The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-11-24
A PORTUGUESE ON REFORM,

Translated from a Communication IN
the "Luso HawaiianO" of November
10, 1888.
Much has been said and written in all
the newspapers about the so much
praised Reform, obtained by the great
mass meeting of June 80, 1887. There
was no good citizen who would not have
fought in favor of so promising a move
ment, the result of which has not been
liberal government but an oligarchy.
There are four commercial houses, the
chiefs of which influence public affairs,
and this whole people has to suffer and
be silent. These influential gentlemen,
possessed with the cursed fanaticism
which the "blue ribbon" sect imposes
on them so cynically, are the protectors
of the Chinese race, are the preachers of
the cursed Sunday law, hindering in this
way the liberty of religion, are the
champions Of the famous propaganda
called prohibition, thing which men
of advanced ideas and born in liberal
country like ours cannot credit; part of
these were those who solemnly prom
ised us before the general elections of
1887 that they would work for the gen
eral good of this country, and that they
would defend us from the Asiatic plague
(and) are SO hypOcritical that on Sunday
they go to church with Bible in pocket,
and on Monday if an opportunity offers
itself of making a mortgage with usuri-
GUS or fraudulent interest, they have no
scruple, because in this case it is a ques-
ton of dollars and cents, which is a
dogma of the sect which they profess.
But we are yet in time to help to bring
about radical reform, under the sound
principles of a true liberty. This can
not exist while any sect governs. that is,
while the executors of the law are affili-
ated in that sect or have not sufficient
courage to repel these or those secta-
ries. Such as exists to-day is not lib
eral and tolerant government, but an
Oligarchy, daughter of the fanaticism of
one religion.
Look at the government of our country,
which in spite of being Roman Catholic
is one of the most advanced of Europe,
inasmuch as religious questions are not
seen complicated with those of the state.
Other nations may be seen which pride
themselves on their civilization, and
(yet) appear to have difficulties in max
ing an end of the converts, which diff
culties our government removed more
than half century ago.
1t is more than a century since the
Company of Jesus was expelled from our
Portugal, and in this nineteenth century,
which is said to be that of light, the in
habitants of Hawaii had not the courage
to shake off these Jesuits (of different
religion) from governmental power. The
reasons are the same; the Jesuits of
other times made governments shake
however solid they might be, either by
intrigue or by their influence; those of
Hawaii imperil not only liberty of con-
science but also the commercial and in
divIdual liberty of the citizen, interfering
even with the right of acquisition, in
consequence of which many of my fellow
citizens and others have been victims.
Therefore the time to prepare for the
campaign of 1890 is now; once united,
there is nothing to fear and victory will
be certain; let US not lose a single day;
let us combine ourselves because union
will be strength, and let us not elect any
more men who go to parliament to sleep
and pray, in consequence of having all
to fear from the hypocrisy and cynicism
OF such parasites.
ONE WHO HAS REPENTED