Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 323, 13 Nowemapa 1891 — Page 4

KA LEO O KA LAHUI.

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

 

KA LEO O KA LAHUI

John E. Bush.

I una Hooponopono a me Puuku.

FRIDAY, NOV. 13, 1891.

 

A Large and Enthusiastic Meeting.

 

The Hawaiian Rally at the Call of their Leaders.

 

            Last evening, the Old Armory was unable to admit all the people who had gathered together at the call of their leaders, Messrs. Wilcox, Nawahi, Bush, Kanealii, Pua and others. The object of the meeting was for the purpose of regularly forming and electing officers for the new Hawaiian Political organization called the "Aoao Lahui Hawaii Liberala." The meeting opened with adresses from Messrs Bush, Wilcox, Nawahi. It was said by these gentlemen, that some people, guised as friends, were endeavoring to enter the Hawaiian fold, the political organization of the Hawaiians, in order to split them, and thus secure an opportunity to carry out their scheming for pursued ends. Some of these men had been in the Legislature and were receiving employment from the government and some had had their friends secure them a vote to dip their hands into the Hawaiian Treasury.

            They had formed a combination and had secured a printing office, with which to run newspapers to oppose the people, and to gain seats for themselves in the Legislature and do as they did before, go back on their words, and work for their own interests. One of their plans was to pass a law to license opium to themselves. These people are working to sell the Hawaiians again either to the Government or to the Reform Party. They are ready to do anything to make money for themselves without any consideration for the natives. To prevent this, and to keep the Hawaiian Political organization from being slaughtered and made to serve the dirty ends of a few of these renegades to decency and manhood, this organization is formed to-night. We are here as a co-worker with the Hui Kalaiaina, or any other association that means to do right, and in case of a further attempt on the part of some of those men are endeavoring to split us and create disorder, this organization then proposes to stand in the breach and save the Hawaiian element from utter route. It is time for us to recognize our rights and privileges and to exercise them worthily.

            We often have said that we are treated unjustly; to a certain extent this is true. But the reason we are being treated as we claim we are, is because we are not honest and firm in maintaining our rights. Then let us be united, let our cause me one,---the good of all, under a pure government, and judiciary run on popular rights. If we Hawaiians voted to-day as men, as a unit you, who have for representatives forty-nine votes in fifty, and with the aid of our foreign friends, who have common interests with us, we ought to carry the elections and control the Legislature. And why not we? The country has been run for the last forty years in the interests of the classes and at the cost of the masses, more especially of the Hawaiians. It is time that we should exert ourselves and maintain our rights equally with those who are here with us, and see that the country is run more honestly, and purer that it has been, and is to-day. Every native should rise superior to self interest and make common cause with our friends for a righteous administration of public affairs. We must be wise and at the same time be harmless, for we have a bitter foe prowling around in the guise of greed, lust, selfishness, and like a roaring lion is ready to poance upon and devour everything, and place a curse upon the future people of the country.

            The patriotic and manly appeal was highly appreciated, as was shown by the readiness with which the native Hawaiians joined the association. This will we hope prevent any further underhanded work being attempted by those claiming to be of the Nationalists Party. The organization numbers over a thousand enthusiastic members, and more are anxious to join.

           

The International Liberal League.

            The League held their meeting on Tuesday the 10 instant. After the usual routine business was through, the meeting then opened upon the discussion of the platform.

            Mr. R.S. Scrimgeour, the first to speak, stated, that something was very rotten in our present system of dealig with the government lands. Large tracts were deeded and leased to favorites, who by a sweating process of subletting made fortunes rapidly. By this means the poor natives were left out in the cold, without a home to his name, unless he agree to become the slave of the land grabber. This and other grievances could only be remedied by the election of good men to the Legislature; and who would not sell out to the capitalist.

