The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-06-07


from q gentleman in whom Y
very member OF this House has conf 9
ence, who was asked in front Of the
POST Office by one Of Wilcox's intimate
riends ii he would help take the Stat g
ION House that they were going 70 2
nave a meeting that night to discuss It.
Several of my infogmSnts were then
and still are, members Of the Opposition
party. One actively expressed himself
during the election for the expge6a pur-
pose of getting the Cabinet out Of Office
This brings the matter TO the 18th OF
April which the Attorney General con-
siders the eliminating ~iniquity Of the
Cabinet.
@ The second ouestieo which shall con-
slider is why the Cabinet distrusted Wv.
Ashford and believed that he was favor
able TO creating q disturbance. l will
not go back to the 30th of July last, AL
though there are q number OF earlier In |
stances which might mention. Shortly |
after July Goth, rumors and statements
began to be circulated that V. V. Ash
ford, although he commanded the forces
AGAINST Wilcox, yet knew more than he
ought to about that movement, and that
his heart was not entirely in the action
which he took that day. At first did
otsake much stock in these rumors, Tor
people talk as much here as they do any
where but as time passed on l received
in.imations that there were facts at the
bottom OF these reports, and thought
| that ought to investigate. l did not
consult G. w. Ashford. Blood is thicker
than water. Although will state that
/ had at that time implicit confidence in
| the Attorney General. As q result Of my
| investigations have statements in writ
ing from friends Of the Government,
from enemies and from neutrals, and
state unhesitatingly that V. v. Ashford
knew of and counselled and advised the
disturbance of last July; that he sent
messengers to Wilcox saying that the
King and the Cabinet were at logger
heads and that now was the time to act:
i Matters were quiet after the 3Oth OF
July, SO far as his action was concerned,
J except that his conduct was character
lied by the most violent denunciations
of the Cabinet, publicly and without
. stint, to such all extent that member
of the diplomatic corps came to . mem
said he was acting beyond the scope o.
t his official duty, warned them not t.
:, have confidence in q man talking al
Wv. Ashford was.
> Wv. Ashford became q frequent con
3 tributor to Opposition newspapers, de
| claiming against the Government in thu
bitterest terms, giving out false state
= ments with regard to the Cabinet, ant
0 stating that he got them from his brother
Q although I did not believe anything Q
!, the sort. As an illustration, one of tn
n members of this House lately told m
;. that at about that time Mr.. Ashford toll
It him that he was 80 anxious to have thi
:, Ministry turned out that he would rathe
e have the country 60 back to the oil
e regime than see it 60 on with them j
e office, and would rather see the countr
e reduced to ashes than have them remain
It So matters continued, Mr.. Presiden
l. until two or three weeks before the ele'
ts ton. That was a time of good deal I
t. uncertainty. Both parties were conf
t. dent and neither Was sure. At that tim
10 V. V. Ashford had a quarrel with b
s. political friends. Although in q positio
at as commander of the volunteer forces,
le high responsibility and trust under tt
Government, he had been an active pol
Ill teal worker against the Government
I'd Then he sent word to me and asked for
e. truce between himself and the Cover
ped aaad ha mhks aI hB aWR as
ne kept and finally third was made whit
n was kept in my Office. In the presen
e, Of a mutual friend the interview W,
ne held, and he made this statement. T
o. said that he wished to be perfectly fran
a. He said that he had worked against Il
C. Government, admitted that he had BET
I'd writing for the Elele to large exteu
as but was sick OF his associates, they we
al mean lot generally and he wanted
X be done with them. He offered eth
or to retain his position as Colonel and wo
1t, secretly for us or to resign altogether al
y take the stump openly. He made, no,
10 ever, one condition. He said, my re
mt son for opposition to you has been n
n. belief that you and the other members
d, the Cabinet were engaged in a conspi
he acy against my brother. But if you al
&c the others will promise to stand by hi
to in the next Legislature, l will do all tn
I'D can for you.
h heard all that he had to say, al
's- then replied, what we wanted is vote
n Votes are what count, and that '
al should be glad of your assistance al
n vote and the votes that you control. !
OF for promises, I have stood by you straig
it through and have done nothing for v,
IT, that ever agreed to do, and the on
ry result has been that you have co
n stantly villified me. consider myss
ne discharged Of any obligations to you al
ID will make no promises and no agre
ments with you. As far az the relatio
lp- of the Cabinet to G. w. Ashford a
sr, are concerned your course will ha
lily nothing to do with it. G. w. Ashfo
re has stood by us 30 far as I know and '
ry propose to stand by him, and if we
nix down we will 90 down together.
pit Shortly aftefthe election Of the Ct
l onel came up, and v. V. Ashford "
elected. The election was certified up
an the Cabinet and it became our duty
lie decide whether to approve or reject
nd and it was not until after considerati,
'ut of all the facts that have mentione
nix that we came to the conclusion that
lis was our duty not to endorse the electio
ng and that We would be faithless to the i
lat terests of the community, if We aga
We allowed that man to SO in as the head
the military. don't say that we h
he evidence to warrant his arrest and tria
on Wa,did not feel justified in taking til
nd action, but we did feel justified in refl
ch ing to ratiiy his election, as We kns
ad that he was man in whom we cou
I'D not cOnfide in case of another 30th
he July
en- We therefore did not recommend hi
"a, to the King, and the matter was referr
V. back to the officers again. Mr.. Y.
mt Ashford asked for our reasons. We
lr; fused to give them orally, but said th
Il if he would make application in writ
q: we would state them in writing.
nd stated that he would apply in writir
but, Inter- he sent letter to the Minist
Tor nj EoroiUA ATaieA Sto<;nO fhof he vvnr