The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-01-15
LETTER FROM MR.. ]. 0. CARTER.

EDITOR BULLETIN The writer for
the 1dcertiser is to the fore again
this morning and treats me less
fairly than before. The main points
in his article arc based upon an
error which ] made, and corrected
at the earliest moment possible.
Let me ask your readers as men
what is the quality of honor or
sense of fair play that writer pos
sesses who can take advantage of a
slip of the pen which / made and
corrected? Surely this is not the
kind of q man who shall draw lines
for my conduct. Upon the matter
of bonds unpaid at maturity the
advertiser writer says:-
Touching the allegation that "a con-
siderable sum of the percent bonds
have been illegally extended" " we have
Il word 10 say. As already shown the
issue of o percent bonds was limited to
100000 by the law of September 81.
1874. These bonds are payable " the
date expressed on their face. or at a
period not exceeding twenty years from
the passage of the Act. Of these bonds.
$5O.O0O became payable September /.
1884. They were part of the assets of
the James Robinson estate, and by
mutual arrangement between the trus-
tees of that estate and the Government
they were continued. This is the trans
action which Mr.. j. o. Carter charac-
terized rs an Illegal continuation
and from which he draws the injurious
and unjustiiiablc conclusion that the
Government cannot be trusted to meet
its engagements to the public creditors
a they mature. We are not prepared
to argue the point of law involved in
this continuance. but we are fully salts
fled that the facts do not warrant the in
ference which Mr.. Carter draws from it.
Now, Mr.. Editor, to any person
who has read or will read the Loan
Act under which the bonds talked
of now issued it must appear that
the above quotation is the veriest
quibbling. But the writer naively
remarks that he is mot prepared
to argue the point of law involved
in this continuance Certainly
not, for there is no room for argu-
ment. This breach of law was the
main point in my letter. The writer
thinks it would pay the country to
make me u handsome annual allow
ance to maintain Inc in a private
station where | could not do any
possible harm. Barring the allow
ance, which my modesty forces me
to decline, / may say that this plan
is quite to my fancy. If | consulted
my own wishes entirely | should not
stand in position where i must
take the AdcertiSer's word. The
advertiser writer should under
stand that any reputation | may
have as a tinancier came to me
unsought. make no pretence in
that direction. am constrained to
believe that this reputation was
earned largely by my habit of pay
ing what / owed when it was due,
and this simple rule has kept my
credit sound, and for that reason |
have recommended the Government
to do the same. So far as the danger
exists of my ever managing the
finances of this Kingdom is con-
cerned, simply have to say that the
day has passed when | had such an
ambition and the fears of the Adcer-
tiser are quite groundless. Now, in
regard to the reply of Mr.. Neumann,
can say that if he is correct | was
certainly at fault, and if so it is my
duty to apologize to any person con-
cerned. j. o. CARTER.
Honolulu, Jan. 10, 1886.