Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-08-16


thought that man may serve the Devil, and
finally prospect
Captain Cook estimated the popnla-
ton OF these islands, in 1878, to be about
100000. The best modern authorities
disagree upon this point, but an equa-
ton of their differences makes the
probable population at Cooks landing
fully 100000. In 1873 this had ':e-
creased to about 5o,ooo--a decrease of
400 per cent. IN a century basing the es-
innate on the latterpopuiation. Internal
war, the conquest Of kamehameh |, is
responsible for small fraction of this
decrease. lnianticide for another
small fraction. The lust and the IL
quor of foreign sailors and foreign ira
ders, very large fraction. There are
those who do not hesitate to charge
the civilizing influence Of the mission
aries-particularly the injudicious EN-
ployment OF clothing still anoth-
er fraction. Yet, when all ether causes
are considered, the two evils of nnrc-
strained lust and drunkenness are ac-
knowledged by the intelligent of the ma
ton, Hawaiian ndloreign alike, to be the
twin evils under which this nation has
most suffered. The barrenness of wo-
men, the wothlessness of youth, the de
crepitude of old men; aye, the plague
spots of Kakaako and Kalawao, nearly
all the long catalogue of woes to which
Hawaiian flesh is heir, may be traced to
one or to both of these monster
evils. Dull men will term this exag-
gerated sensationalism. Those who
live by the sale and profit by the ''wag-
es of sin" will pass this by as "mis-
sionary lie" The king-wlat will he
do ? He has it in his power to do
more than the legislature, more
than the ministers of state, more than
the ministers of the gospel, more than
the pedagogues, moe than the press.
He can by his own example and his
own warning voice, discourage both
lust and drunkenness. He can make
hulas well nigh impossible by withdraw
ing kingly patronage and royal coun-
tenance. He can set an example OF
national temperance by consenting To
royal abstinence. He can set he ex
ample of national lrugality by directing
with hisown hands sufficiently stringen,
royal economies to help keep national
expenditures within the national in
come. He can do all this and more
and the heartfelt aloha of the nation
will be sweeter, better, more oft-recur
ringmusic than the babblc offoreign Hat.
terers or domestic tlme-servers
The report of Lieut. K. NJ. G. Brown
U. 5. N, to the Secretary of the Navy
in regard to the progress and prospects
OF the Panama Canal, does not give
hope of speedy accomplishment OF
that important enterprise. One hun
dred and twenty millions oidollars, and
seven years labor were the original
estimates for the cost and tinr rS1uised
for the completion of the work. Hall
the time and hall the moaey have been
spent; but only one thirteenth of the
work has AS yet been accomplished
The French engineers original idea OF
a sea level for the canal has long since
been abandoned as impracticable. 4
these statements be correct, Honolul,
will not be likely to join in a celebration
OF the completion of the canal in 1888
rs originally proposed.
In our account of last Wednesday.
luau, We have purposely omitted III.
hula, held some time later in the even
ing. We have done SO because ",
think the responsibility rests not will
the militia men, but with a pcrsonag,
far higher in authority. We know tha
the Rides as body do not bcliey,
IN such Wholesale ,hamclessncss a
that witnessed last Wednesday night
| II the attorney general and the kin,
desire to make themselves jointl,
famous in the yet unwritlen history o
the hour, and il they are, in any sense
honorably ambitious to shine a. bene
factors Of their county, let the fore
most citizen and the topmost denizei
pool their issues and lay an iniormatioI
against those known to be presen, a
last Wednesdays hulas.
The kings friends have passed ,h'
$4,000 for royal stables" item,
gives the king, il he know the meanin,
OF rc,renchment OF honestly care for i
a splendid opportunity TO exercise tn
absolute veto power