The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-13
CONSUL-GENERAL TO HAWAII.
Mr. Blaine was Very Unfortunate in His
Selection of H. W. Severance.

Especial to THE HERALD-Ezaminer Dispatch.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12.-Blaine has been
unfortunate in the selection of man to fill
the position of sul-general in the Ha-
waiian islands News comes now from
Honolulu that Kalakaua declined to receive
Henry w. Severance as consul-general,
and that his majesty regards the appoint
ment as showing lack of courtesy ON the
part of the United States.
One of the latest issues of the state depart
meut register shows that H. W. Severance
was and had been since June, 1865, consul for
the Hawaiian islands at San Francisco.
Quite recently he was dismissed from that
position by Kalakaua for reasons which
have never been made public.
In speaking of the appointment of Sew
erance the other day, gentleman who
understands the situation said that Sever
ance is closely associated with the mission
airy element, which has at times sought to
degrade and belittle in the eyes of his own
people and the world King Kalakaua. In
securing the appointment of Severance the
missionary element has strengthened its
side, which is matter of considerable i'm
portance to them, as the elections are
closely at hand.
Severance owes his position TO the inhu-
Once of the missionaries and the family
relationship existing between Severance
and Blaine, especially on the family side.
Blaine commenced his newspaper career
in an Office in which Severance acted as
typo and reporter. They were chums
throughout life, and always have been fast
friends
1t was by very narrow chance that
Blaine escaped appointing as United States
minister to the Hawaiian islands, gentle
man who was in a similar situation, only
more 50. On June 20 John A. Stevens. of
Maine was to have been appointed
minister to Hawaii, but before that time it
had been practically decided to give the
appointment to David A. Mckinley, a
brother of the eminent statesman from
Ohio. In regard to Mckinley the state
department register issued in October
1888, shows that then he was United States
consul at Honolulu, having been appointed
December, 1880, from California. The
register issued five years later presents a
different picture.
In 1888, when H W. Severance was
Hawaiian consul at San Francisco, McKin
ley was consul general from Hawaii for
California, Nevada, Oregon and Washing
ton territory. He had obtained his an
pointment from the Hawaiian government
July q, 1885, Immediately on being re-
called from the consular service of the
United States by President Cleveland.
From the time of Harrison's election Nc
Kinley became one of the most persistent
and most promising candidates for the
position of United States minister to the
Hawaiian Islands. He was an applicant for
that position while still in the service of
the Hawaiian King, with an office in San
Francisco under the same roof with Claus
Spreckels, whose invoice in the rade be-
tween Hawaii and the United States it
was McKinley's duty, as Hawaiian consul
general, to certify. These facts taken
together present an extraordinary COM
mingling of Hawaiian interests with the
inserests of the United States and the in
terests of Claus Spreckels. The gentleman
seemed to be always ready to transfer his
allegiance aud services whenever Mr.
Snrec1els desired it