St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-16
A PRoFLEGATE KING.
How KaIakaua of the Sand witch
Islands is Bearing Himself.

Islands is Bearing Himself.
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 banjo in one Of the
waterfront dives. He is a superbly built
native, but, like most of the Kanakas, he
has no regard for principal, is
profoundly selfish and hopeleSSly given
up to gross vices. He had a strain of the
old Kamehameha blood in his veins. how
ever and when, in 1874, an election was
held under the farce of what is called a
constitutional monarch, Kalakaua was
picked up out of the gutter, and was run by
the strong American missionary party in
| opposition to Queen Emma, who showed
great partiality for the church of England.
Kalakaua's friends were the better poll
ticians and they were successful. For two
or three years the change did him good and
he behaved WELL living economically and
taking warm interest in the welfare of
his people.
With proper advisers Kalakaua might
have Crenained a model monarch, but he
suffered from the influence of evil counsel
lorS-adventurerS who took Office under 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 Off
GERS of the interior department. He was
greatly incenSed when the honest head of
this department refused to deliver up these
nd 6anl fbot
public moneys The king has
been literally provided for, as we'll as
most of his family, yet he in always in
straits for cash. He is given $50, 900 every
two years for the privy purse, $4,000 Il
year for palace expenses, $1,000 for the
queen and like sum for Mrs. John Do
minis, the kings sister and the wife of
governor himself receiving $1,000. An
other sister of the king, Mrs. Archie Cleg-
horn, receives $12 900 and her daughter
SIS, 600. In addition to these generous al
lowances-for it must be remembered that
the annual expenses of native are
not more than $50, as he
lives mainly on poi and raw fish-the
king was allowed SIS, 900 by the legislature
for the palace stables. This sum he used
to build private stable, which he stocked
with horses and ten hacks, which he hired
out 10 De run III OppOSlClOn TO the regular
carriage companies in Honolulu. Besides
all these sources of revenue the king re-
ceives yearly rental of not less than $780,
600 from the crown lands, which comprise
some of the best sugar estates on the ISL
ands. The opposition party in the legisla-
ture has tried for several years to compel
the king to disclose the exact sum which he
receives from these crown lands. but with
out success.
With all his money Kalakaua is peren-
nially in debt. When he took the famous
trip around the world he brought in bill
for S22. 800, 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 exceeded. it should come
out of the kings privy purse. The lavish
coronation ceremonies cost $40, 600, and the
sum had to be paid, as the privy purse was
empty and and the king himself so deeply
in debt that, for the credit of the kingdom,
the legislature voted him $20,0 to satisfy
the most pressing of his creditors. What
becomes of the large sums received by
Kalakaua is mystery which no one has
yet solved. He has no more idea of the
value of money than had Ludwig of Bavaria.
He has few expensive tastes, but he has
one strong passion which, freely INDUCED,
drains him of all his coin. This is gambling.
The Hawaiians are as fond of all games of
chance as the North American Indian, and
the king is said to be no mean hand at our
great national game of poker.