Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-01-19
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NV Dlat SIR ! address YOU on
the most vital of national topics for
reasons easy 20 formulate but perhaps
difficult for your modcsty to appreciate
You are known as a brave man and it
IS also known that you not only have
the courage Of your opinions, but
posses, opinions worth defending. In
heart and soul you are for reform And
to all this you add the inherent right Of
Hawaiian birth and a sufficiently long
residence on these islands to give your
study OF Hawaiian nationality more than
passing value. Because I recognize
these facts, and realize how much less
right ! have than you have TO play the
critic OF Hawaiian affairs, address you
thus directly IN the hope that your
answer may aid me in coming to an
important conclusion.
As | understand them, our political
status qNo and the reasons for it are
as follows
In the history Of political reform
there is always period Of destruction
pure and simple period in which
the iconooast and the agitator are the
darlings Of the hour, and when the
ready writer and the red hot orator are
Of greater apparent consequence than
the logician and the statesman. In
the teapot tempest Of recent Hawai-
ian politics, strong dcnunciation and
violent appeals to prejudice have oc-
cupicd the stage Of events, TO the
silencing If not to the exclusion OF rea-
son and argument. This is not deny
ing that strong reasons have existed
for this condition of things. For ten
years the nation has suffered from the
results of a stupendous mistake the
election Of David Kalakaua to the
throne of the kamehamchas. That
election was the result of the belief upon
the part OF Influential Americans that
their interests-and the national in
tcrests they rcprescnted,-w would best be
served by man pronounced in his
professions of friendship for the United
States. There are compromises and
compromises. That compromise was
questionable on its face, because the
reputation of the successful candidate
carried with ii neither the respect nor
the confidence of the nation. In
more than one position of public
trust he had been at least incompetent
The election proceeded--som held
that 1t proceeded irregularly, but no
one formally protested, and for nearly
ten years the successful candidate has
held the highest Office in the kingdom
highest in rank, highest in influence
and highest in emolument.
Let us see how he has acquitted the
solemn charge entrusted by that cleo
ton The examination may perhaps
be facilitated by showing what he has
net done. II in these republican days
there remain any virtue in the kingly
office 1t is in the example of the
monarch to the sovereign people by
whose suffrage (or whose suferance)
he holds his office. The example
of good ruler whose goodness is not
merely negative is always for the i'm
provement of the people whom he
rules. The example of monarch who's
either distinctly vicious or merely
weak is always bad. 1t is sufficient for
the needs OF this argument that King
Kalakaua has not been an improving
example to his people
So far | think we are agreed Be
yond this point | think our views
dverge. Let me briefly state my posi-
ton. | admit the responsibility of the
king for much that is humiiatingly
unsound in the present ,administra.ian
I or puDrc revenues and the present con
duct of our foreign and domestic policy.
But | contend that the nation, having
several years ago elected the king,
must now assume one of three posi-
tons: we must accept the condition of
things, prepared to ''make the best of
1t" we must employ all lawful, reason
able and generous efforts for reform; or
we must organize to depose. In my
Judgment the second of the three posi-
tons is the most just, the safest and
the most patriotic. l do not believe
'all lawful, reasonable and generous
effort" have been made to reform this
government, from the king down. |
think the community has not done its
whole duty. think honest men have
let their honest indignation drive them
to language and to measures that pro-
voked retaliation in kind, while they
have been powerless for reform. Yeti do
not go so far as those who believe the
king. has been driven into the arms of
his nations enemies by the harsh Ian
guage and hostile attitude of his critics
If the kings friends (at least those
whom he chose as his constitutional
advisers had been uniformly, or gem
orally, people whom the nation trusted,
such advisers would have indicated the
kings free choice And the selection
OF those weak, distrusted or disreput-
able ministers with whom he has been
too often surrounded has indicated the
kings choice. Still | think we might
have had better understanding with
the king and had consequently better
government think more tact and
less intolerance might have won many
battles for reform and sill may win
them Very respectfully, yours,
CIvUs AMERicANUs.