The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-06-10


fed in the action which we took. don't
propose to indulge in rhetoric or adjec-
tives, but to make plain statement OF
facts and of the information which | re-
ceived, and then let the gentlemen here
draw their own conclusion. The reasons
which actuated Us involve considerable
amount of the secret history of this
country during the last three years l
/ do not propose to state any facts which are
not essential. There are large number
which bear on the subject which L have
stricken out, but think that have re-
/ tanned enough TO convince the House
! | will show first why we had cause to
/ distrust R W. Wilcox and to believe
that he was intending to disturb the
! peace.
! As you all know Mr.. Wilcox was sew
! eral years a ward of this country study
ing abroad, until his return in 1887. A
! fact not so generally known is that he
organized at that time a conspiracy to
! dethrone the King, overthrow the Min
/ istry and proclaim new constitution.
/ One of those who assisted him in draw
/ ing up the constitution is now present in
! this House. They went so far as to act
/ uallv have the constitution engrossed,
and Wilcox with others went into the
/ Palace and demanded of the King that
| he abdicate and declare his sister Queen.
! They even had the form of abdication
written out for him to sign If it had
/ not been for the faithful service of Robt.
/ Parker, the matter which came to head
/ in July, 1889, might have come to a head
| in the early part of 1888. The tactics
which Wilcox pursued were almost
/ identical with those which he employed
in last July, except that he went into it
! so subtly that he managed to draw in a
great many innocent persons, who did
/ not understand it until they were so deep
/ in that they could not withdraw One
of these became frightened and came
/ and told us, and that is how we came to
! know about it. As soon as | learned
about it, sent for several of the promin-
/ ent conspirators, one after another, and
/ charged them with it, and they confessed.
! | put their statements in writing and
| they signed them, and | have those
/ statements to-day. The object was
! straight and simple to compel the King
/ to abdicate They had the abdication
all written out and they tried to compel
| him to sign it. Within a day or two
after the matter came to my knowledge,
| they all knew that | knew it. The wife
! OF X w. Wilcox came to me Gas she said
at the request of her husband) and beg
ged me with tears that they might be
allowed to go away. She said they would
90 back to Italy and that would be the
| last of it. 1t may be said that the Cab
met ought to be condemned for not
bringing it all out at that time, and so
preventing the trouble of July Both.
Perhaps We were right and perhaps we
were wrong. The reason We did not was
that the country had been disturbed and
we did not wish to again arouse alarm.
Nobody knew of the affair, and they pro-
missed to reform Robt. Wilcox came to
me himself and admitted the whole
affair; said that he had been wrong,
that he saw his mistake, but had been
desperate, living as he was on charity.
That he was angry with the King for not
giving him an Office which he had ex-
pected and been promised. He said he
would go back to Italy and take service
in the Italian army where they were
fighting in Arabia, and that perhaps he
would obtain promotion there. 1t
seemed to us best after mature dellbera-
ton not to prosecute, and so no arrests
were made, no publicity was given to It,
Wilcox was allowed to 60 and he went.
After this there were no disturbances, no
rumors-everybody went about his bus
mess with the consciousness that
everything was all right and that the
country was secure.
This state of things continued until
Wilcox came back in 1889. He had
scarcely arrived before we began to re-
ceive information that he was trying to
bring about the same thing again, There
is no need of my repeating the events of
July last, as it has all been before the
Cour s. Now, after all that had happen
ed in 1888, after his exposure and failure,
his repentance and promises, he came
back and repeated his attempt, and to-
dav he has the blood of seven poor kama
kas on his head, The results of his sec
ond attempt you all know. He was tried
and acquitted. You know what has
happened since. He made triumphal
tour through the country, not only ex-
pressing no regret and repentance for
what he had done, but glorifying in it,
representing himself as patriot and say
ing that if he had chance he would do
the same thing again. So things went
on until some time before the election.
Then rumors again began to go around,
and received direct information that he
was again discussing schemes of violence
and that as first step he intended to
take the Station House; that he had
been discussing that with V. V. Ash
ford, and with his assistance was devils
ing plans as to how it might be accom-
plished R. W. Wilcox stated to several
of his friends the substance of his con-
versation with V. V. Ashford. Two of
them gave me their statements in writ
ing. They are persons who were politi-
cally opposed to me. 1t is unnecessary
for me to state that one of them was An
tone Rosa, since he has stated the same
thing over his own signature in the pub
lie press.
went Immediately to Mr. Rose, up
on hearing that he knew of the matter,
and said +" You and are not politically
in accord, but we both know that there
in nothing will SO damage the country
as a repetition of July 80. We can sink
our political differences in the attempt