rich and influential citizen can, night after night, spend their time and the means that should belong to their families in the same way undisturn. This partiality and discrimination is a source of discontent to the people. It is often that when discrimination is exercised, that the Hawaiian is led to retaliate in favor of his countrymen; and the great wonder is that this feeling among the Hawaiian is not more often displayed. The charge, occasionally made against the aborigine in this respect, by the English journals, is not just. It shows partiality in them to say so. The Hawaiian as a people. are not more clanish than the foreigners themselves, perhaps not so much.

One of the greatest weaknesses of the world to-day, is in its too fond a display of honoring the rich simply because he is rich. If a wealthy man professes religion, he is praised, flattered, coaxed and fondled, while numbers of more worthy men are neglected. The gifts of a rich man are published, and his generosity praised, when he has not given a cent that has cost him an effort or self-denial. Recognition should be given to all who are deserving without respect or partiality, but led the mead of praise be according to the merit of the deed.

Let praise and censure be dispensed impartially upon rich and poor as they deserve it. Let every man be treated alike when a trespasser of the law. If Sam or Paul or Charlie, or some other culpable individual gambles have him arrested, just as the poor unfortunate fellows that are being pulled up for playing the lottery game of Chefa.

Three Critics Criticised.

"Although the "various readings" in the MSS. and printed editions of the Hebrew bible are very numerous, being estimated at 30,000, and even by some scholars at 200,000, these are very unimportant. The Hebrew Bible of the present day is substantially the same as the recension made by Ezra and others, which was the "Textus Receptus" of our Lord's time. In it, however, the old phraseology has been occasionally modernized, obscure expressions explained by glosses, and the chronologies and genealogies have suffered, especially through the errors of transcribers. Thus there are many alterations in the language, yet none in the meaning, of the original writers. We have no autographs and no perfect MSS. or either Hebrew or Greek Scriptures, neither have we of any Greek or Latin classic author; on the contrary, there is no ancient book (sacred or secular) of which the text is not more or less imperfect. In this respect the Hebrew Scriptures stand in the same position as all other writings of antiquity. Dr. Bentley states the case truly: -- "It is a fact undeniable, that the sacred books have suffered no more alterations than common or classic authors and have no more. variations than what must necessarily have happened from the nature of things; and it has been the common sense of men of letters, that numbers of MSS. do not make a text precarious, but are useful, nay necessary, to its establishment and certainty."

"The Talmudists undertook a highly critical collation of many different test, which, however, they interpreted by a great mass of traditional commentary; but they collected together all that was known and approved of (both written and oral) respecting the sacred books. rejecting what was not supported by considerable weight of testimony. In the sixth century A. D., a school of Jewish Doctors at Tiberias, known as the "Masoretes," extracted from the Talmud the traditional comments (Masorah) of criticism and grammatical emendations, in order to establish the genuine text of the Hebrew Scriptures. The text, as so fixed by them, became the standard, from which others were multiplied.. In the eleventh century a collation was made of the Masoretic text of Tiberias, known as the Palestine Codex, with the Babylonian text, and between the two there were found to be eight hundred differences of reading, none of them, however, in any way affected the sense of the subject-matter.

"The Samaritan Pentateuch must belong to a date earlier than the Captivity of Judah, as the Samaritaus had no intercourse with the Jews subsequently; it is highly probable that it was prior to the separation of the two kingdoms. A careful comparison, in modern times, of its text with that of the Hebrew ("Tetus Receptus"), has shown that they agree in eery material point, the differences being merely verbal."--Oxford Concordance.

There have been doubters of the genuineness of the Scriptures from time immemorial, but when a member of the Christian Church doubts Christ's testimony, who repeatedly quoted the Old Testament writers, as the Scripture, and teaches his followers to study it well, it is time for those who have a sincere regard and belief in the WORD of God to call the attention of the deluded or faithless churchmen to a closer study of the Scripture and be guided less by the theorizing of the theologians as in the past few centuries.

The scriptures were read in the synagogues, in the first years of the Christian era, and then explained; at the present time, only a short verse is taken as a text; and then the distorted imagination or deluded fancies of some preacher, who has his mind more upon pleasing his hearers than in expounded the Truth, is dished out to the audience, until as in the case of "Layman" he becomes a disbeliever without actually knowing it, instead of growing in faith. The misapprehension in the genuineness of the Scripture is fostered by the selfish preaching of to-day. Instead of the unselfish preaching for the salvation of souls, as in the early years of the Church, the preacher now is obliged to dole out religion to suit the perverted religious tastes of the present age.

