The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-06-10

the compromise then, and liked it still
less now that the circumstances had
changed in the United States, and that
before the ink was dry on the treaty its
advantages would be gone, and would
be no party to binding the country so
that it could not breathe without consult
ing Uncle Sam.
4 conference was called OF Honolulu
business men, ostensibly to discuss the
Treaty, really to overawe and coerce me.
They voted, as | knew they would, to
put the Treaty through, but that didn't
shake me in the least. l was there to
do my duty to the King and country,
and believe | did it, and am proud OF
it, and would do 1t again because be-
lieved it was right if every man in the
country was against me.
Mr.. President, the Minister of the In
terror attempted to fasten upon my atti-
tude, stain and faint of insincerity.
He read extracts from documents to
prove it. We were very much disguised
when the matter got out. Even the
King was not to know all the facts. The
"troops" clause was tackled in as an al
ternate section which could be detached
when the draft was taken to the King.
Mr.. Damon took the draft and read it to
the King, who wished to have the draft
left with him. Mr.. Damon left it, but
forgot to take off the extra section, and
when the King saw that, he did what
we knew he would he objected. (Bucked,
l would say, but a King never bucks.)
1t is true that the Cabinet submitted
the majority question to the Supreme
Court, but only the Colonelcy question,
another illustration OF their cunning, to
state it mildly. We went to Cabinet
council to discuss, not as the Minister of
the Interior states, the Colonelcy and
the Treaty question, but the Treaty ques-
ton, and then unexpectedly to me, the
Colonelcy 1t is not true that advised
the King to disregard the advice of the
other members OF the Cabinet. con-
fined myself to saying: Don't sign
that Treaty." The Minister of the In
terror read here what purported to be a
verbatum report OF my words on that &C.
casion. did not recognize them, but
do not propose to discuss that did state
that the King was not bound by the
opinion OF the Supreme Court. That
was only an ex-parte opinion delivered
without hearing arguments, and not
binding as a decision, and because it was
wrong anyhow.
| started to tell just how our reply was
made up. We felt that the game was
up unless We could patch up something
plausible in the way of excuse. Each
was to make a patchwork OF excuses and
the one who could make the best patch
work was to be accepted. The Minister
OF the Interior was so much more adept
in that kind of business than the rest
that most of his draft was adopted. /
confess to having been wrong then and
right now Consistency, it is said, is the
logic of fools. The Minister of the In
terror taunts me with my inconsistency
and implies that he is consistent. am
willing
l come now to the last branch of my
subject. One of the Ministers told me
when we left the Cabinet council that
my action would damn me out of this
country. Since then l believe they have
cOnspired to damn me out of this country
and SO they got up. these rumors and
guarded the Station house. Therefore, l
called the Marshal to my Office and made
inquiries. When had this talk with
the Marshal the meeting of merchants
had already been held at the Iron works,
and the Minister of the Interior was
there. That was before | had expressed
any opinion or taken any account. II
there were any rumors they ought to
have brought them to me, and if was
not to be trusted they ought to have had
me arrested, and if there was not suffi-
cient evidence to justify my arrest, then
| say they We're not justified in withhold
ing their information from me as the
chief peace officer OF this Kingdom.
Therefore, | contend that there was no
scare at all here until the Minister of the
Interior created one for the purpose of
discrediting my brother and myself, and
| charge that this whole scare was the
result of conspiracy to discredit my
brother and rush through the annexa-
ton scheme.
The Minister of the Interior took the
trouble to read long letter from myself
advising careful charge of the Police sta
ton, and the Ministers inferred that be-
cause l thought precautions necessary
then l must be insincere in opposing it
now. Now, MIR. President, about
dozen OF the conspirators were confined
there, and there were rumors that an at
tempt might be made to release them
owing to the ardent sympathy existing in
the minds of the Hawaiians.
Mr.. President-The Minister justified
provision of armed force against COM
mands OF superior officer because danger
was possible, if rot probable. On that
basis why is there not band of armed
police here now. 1t is possible that
those men will swarm over the bar and
pitch US out of the windows. My in
structions to the Marshal were that if he
absolutely believed that there was
danger he should provide guard, but
that did not believe there was any
ground and that no guard ought to be
kept. l could see from the behavior of
the Marshal that he was under some
body's orders besides mine, and L said
to my deputy, Mr.. Creighton, l believe
that fool will have double guard there
tonight because he believes am after
that Station.
The Minister OF the Interior is grieved
because l was not present any night at
the Police Station He says did every
thing in my power to prevent the place
being guarded. All 1 did was what |
have told you. Ii l had gone and tried
been used as an argument against me
and so kept away. My highest object
was the preservation of the public peace.
The Minister OF the Interior complains
that was not there on the night of the
18th OF April. He complains that was
comfortably in bed, whereas he had TO
turn out at l A. NJ. 1t is trne l was
much more comfortable and much more
sensible, trust. The whole thing was
a conspiracy plot and put up job to
render useless a man who WAS doing his
duty 10 his king and country in order to