News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-08-19
A PROFLIGATE KING.
How KaIakaua, of the Sandwic h Islands,
is Bearing Hims If.
from a Honolulu Letter.1

ltrOm honolulu Letter.
David Kalakaua has now been on the
throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom for
twelve years. Previous to his elevation
to the throne he was a bOatman in the
harbor of Honolulu and used to pick up
some money at night by playing the
banj 10 In one of the water front dives.
He is a suEerbly built native, but, like
most of the Kanakas, he has no regard
for principle, is profoundly selfish and
hopelessly given up to gross vices. He
had strain of the old Kamehameha
blood in his veins, however. and when,
in 1874, an election was held under the
farce of what is called constitutional
monarchy, Kalakaua was picked up out
of the gutter and was run by the strong
American missionary party in opposi-
tiOn to Queen Emma, who showed great
partiality for the Church of England.
Kalakaua's were the better politicians
and they were successful. For two OF
three years the change did him good
and he behaved we'll, living economi-
cally and taking a warm interest in the
welfare of his people.
With proper advisers Kalakaua might
have remained a model monarch, but he
sellors-adventurers who took office un-
der him merely to further their private
ends and who suggested many ways In
which he could legally divert the public
funds into his own pocket. One of his
early attempts was to seize the fees
which reverted to the crown for certain
duties performed by officers of the In
terror Department. He was greatly in
censed when the honest head of this
department refused to deliver up these
fees and declared that they were public
moneys. The King has been literally
provided for, as well as most of his
family, vet he is always in straits for
cash. He is given $50, 900 every two
years for the privy purse, $40, 900 year
for palace expenses, SIG, 600 for the
Queen and like sum for Mrs. John
Dominis, the Kings sister and the wife
of the Governor of Oahu and Maui, the
Governor himself receiving 81, 200. An
other sister of the King, Mrs. Archie
| Cleghorn, receives $4,000 and Ter
daughter S., 200. In addition to these
| generous allowances for it must be re
membered that the annual expenses of
a native are not more than $50, as he
| lives mainly on poi and raw fish-the
King was allowed $18, 900 by the Leg
| islature for the palace stables. This
sum he used to build private stable,
which he stocked with horses and ten
hacks, which he hired out to be run in
opposition to the regular carriage COM
panies in Honolulu. Besides all these
sources of revenue the King receives a
yearly rental of not less than 500, 900
| l.. ~
some of the best sugar estates on the
islands. The opposition party in the
Legislature has tried for several years to
compel the King to disclose the exact
sum which he receives from these crown
lands, but without success.
With allthis money Kalakaua is peren-
nially in debt. When he took the ia
nous trip around the world he brought
bill for $22, 500, which was paid with
some grumbling by the Legislature.
When the coronation was projected an
allowance of $40, 900 was made, with
the provision that. if this sum was ex-
ceeded, it should come out of the Kings
privy purse. The lavish coronation
ceremonies cost $40, 900, and the sum
had to be paid, as the privy purse was
empty and the King himself so deeply
in debt that, for the credit of the king
dom, the Legislative voted him $40, 0OO
to satisfy the most pressing, of his credi-
tors What becomes of the large sums
received by Kalakaua is a mystery
which no one has yet solved. He has
no more idea of the value of monsy
than had Ludwig of Bavaria. He has
few expensive tastes, but he has one
strong passion which, freely INDUCED,
drains him of all bis coin. This IS gam
bling. The Hawaiias are as fond of all
games of chance as the North American
Indian, and the King is said to be nc
mean hand at our great national game
of poker.