Morning journal and courier., 1886-08-06
NOT A MODEL MONARCH.
The King KaIakaua of To-Day And
Wis ExtraVaGant Habits.

King Kalakaua and his visit to New Ha-
ven and his reception here about ten years
ago well remembered here by our citi-
zens. A word about the King as he is to-
day will be interesting to many who saw
him. The ST. Louis Globe Democrat says:
David Kalakaua has now been on the
throne of the Hawaiian kingdom for twelve
years. Previous to his elevation to the
throne he was boatman in the harbor of
Honolulu and used to pick up some money
at night by playing the banjo in one of the
water front dives. He is superbly 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 Kane
hameha blood in his veins, however, 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 Amer
lean missionary party in opposition to
for the Church of England. 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 economically, and taking a warm in
terest in the welfare of his people.
With proper advisers Kalakaua might have
remained model monarch, but he suffered
from the influence of evil counsellors-ad
venturers who took Office under him merely
to further their private ends, and who sug-
gested many ways in which he could legal
ly 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 Interior department. He was greatly
incensed when the honest head of this de
partmsnt refused to deliver up these
fees, and declared that they were public
moneys. The King has been literally pro
vided for, as we'll as most of his family, yet
he ia always in straits for cash. He is given
$50, 600 every two years for the privy purse,
$50, 900 year for palace expenses, $4,000
for the Queen, and like sum for Mrs. John
Dominis, the Kings sister, and the wife of
the Governor of Oahu and Maui, the govern
or himself receiving $1,000. Another sister
of the King, Mrs. Archie Cleghorn, receives
$12, 900, and her daughter $4,000. In
! addition to these generous allowancss-for
| it must be remembered that the annual ex-
penses of native are not more than 500, as
| he lives mainly on poi and raw fsh-the
| King was allowed $18, 900 by the legislature
| for the palace stables. This sum he used to
| build a private stable, which he stocked
| with horses and ten hacks, which he hired
| out to be run in opposition to the regular
carriage companies in Honolulu. Be-
sides all the sources of revenue
| the King receives yearly rental of not less
| than 100000 from the crown lands, which
comprise some of the best sugar estates on
the islands. The opposition party in the
legislature has tried for years to compel the
King to disclose the exact sum which he re-
ceives from the crown lands, but without
success.
With all this money Kalakaua is peren-
nially in debt. When he took the famous
trip around the world he brought in a bill
for 1922, 800, which was paid with some
hu bo
the coronation was projected an allow
ance of $4,000 was made with the pro-
vision that if this sum was exceeded it
should come out of the Kings privy purse
The lavish coronation services cost $40, 600,
and the sum had to be paid, as the p1iNy
purse was empty and the King himself so
heavily in debt that for the credit of the
kingdom the legislature voted him $40, 600
| to satisfy the most pressing of his
creditors. 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 money than had
Ludwig of Bavaria. He has few expensive
tastes, but he has one strong passion, which,
freely INDUCED, drains him of 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 national game of poker.
Apropos of his gambling exploits, good
story is told of the minstrel, Billy Emerson,
who recently stopped at the islands on his
way back here from the Australian colonies.
Emerson is one of the noted poker players OF
the coast, and, being jolly good fellow, the
King invited him to the palace, where the
two were soon deep in the mysteries of the
game. How much the minstrel won is not
known, but the nature of one game may be
gained from Emerson's account of it the next
night at the theater in Honolulu. AS ''end
man" he asked the conundrum: ''When will
three aces beat four kings at pokers' and he
explained that he held the aces while in the
hand against him were the king of spades,
the king of clubs, the king of hearts, and
king Kalakaua. This climax brought
down the house, the King. who was in boz,
laughing heartily at the joke. Like all
gamblers, the King is generous to his
favorites, but very mean to his
creditors 1t is notorious in Hon
olulu that bill against the King is difficult
to collect: How the ingenious monarch pays
his debts is shown by the experience of an
American merchant, who finally worried
Kalakaua into paying him. He went to the
palace on the appointed day and found that
| the King had several bills made out on gov
| eminent blanks and charged up to different
| departments, while small portion of the &C
| count was charged to himself.
worked the First Degree.