There are ample evidences throughout the Bible to satisfy the honest seeker after the truth of its claims as the word of God. It is the only work extant that gives the most reasonable and same idea, of an Almighty and Overruling Power, a Creator, who created man, and how all things were created. No scientific work of man can excel the explanations of the Bible in all things; nor no other work gives a knowledge of all things as briefly. "Man was created from the earth, and the vital spark that transformed him into a living soul. is there given in one or two verses. Volumes have been written to explain and account for man's existence, and when puny man's efforts in that direction are all gathered together, it does not begin to give the light and the knowledge that one verse tells us of man and how he was created. Scientists say he was evolved from an atom and so on until he became a man, and the world, Christian and disbelievers, believe science. But when man dies, he fulfills the scriptural truth, of how he was made by resolving back to that from whence he was taken,--he does not go through a backward evolution, from man to a monkey, and so on to an atom, as the world are so ready to belie men made theories.

Where can any man be found, or any writing existing at the present time since the creation of the world, that has given, or can give its history as was given by Daniel through inspiration in eight short verses, commencing from the Babylonian Kingdom and thence forecasting the future history of the world to its end? There is no writing existing, and no man ever known to possess that knowledge. The history of the world for a period of two thousand three hundred years, is briefly foretold, and when that period should begin. We quote the language of a Mr. Smith, a Professor of Biblical Exegesis, in Battle Creek College, in Michigan, as he adverts to Dan. 2:31-35.

"Now opens one of the sublimest chapters of human history. Eight short verses of the inspired record tell the whole story; yet that story embraces the history of the world's pomp and power. A few moments will suffice to commit it to memory; yet the period which it covers, commencing more than twenty-five centuries ago, reaches on from that far-distant point past the rise and fall of kingdoms, past the setting up and overthrow of empires, past cycle and ages, past our own day, over into the eternal state. It is so comprehensive it embraces all this; yet it is so minute that it gives us all the great outlines of earthly kingdoms from that time to this. Human wisdom never devised so brief a record which embraced so much. Human language never set forth in so few words, so great a volume of historical truths. The finger of God is here. Let us heed the lesson well."

ON DIT

That the Hui Kalaiaina will meet every Friday evening at 7:30 P.M., at Robinson's Hall, above the I. X. L. Store, S. W. corner King & Nuuanu Streets.

That a thorough renovation of the Customs Department will take place as soon as the Prince Archibald returns, when, if agreeable to His Royal Highness, the Bureau will receive a new set of officers, himself to have the Governorship of Oahu, if that shrewd Scotchman can be made to believe that a salary and back pay will be voted for the office in the sweet mahope. Look out when the sifting time comes, in the meantime try the royal fortune-teller, boys!

That the religious controversy now start is doing good in more than one way i.e., if helps editors to fill up their columns and it properly and kindly conducted with the view of eliciting the truth, it should help the contestants and readers.

Platform of Principle

OF THE

HAWAIIAN NATIONAL LI-

BERAL PARTY.

PRINCIPLE OF GOVERNMENT AND

CONSTITUTION.

1. We deem that all Government should be founded on the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity; we hold that all men are born free and equal before the law and are endowed with inalienable rights to life, to liberty, to propertp, to the pursuit of happiness and to self-protection against the arbitrary concentration of power, irresponsible wealth, and unfair competition. We believe that just government exists only by the consent of the People, and that, when it becomes necessary for the public welfare, they may abolish existing forms and establish more advantageous and equitable system; and, as the present Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom never has had the approval of the People, but was establisded by intimidation and fraud for the benefit of a certain class, therefore we favor the adoption of a new and more liberal Constitution, to truly secure a Government of the People, by the People and for the People.

INDEPENDENCE OF THE COUNTRY

2. Out of consideration for the inherent rights and present opinions of the native population, we dersire to retain the independence of the Country and defend its autonomy, under a liberal and popular form of government; but our Treaties with Foreign Powers, and especially with the United States of America, should be revised, so as to better meet present necessities and to obtain more equitable advantages in exchange of those granted by us.

