Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-06

Given Up to Vice A Liberal In
come.
David Kalskaua has now been on the
throne Of the Hawaiian kingdom fol
twelve years. Previous TO his elevation Il
the throne he was a bostman in the harbol
oil Honolulu and used to pick up som,
money at night by playing the banjo in
one OF the waterfront dives. He is a su
perbly built native, but, like most of the
hanakas, he has no regard for principle
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 monarchy, kalakaua was
picked up out of the gutter and was run
/ by the strong American missionary party
/ III opposition TO Queen Emma who showed
great partiality for the Church OF Eng
land kalakaua's friends were the better
| politicians and they were successful For
TWO or three years the change did him
good and he behaved well, living economi-
cally and taking a warm interest in the
welfare of the people
With proper advisers Ealakaua might
have remained a model monarch, but he
suffered from the influence of evil coun-
selors-adVenturers who took Office under
MIN merely TO further their private ends
and VINO suggested many ways in which
he could legally divert the public funds
INTO his own pocket One of his early at
temptS was To seize the fees which re-
Verted to the crown for certain duties
performed by officers of the interior de-
partment. He was greatly incensed when
the honest head of this department re-
fused 10 deliver up these fees and declared
that they were public moneys
Is LITERALLY PROVIDED FOR
The king has been literally provided
for, as well as most of his family. yet he is
always i'll straits for cash. He is given
SO,OoO every two years for the privy purse,
S2O,OO year for palace expenses, Sl6. 900
Tor 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 500.
Another sister of the king, Mrs Archie
Cleghorn, receives 81, 900 and her daugh-
ter 5000 In addition to these generous
allowances-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
$4,000 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
to be run in opposition to the regular car
riage companies in Honolulu Besides all
these sources OF revenue the king receives
a yearly rental Of not less than SlO0, 900
from the crown lands, which comprise
some of the best sugar estates on the
islands. The opposition party in the leg
stature has tried for several years to COM
pei the king to disclose the exact sum
which he receives from these crown lands,
but without success.
With all this money Kalakaua Is peren-
lially in debt. When he took the famous
rip around the world he brought in bill |
or 81, ,5OS, which was paid with some I
yrumbling by the legislature. VIII, the /
was projected an allowance Of .
10000 was made, with the provision that, |
( this sum was exceeded, it should come /
'ut Of the kings priyy purse The lavish .
ceremonies cost over $40 900,
md the sum had to be paid, as the privy
'urse was empty and the king himself so
leeply in debt that, for the credit of the
the legislature voted him 81, 900
o satisfy the most pressing Of his credit
rs. What becomes Of the large sums re-
eived by Kalakaua is a mystery which no
ne has yet solved. He has no more idea
4 the value of money than had Ludwig
I Bavaria He has few expensive tastes,
'ut he has one strong passion which,
RELY indulged. drains him of all his coin.
his is gambling. The Hswaiians are as
ond Of all games of chance as the North
american Indian, and and the king is said
o be no mean hand at our great national
anne Of poker.-Honolulu Letter.