The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-03-31
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY, MARCH 81.
The Hawaiian Board of Education

in which We cannot be silent without the most
culpable recreancy to the interests of justice and
humanity. Such. to me. are the time and circum-
stances of the present. among rs. Will you there
fore allow me through the 1dUertiSer to call the
attention of our island communities. and through
them. the attention of all civilized people to whom
public justice Is Il positively vital good. and public
wrong Il positively destructive evil. to certain
facts connected with he Board of Education and
the history of its actual operations hitherto in
various parts of the islands.
To understand clearly the signiicancy of these
operations. it is necessary to bear in mind the
very remarkable conditions which obtained in the
reorganization of the present Board under the new
Constitution Because in the composition of the
Board now in authority, we have clearly exhibited
TO the nation and to the civilized world the sin
gular spectacle of the great majority of the IIa-
waiian people as well as of domicilcd foreigners.
as cody and contemptuOusly ignored in all their
interests and rights pertaining To public education,
as though they had no existence. In truth the
manner in which the Board is constituted. says
as plainly as anything can say to the larger
part of the nation. that in the opinion of the
present Government and of its creature. the Board
of Education. Professionalism has no educational
rights which they are bound to respect. And the
policy thus indicated is now being pushed forward
to its legitimate results.
1t will. doubtless. be said, in reply to the above
remarks, that His Excellency. NJ. Kekuanaoa. one
of the most honored Hawaiian Professionals. is a
member of the Board of Education.
But let it be plainly understood that His Excel
lencv is the only Hawaiian in a board Of foreign
ers. using the English language in their official
transactions. he being the sole representative Of the
above named parties and familiar only ,eith the GER
nacuIou. and | greatly mistake if something worse
than simple injustice is not recognized i'll his reten-
ton as Il member Of the Board, and his e~er0tiOn to
the Presidency therein. Looking further now at
the construction of the Board, we find a single
English-spcaking Frenchman who alone represents
the large Roman Catholic interests. whilst besides
these TWO individuals, representing ninety-hine hu,-
drehs Of tie entire population, We have THREE Re
formed Catholics. including Bishop Staley, who
represent Il totality possibly of one half OF the re-
naming one hundredth of the people of these
islands. And let it be noted that these three Re
formed Catholics are known as the most desperate
hateIs of Professionalism to be found in the group.
And as a fitting climax to a Board thus constituted,
we have, as its executive officer, the School In
spcctor Gcneral-a man whose entire antecedents
have been those of radical hostility, never disguised
who. if not IA member of that persuasion, is class
ed with the Roman Catholics. Such is the Board to
whose fostering care are mmit the precious in
tercsts of Protestant education in the Public Schools
of the Hawaiian Islands. And this is even-handed
Justice. according to the Gospel Of a Reformed
Catholic Government! Let the civilized world
make Il note of it for coming times.
Furthermore. be it remembered, that the Pro-
testantism thus virtually and designedly left out in
the cold-althOugh numbering, as said above, q
large majority of the population-alone gave birth
to the Public School system, and for twenty years
nurtured it by large pecuniary gifts and the per-
sonal labOrs of many competent men supplied from
the United States. And at this moment, to this
same Professionalism. the nation-frOm His Majesty
the King down-owes whatever ii has of political
standing. as well az of social and religious char
actcr, both ut home and abroad.
The composition of the Board of Education being
known, no one will be at Il loss to understand us
well its aainrus towards Professionalism, as it is
found on the islands. And if its acts hitherto are
a truthful exposition of its policy, the single idea
which guides and gives shape to its operations is
thistle crushing out Of Professionalism by aug 0'td
all means. and ut dDy cost, from among the Hawai-
ian people. That so formidable a task Is to be
effected no sane man can expect: whilst that this
Is the simple and fixed purpose, no man. VINO
watches the progress of events. can doubt.
Let none suppose. however. that the proceedings
of the Board are contrary to or without the sane
ton of the law.
Their work of determination was not undertaken
as a pastime. nor without due preparation therefor.
The entire system of School Laws was Overthrown
the people deprived of every vestige of actual
power or influence and all possibility of other hos
tile Interference cut off, ere the present educational
despotism was set up-a Procrustean agency that
hcsitatcs not. but remorselessly interdicts all who
dare be guilty of going an inch beyond or falling
an inch short of its own infallible standard, and
especially il guilty of the henious crime OF Pro-
testant proclivities, which, to them, is apparently
the objectionable sin.
1t would have been eminently unwise 10 excite
the determined hostility of the entire Protestant
body by marching straight and in open day upon
their object.
The Board. therefore, seems to have taken conn
sci of their discretion. and to have devised the
blind of :. Non Sectarjan Schools. under cover of
which to gain the more surely and more discreetly
their ends. Some of your readers cannot forget
that those now prominent in this movement and
passion for Non Sectdri1niSm. were. but a few
wears since. the most clamorous for Sec'drjdn
Schools. All who recollect the stormy times dur
ing Mr.. Armstrong; Presidency of the Board OF
Education. will understand the reference. which is
all that lust now is needful for my purpose. These
men have been wonderfully revolutionized in sen
timent. Can it be barely possible that at that
time the cry of Sectarian Schools served bet
ter their purpose of opposition to the then exist
ing Government and Board of Education? ! would
barely suggest this solution of a remarkable change
of sentiment as plausible. The Government was
80 D-l1 I.