            Mr. D.L. Huntsman, upon being loudly called for, responded at some length. He thought that the methods of administering Hawaiian affairs, was, to say the least, rather peculiar. The speaker went on by relating his experience as an Attourney at Hilo during his stay on the Island of Hawaii. He supposed, as in other countries, on his first arrival, that cases would be decided according to the law of the land; to his astonishment, however, he found that the Sheriff had a code of his own, and was in now way scrupulous in administering the law according to his view or private code. Mr. Huntsman here related some of the most disgusting instances of how court cases were rigged, which was show the man and he will show you the law. The dealers in opium and in illicit liquor traffic had to pay tribute to Sheriffs and their menials so as to save trouble. He, the speaker, had been persecuted because he spoke and wrote upon the official crookedness that existed here in Hawaii. It was his disposition to be opposed to all manners of tyranny. He had been reared a freeman in a free country, and wherever he would be he proposed to enjoy the freedom of thought and speech, which is the right of every man, to criticise the method of the government, from the Chief Executive down to the last officer in the kingdom, whenever the rights of the citizens were invaded. As it was, the people were not treated with due regard by their servants, under the present system, nothing short of a complete remodeling could affect a cure. The people are unwittingly being made to prop on this rotten way of doing government business. The best that can be done now, under the circumstances, is to send sound representatives and nobles to Parliament. It may take time to root out the monster of fraud and blackguardism in office. If office holders were directly responsible to the people they would be more careful, more honest, in order to gain their re-election. It is the right way; it is just and the only way to rectify this impure and putrifying condition of our government. It is not right for petty despots to be nurtured in our midst. The appointing power cannot deal with the difficulty. Nothing but election to office will ever do it. The inequality of taxation was also a matter that needed urgent attention. Many instances were quoted to show where reform was wanted.

            Dr. Hammond was admitted a member of the association, and by request addressed the meeting in his fluent style. he regretted very much to hear of the official corruption and fraud so fearlessly explained by the last speaker. We are all partners in the great commonwealth, and one should not have undue authority over his fellow man. Every man of mature age should have an equal voice in the affairs of the nation, whether he had on or one hundred thousand dollars. Educate your people to honesty, men will then honor and obey the law. Government officials should certainly be elected to office. The people have an inalienable right to say who shall manage their business, politically and otherwise. Monopolies here stalk about in mid-day; in the liquor business as well as in other lines of trade. Missionaries curse the liquor dealers, while they and their relatives and friends reap benefits from the sale of liquor. There is no consistency in their howlings. Why mis business with their so-called religion. Your representatives in council should see that you have pure law. Let us all seek each others welfare, then the nation would be sure to prosper. No good can be effected by suppressing the truth. The truth is the balm, the cure all. It is buoyent, and will always rise to the surface, no matter how great the effort to put it under.

            Mr. P. O'sallivan, the next speaker, was entirely with the League in its principles. The present system of appointing deputies in the various departments of the government was absurd. The speaker had in view, no doubt, the deputy Crown Prosecutor, sitting in the Court reading the S.F Chronicle, while Messrs. Hartwell and Thurston were prosecuting for the Crown instead.) Every island should elect their own officials. The popular vote to the speaker's mind was the only way out. The gentlemen appointed to take care of our interests are responsible only to their own sweet will. If officials were elected, mere honest administration of public affairs would ensue. The speaker said, the system of taxation was unfair. Property to the suburbs of the city were taxed on the same footing as property in the heart of town. Mr O'S. concluded by saying that the people should be careful who they send as nobles and representatives this time, and avoid being deceived by these who were elected and went back on the people last time. The people knew who they were, and should mark them well. They were plenty good men to be found, instead of shysters.

            Mr. Scrimgeour, again took the floor "to deny, on behalf of the League, the charge made against us by our opponents, that we act in a revolutionary manner. This is all wrong. We go by ballot and not by bullet, as they did not many years back. They have a good many murders at their door. We hope to have our wrongs redressed by Legislative enactment." The meeting then adjourned. 

 

A BOYS FIRST DRINK AND WHAT CAME OF IT.

A TRUE STORY.

            In a visit to the Leavenworth Kan, prison, during my address on Sabbath morning, I observed a boy; not more than seventeen or eighteen years of age, on the front seat intently eyeing me. The look he gave me was so full of earnest longing it spoke volumes to me. At the close of the service I asked the warden for an interview with him, which was readily granted. As he approached me, his face grew deathly pale, and, as he grasped my hand, he could not restrain the fast falling tears. Choking with emotion, he said:--

            "I have been in this prison two years, and you are the first person that has called for me--the first woman who has spoken to me."

