The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-02-03

in a banking firm, al
hough we must express regret that
Bishop & Co. should have requested the
government to commit an unlawful act,
1v loaning them $3.50, 900 Of the public
unds, ''to promote speculation or too
rapid expansion" That is the cold
Iogic of the situation, for which, however
unpleasant it may be to express it, we
are not responsible.
These points we submit also meet
the special pleader in the daily libel.
The unlawful issuance of public money
by the Wilder Administration was
not confined to the loan to Bishop
& Co., which fortunately proved to
be its salvation. It had been ioaning
money from the Treasury to its friends
Governments composed OF Opposition !
timber always took care of their friends
and upon maturity of these loans, &C
cording to the biennial report OF the
Finance Minister, collection being diff
cult and tedious, cit was then resolved to
abandon the system" and use Bishop d
Co. as Government loan brokers. The
face of the documents apparently dis
close the fact that all this was arranged
between the parties, and that Bishop q
Co.'s letter applying for the loan, the
terms upon which it was to be made,
and the Cabinet resolution approving the
illegal transaction, were the result OF
prior agreement.
We have thus established the fact that
the Wilder Administration dealt with the
public funds in its lawful custody In an
unlawful way; that Bishop & Co. and
other persons or firms had the use OF
large sums of public money in their pri-
vate business operations; and that these
acts, instead of being censured, are justl-
fed by the Opposition. Excuses are be-
ing set up, as they were set up at the
time by the officials, but when a
| Government needs apologies for its use
| of public money it stands condemned
We warned the Opposition that it was
treading upon delicate ground; and we
warn it again that the worst has not
been told about its friends in office In
past years. We are willing, however,
to let the rotten past lie untouched. Ii
would smell too bad if thoroughly stirred
ND as it must be if stirred at all. What
we have done has been done IN
vindication of truth.
The Opposition accused the Gibson
Administration of stealing $54, 1852 63 IL
1884. We showed from the hostile re
mort of the Finance Committee and tn
Bill of Indemnity of that year, that thu
was untrue. Tie money has been ex
: pended under lawful warrant, tn
vouchers of expenditure are on file, an
we published an itemized list OF them.
r The Opposition accused the G1bso
! Administration of the unlawful diyersio
3 of $45 900, appropriated for the Nuuan
Pail road to other purposes. We demon
=
that this charge was untrue.
, The Gibson Administration has ais
been charged with "official dishonesty,
downright stealing and "malverss
ton of public funds.'' None of thes
charges stick. Per contra, we have den
onstrated that these charges do site
against. the Opposition, when it's part
was in Office. The inference is there
fore clear that the Gibson Administrs
ton comes before the constituencies {
D the Kingdom with clean hands, and thu
the Opposition candidates represent
corrupt party, whose record is bad, an
l who commend themselves to the peopl
by lying accusations against the Cover
nment and reckless assertions intende
to deceive.
: We concede to the daily libel that III
der the law quoted its friends in offiC
: had the right to apply the vote of $50, OC
} for the Pail road to other purposes; bl
: we do not find any provision under
: authorizing a homecoming for its e.
; penditure. In fact, an accounting is Ell
joined. We characterized the section
question as provision to facilitate of
t cial embezzlement, and it appears tOhay
been so understood by the Carter Cover
ment Whether this sum disappeare
4 in the unexplained palace or small-po
: expenditures is immaterial. Two hur
2 dred thousand dollars disappeared an
l the Pail appropriation doubtless forme
, part of ''the pot"
And this brings us to the stereotype
charge against the Gibson Administr;
: ton that public credit has been RUNE
by it, and that private interests are 60
ing to ruin Now, what are the facts?
l. The taxes are being paid more freel
. than usual, although Opposition taxpay
, ers do not tender gold as they should d
, to he consistent.
! 3 There is general revival of trad
and industry.
, 3. The sugar outlook is better tina
ever, and last years crop will be tn
largest ever marketed.
4. Business is recovering tone froI
2 the reaction consequent upon 'specula
: ton and too rapid expansion" stimulate
t by Government loans from the Treasur
5 five or six years ago.
s. Exchange on San Francisco is on