The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-08-18
A Startling Confession by the Organ


EDITOR BuLLETlN:-
The Advertiser, this morning, adj
mits and bewails the rottenness of
the personnel and methods of the |
Honolulu Police force. Its confes-
sion of official corruption which is
patent to all men, had not interest
cd ME, but for the editors malicious
innuendo that the vices under dis
cussion we're developed under my
official sanction, his words being:
"The Police Station reached its
height OF unfavorable notoriety
when Mr. G. w. Ashford was Attor-
ney-General."
The intent of the organ is clear,
to saddle nae with the odium of the
reigning corruption in that bureau,
presumably because do not wear an
annexation badge, nor worship the
fetich of government by small and
self-appointed minority. But the
editor forgets, for the nonce, that
my official incumbency was part
of the "Reform" regime, which has
ever since been extolled by the
godly ones as the one bright spot in
the recent political existence of the
Hawaiian monarchy.
While | do not feel myself at all
in need of certificate of official
fidelity during the years of my in
cumbency of that office, l would yet
refer the organ to such certificate,
contained in speech delivered by
Mr.. Thurston (then, as now, imma-
culate), during the wordy duel be-
tween us in the Legislature of 1890.
That gentleman said Cat page II of
=" the pamphlet report of his speech):
And l wish to say here, Mr.. Presi-
dent, that | believe and | know,
from personal experience of great
many years connection with the
Government, since rs, l don't be-
lieve there has been an Attorney
General who has worked harder and
more faithfully in the Government
business, and in the carrying on of
suits than Mr.. Ashford has, in the
conduct of the business of the At
torney-General's Office"
| admit, Mr. Editor, that there
was corruption in the police depart
ment while l was in Office, and ]
: submit that it grew rapidly deeper
and more expansive after the break
, ing out of the quarrel between my
colleagues and myself, in March,
1890. L had long recognized the in
efficiency Ito put it very mildly
of Mr.. Soper, the then Marshal,
and, in the month mentioned,
endeavored to remove him from
!, office, but was banked in that
effort under the law by my
three colleagues, Messrs. Ihurston,
, Damon and Austin. From that time
, forward | held no control of police
affairs; the Marshal took his instruc-
tions in all but merely routine mat
ters from Mr.. Thurston, and the
opium scandals, by remarkable
r coincidence, followed very closely
, upon the heels of the events men
toned. 1t was after my official
, authority was repudiated by the
! Marshal, acting upon the instruc.
: tions of the immaculate Thurston
y that the miraculous transmutation
of opium into poi, mud, brick, straw
and other highly valuable commodi.
}. ties, was discovered to have occurred
e in the strong room of Marshal Soper
: The gentleman last named was the
!, nominal, and Mr.. Thurston the rea
head of the Police at that period
: when, in the words of the organ, "the
n police station reached its height O.
r unfavorable notoriety," yet to-day
1 we find those two immaculates ell
joying the confidence and coin o
. the no less immaculate Government
g the one as Minister PlenipotentiarN
t to Dime Museum in Chicago, the
o with -the-rank- k-of-Colonel.
' 1t is the veriest claptrap for the
J. organ to prate about this heritage o.
J. corruption from the monarchy. Th,
y p. &. has been in life seven months
!. and the corruption complained o
!, has thriyen under it's ;egis more
u plenteously than ever before. The
e "heroic efforts to break it up" dc
e not seem to materialiZe.
i But the most startling assertion il
) the article in question, is the organ,
> astounding confession that "whel
II Marshal Hitchcock came into office
y he felt he had not the material a
n hand to reorganize and purify tn,
q police department Is there NJ
. mistak here? Is not the Advertise
re one of the papers that, for sever
s. months past, has been shouting will
.e such ''damnable iteration" that th
II z. q. adherents embraced all th,
brains, wealth, virtue and patriotism
J. of the land, and that none OF thos,
n estimable gifts were to be found out
Sc side the ranks of the Annexation
,s Club2 If that be all true, how damn
=, ing is this late confession that tha
- army Of patriots cannot afford th
II material to "reorganize and purif.
is the police department" Would i
a. not be well for the p. G. to muzzl
ts that editor Of theirs7
70 G.. w. ASHFORD.