            "How is this, my child? have you no friends that love you? Where is your mother?" The great brown eyes, swimming with tears, were slowly uplifted to mine, and he replied: "My friends are all in Texas. My mother is an invalid and fearing that the knowledge of the terrible fall would kill her, I have kept my whereabouts a profound secret. For two years I have borne my awful homesickness in silence for her sake."

            As he buried his face in his hands and heartsick sobs burst from his trembling frame, it seemed to me I could see a panorama of the days and nights, th elong weeks of home-sick longing, that had dragged their weary length out over two years.

            So I ventured to ask: "how much longer have you to stay?"

            "Three years," was his reply, as the frail little hand trembled with suppressed emotion.

            "Five years at your age" I exclaimed. "How did it happen?"

            "Well," he replied, "it's a long story, but i'll make it short. I started out from home to try to do something for myself. Coming to Leavenworth, I found a cheap boarding house, and one night accepted an invitation from one one of the young men to go into a drinking saloon.

            "For the first time in my life I drank a glass of liquor. It fired my brain.  There is a confused remembrance of the quarrel. Somebody was stabbed. The bloody knife was found in my hand. I was indicted for an assault with intent to kill."

            "Five years for the thoughtless acceptance of a glass of liquor is surely illustrating the Scripture truth that the 'way of the @ -gressor in hand'!"

            I was holding the cold, trembling hand that had crept into mine. He earnestly tightened his grasp and imploringly, he said, O Mrs. Molloy, I want to ask a favor of you."

            At once i expected was going to ask me to obtain a pardon, and in an instant i measured the weight of public reproach that @@@ upon the victims of this legs@@@ drink traffic. It is all fight to legalise a man to craze the brains of our boys, but not by any @@@ to ask the State to pa@@lon its viciousness.

            Interpreting my thought, he said: "I am not going to ask you to get me a pardon, but I want you to write to my mother and get a letter from her and send it to me. Don't for the world tell her where I am. Better not tell her anything about me. Just get a line from her, so I can look upon it! Oh, I am so homesick for my mother!"

            The head of the boy dropped down into my lap, with a wailing sob; I laid my hand upon his head.

            I though of my own boy, and for a few moments was silent, and let the outburst of sorrow have vent.

            Presently I said: "Murray, if I were your mother, and the odor of a thousand prisons was upon you, still you would be my boy. I should like to know where you were. "Is it right to keep that mother in suspense? Do you suppose that there ever has been a day or night that she has not prayed for her wandering boy? No. Murray, I will only consent to write to your mother on consideration that you will permit me to write the whole truth, just as on mother can write to another.

            After some argument his consent was finally obtained, and a letter was hastily penned and sent on its way. A week or so elapsed, when the following letter was received from Texas:--

            "Dear  Sister in Christ: Your letter was this day received and I hasten to thank you for your words of tender sympathy and for tidings of my boy--the first we have had in two years. When Murray left home, we thought it would not be long. As the months rolled on, the family had given him up for dead, but I felt sure God would give me back my boy. "as I--write from the couch of an invalid, my husband is in W----nursing another son, who is lying at the gate of death with typhoid fever. I could not wait has return to write to Murray. I wrote and told him, if I could how quickly I would go and pillow his head upon my breast, just as I did when he was a little child.

            "My poor, dear boy--so generous, kind, and loving! What could he have done to deserve this punishment. You did not mention his crime, but say it was committed while under the influence of drink.

            "I did not know he had ever tasted liquor. We raised six boys and never knew one of them to be under the influence of drink. Oh! is there any place in this Nation that is safe when our boys have left the home fold?

            "O God, my sorrow is greater than I can bear! I cannot go to him, but, sister, I pray you to talk to him, and comfort him as you would some mother talk to rear boy, were he in his place.        

            "Tell him that when he is released, his place in the old home and his mother's heart is awaiting him."

            Then followed the loving mother's words for Molloy, in addition to those written. As I wept bitter tears over the words so full of heart break, I asked myself the question: "How long will the nation continue to sanction the liquor traffic, covenant with death, and league with hell to rob us of our boys?"--Mrs. Emma Molloy.