The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-11-15
ASHF0RD'S HARD FACTS.
WHAT HE WROTE FOR BLouNTs
REPORT.
Chapter Of the Monarchy Which the
renrle of Hawaii should Remind
Themselves ~.

"A document which a Royalist paper
recently said had exonerated the
Queen and the monarchy"
HONOLULU, April 9.-Your CORE.
spondcnt has secured "A copy of the text
of a secret report upon Hawaiian poll
tics made to Commissioner Blount at
his request by Colonel Volney V. Ash
ford. Colonel Ashford has lately re-
turned 10 Hawaii from the United
States, whittier he was banshed several
months ago by the Queens Govern
ment. and is now leading the Statehood
movement. He is a Canadian by birth
and has served in the American and
British armies. He organized the Ha-
waiian Rifles, which was the backbone
of the revolution of 1887, and has been
prominent in politics for decade.
Ashford gives clear account of the
causes that led to the uprising of 1887.
Then he sketches in few strong pages
the recent events that led to the Queens
overthrow. Like most other shrewd
observers Ashford attributes this largely
to the infamies of Marshal Wilson and
other corrupt favorites of the Queen.
OF Wilson's relations to the Queen he
says:
WILSON'S pull on the Queen con-
sisted, in fact, that for many years he
has been her chief favorite. They
openly assumed suspicious relations
years before the death of her husband;
and he himself, although man with a
family. moved into the dead mans
houee and permanently established him
self therein almost before the corpse
was cold. A private gateway was cut
through the palace wall, Immediately
contiguous to the Queens private apart
ments, through which the guards
allowed none but Wilson to pass, a
scandal at which even the most obtuse
of the native people drew the line. The
pair were publicly accused of openly
living together in the Queens place at
Waikiki, q suburb of Honolulu, during
and succeeding the 'sand-bag' episode
at the palace, just preceding the descent
upon the league. All these and many
other equally scandalous acts are mat
tiers of public notoriety at the capital,
and have been aired and commented
upon in scathing terms by the native
press of Honolulu; but the English press
were either gagged by the palace party
or kept silent to avoid the effects of the
scandal abroad. Through the Queens
snfiuence over her brother during his
absolute power of official patronage
Wilson was given the superintendency
of the Honolulu Water Works, though
he was ignorant of all theory regulating
hydraulics and the real work was neces-
sarily done by another highly paid
official. Wilson collected the water
rales, however, and an investigation
being demanded by member of the
Legislature of 1886, a parliamentary
committee found he had stolen in the
neighborhood of $4,000 from the re-
ceipts. Then through the same in
huence the Cabinet of the day entered
into stipulation whereby the matter
was compromised, Wilson repaying into
the treasury 10000. The Princess paid
over $4,000 of this amount in cash. and by
her further influence. exerted i'm the same
direction. prevailed on the Legislature
to pass an act of indemnity restoring
to her the $5 700 out of the public funds.
To save further scandal, friends of the
Ministry Endorsed Wilson's notes for an
other $4,000 on the Governments pledge
to retain one-half of mis- salary until the
amount was recouped. while he himself.
of course, retained the office, although
members of the Legislature, from their
place on the floor of the House, ex-
pressed the opinion that he should be
breaking stones on the street with ball
chained to him.
sat the revolution of 1887 the fellow
was believed to be spy on both sides,
and the King subsequently informed
friends that he at least betrayed him
into the enemy's hands as soon as the
revolutionary cause began to promise
success. He was in the Dominis con-
spiracy in 1888, and was the man to first
reach the Government officials and
betray his comrades when he suspected
the plot was discovered. Unless the
official documents were stolen while he
and his tools were in power there are
still confessions of his own, under oath,
in the Government archives, which
would hang him, to use the words of
the then Minister of the Interior. The
particulars of this conspiracy were sup
pressed by the Government of the day,
TO prevent lowering of Hawaiian
bonds then selling in London on ST.
600, 600 loan. and for other reasons
already stated. He was in the Wilcox
insurrection of 1889, but kept out of
harms way, and it was developed at the
trial of Loomens that he introduced
Loomens to the King, and sent him, by
the Kings order, to join the conspira-
tors.
During the Queens reign and his in
cumbency of the marshalship he was
the absolute dictator in Hawaii. 1t was
common report that no act of impor-
lance in governmental functions trans
pred without either emanating from
him or receiving his approval. He over