The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-02-04
Mr.. Gibson before the Electors.

meeting, 10 which ne was invited, held IN the
church building OF P4uoa. The place was filled
to cverhowing. On this occasion Mr.. Gibson
was especially invited TO give Ms views on the
Ten Million Loan question. He remarked that
a great many, nowadays, were talking about a
5000 900 loan. without any clear ideas rs to
the magnitude OF the sum or as to the possibility
of mourning such a loan. Notwithstanding the
good name and excellent credit of this little
country, he did not believe 1t would be possible
for many years to come to negotiate such a loan,
nor did he see al the present time in what way
We could possibly benefcially use such a sum.
Adapting his remarks TO the comprehension Of
his Hawaiian audience, he went on to say A
loan, like anything else in this world is good or
bad, as II may be used. II is like fire and water.
a good servant and a bad master. In the hands
of a wise man it can prove a blessing, in the
hands of a fool a curse, were We always sure of
wise aud patriotic men at the head OF the gov
eminent, a judicious loan should be a blessing
TO Hawaii. Great and wise nations have con-
tracted loans to their advantage. Unwise ma
tons have contracted loans to their utter injury.
But let US not be scared about this question of u
loan. To the minds of some it is u scarecrow, a
ghost. a frightful thing that the imagination sees
in the dark, but on closer observation proves
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has already contracted debt and been benefited.
1t could pay its present debt twice over by the
property on hand, obtained through a loan. The
most of the fourishing plantations of these is
lands now are all built up upon credit. Their
proprietors have contracted loans amounting TO
many millions, and in the majority of cases to
the advantage of the borrower. We have seen a
recent instance familiar to us ali of a great adj
vantage to be derived from a loan. Messrs.
Bishop & Co. borrowed from the government a
quarter of a million of dollars to enable them to
assist in important industrial enterprises. and it
is fully admitted that this loan to Bishop & Co.
proved the saving to a large extent of the bust
ness enterprise of the community. Now, if pri-
vate individuals could borrow from the Hawaiian
Government a quarter of a million dollars, with
very beneficial results, why should not the Ha-
waiian Government borrow, if desirable, sew
eral quarters of million of dollars, and thereby
promote the general prosperity of the country.
But he did not see any hurry for Al loan just
at present. Notwithstanding many unwise ex-
penditures, the Hawaiian Treasury showed a
good balance, and at the end of the financial
period would no doubt, have a balance in hand.
Let us first spend this surplus for some excellent
public purpose, and then if other important in
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| present themselves, he was ready to admit that
the national credit should be employed to ac-
complish them. He did not concede that meas
ures for the development of the country should
be limited to the extent of it's revenue. Whilst
that should provide for, current expenditures
whenever any good public measure of enter
prise was called for the national credit should
bear the cost of a portion of the work, and
our nOS+arity u,bo will uhora tho hapa6f Of tho
enterprise of the present day should also share
the burden of its cost.
On Tuesday evening the four candidates
whose names appeared together on what we may
justly call the popular ticket, addressed the
electors at a mass meeting in the Music Hall.
Hoa. d. Nahum was in the chair. The first
speaker was Mr.. E.. K. Liiikliani who, in a
lengthy speech set forth in temperate language
the principles which IL MS preplred to support.
To make the public health the foremost care of
government, TO guard with jeahnSy the indie
pendence oI Hawaii and uphold the c%onstitu-
tional monarchy under which We live to obtain
a large loan to assist the country in making
much needed public improvements, and in I'M
dertaking public works which the ordinary
revenue could not provide for; and to repeal the
present law which only allows liquors to be sold
W lOIClSitASf NoAth Ot AAS hJStA II ItN'lA Z do
a Representative for Honolulu. He WAS listened
to with attention and frequently applauded. Mr..
H. W. Lahilahi was the next speaker. In a
really eloquent address he declared his adhesion
to the platform sketched out by the previous
speaker. He also warned his audience against
putting in a candidate whose sole aim in seeking
admission to the Legislative Assembly was to
back up his brother, whose political career was
only too well-known to them. His remarks were
received with frequent applause. Mr.. d. Nahaku
followed, and in a quiet and earnest speech en-
dorsed the views of his colleagues. The Chair
man then called on Mr.. Gibson to address the
meeting. The call was the signal for a thunder
of applause, which was continued whilst the Hon.
gentleman was making his way to the platform,
and often reiterated during his speech.
Mr.. Gibson presented some points that would
be his rule of action in public affairs. The first
of these was honor to the King and a determine
ton to uphold the Hawaiian Monarchy. He was
an American in his political education and
sympathies. Nevertheless. here where he had
made his home and had received so many bene-
fits, he felt that it was his duty to advise the
Hawaiian people to uphold and maintain the
Monarchy as the surest basis of their independ-
ence. He referred to His Majesty's tour round
the world and called attention to the honor
shown to our King how when he was in the
great cities of London, Marlborough and other
cities there was a marked display of honor to
him as a Sovereign, and this was not alone to
the person of the Sovereign, but was intended as
an honor to you the Hawaiian people. The
second point which he held to was that he
would regard as of paramount consideration the
sanitary welfare of the nation. He appreciated
wealth and all its opportunities and blessings,
but he considered the lives of the people as
transcending in importance any questions of
mere material progress. He dwelt feelingly
upon the condition of the lepers on Moloksi
prior TO 1878, how they had been herded like
animals, without lights for their huts, without
soap for cleanliness, without rags for their sores,
and who many Of them went with bleeding feet
a long distance to obtain and carry back the
food provided for them, from where a boat
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