JUDICIARY REFORMS

3. Our Judiciary system and Code of Procedure must be submitted to a thorough revision, so as to secure a cheap and prompt administration of justice,free of all sectarian or patisan spirit, and to render the Judges more directly responsible to the People; and we are in favor of a more liberal interpretation of Constitutional guarantees of the freedom of speech and of the press.

TAXATION

4. A more just and perfect system of Taxation must be inaugurated, to abolish the present inequities, by which the property of the poor is excessively taxed, while much of the rich man's goods are under-valued for assessment or entirely escape taxation; we shall therefore demand the passage of laws that will more effectively subject the property of corporations and rich citizens to their just proportion of public burdens, while granting more liberal exemptions to the poor; and as a s@ of discouraging the locking up of large tracts of uncultivated lands, a differential tax should be levied in addition to the usual assessment on valuation which should be in proportion to the fertility of the soil. We shall also favor the establishment of a graduated income-tax, and thus expect to obtain ample funds for conducting the government and attending to all necessary public improvements without any further calls on the masses.

MONOPOLIES

5. We shall use our efforts to obtain laws by which all favoritism in the government and all monopolies, trusts and privileges to special classes shall be rendered impossible, by full, definite and mandatory statutes.

PUBLIC SERVANTS.

6. Better laws should regulate the Civil Service. The principle of the election of officers of the government by the people should be established, and no man should be allowed to hold more ethan one office of profit, whilst salaries should be adequate compensation for the sarvices rendered. All excessive salaries should be reduced and all sinecures or superfluous offices abolished.

PROTECTION TO HOME IN-

DUSTRIES

7. We are in favor of encouraging all home agriculture and industries, andall our native products, like rice, coffee, wool, tobacco, etc. should be protected and fostered by proper tariff regulation; and also it must be the duty of the Government, in its contracts and other operations, to give preference to national products over imported ones.

LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

8. We desire a more liberal policy towards the different Islands of the Kingdom, outside of Oahu; they should receive a fairer proportion of the public moneys for the development of their resources and the satisfaction of their wants. In fact, the principle of local Self-government should be extended whereby giving localities may choose the most important of their local executive officers, and levy taxes for the purpose local improvements of a public nature.

PROTECTION TO THE LABOURING

CLASSES

9. We shall endorse all measures tending to improve the condition of the working classes, and consequently, without injuring any vested rights, we will advocate laws to prevent all further importation or employment of contract-labor of any kind, upon conditions which will bring it into a ruinous and degrading competition with free Hawaiian or white labor. We shall also, in the interest of the better protection of the poor, ask for more liberal exemptions of their property from forced sale on execution, and from seizure in bankruptcy proceedings.

SMALL FARMING AND HOME-

STEADS.

10 The wealthy fraction of our population have hitherto prevented the development of an independent class of citizens; the public lands have been acquired and have been tied up in a few hands or parceled to suit favorites, and small farmers and planters have been driven out by corporations or combinations of capitalists; but as small farming is conductive to the stability of the State, it should pe encouraged by a new and more liberal Homestead act, by which the ownership of small tracts of land and the settlement thereon of families of our present populations,--and especially of the native Hawaiians who have been left almost homeless in there country,--should be rendered possible. To that end, the Government and Crown lands, (in so far as can be done without invading vested rights) should be devoted as soon as possible to homesteads, and conferred upon bona-fide settlers free of taxes for a limited period.

It should be the further aim of government to, at once, so far improve the means of transportation,--local, national and international,--as to provide, in all the districts, cheap means of conveying the products of the soil to market.

ELECTORAL RIGHT.

11. We hold that upright and honest manhood, and not the possession of wealth, arbitrarily fixed, should constitute the right to vote for nobles as well as representatives, and no more power should be accorded to the ballot of the rich than to the ballot of the poor man. The discrimination in favor of wealth now made in our Constitution is contrary to all the eternal principles of right and justice, and must be abolished. To this end, we will favor a leveling of the present distinction of wealth and classes which blemish our laws with respect of the right to vote for nobles, thereby restoring to the native Hawaiians privileges which pertain to them in their own country, and of which they have been unjustly deprived.

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS

12 We favor the expenditure of sufficient sums to secure a number of needed public improvements on Oahu and other Islands: school, railroads and harbors and wharves, public light, and also a thorough system of @ and water-works, not only for Honolulu, but through-out the other Islands.