The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-06-16
FoRBEARANCE NOT A VIRTUE

As a usual thing we have not agreed
with the Government as to the policy
of magnanlmous silence with which it
has treated the exposures made in its
Councils of official corruption under
the monarchy, The reason why the
STAR excerpts to this procedure IS not
that it lacks a humane feeling for men,
once holding high office, who may not
have been able, because of racial de
fects, to tell the difference between
right and wrong but because it knows
that the failure to prove by object les.
sons the general charge that the mon
archy was rotten, and therefore was
properly abolished, would supply a
strong argument to Royalists here and
to their allies in the United States.
Added to this the STAR very well knew
that, had circumstances been reversed
and a Royalist government had found
evidence of wrong doing in the Revolu
tionary records it would have made the
most of it-not the least Of it by any
means.
That the doctrine OF forbearance -
giving the other side a chance to pay
up" etc.-has not been polite, witness
this audacious claim and challenge, not
only by Royaist paper here but by a
journal in New York
If anything corrupt could have been
found in the administrations under the
monarchy, is it likely that the present
government which has used all means
to justify its existence would have kept
silent2 In commenting upon Stevens
manifesto a New York paper says that
the best and surest denial to his charges
Of corruption against the Queens adj
minlstratlon lays in the fact, that, al
though the P G.. took suddenly posses
sion of all official business and docu-
ments without giving the incumbents
OF the offices the slightest opportunity
or chance to "hX" things up, nothing
has ever been stated or proven by the
said p. c. to show that there was any
thing wrong or corrupt, or anything in
the former administration, which could
not stand the fullest investigation.
The paper adds that it would be furtu
nate for the United States if their
officials could stand such a sudden and
thorough investigation of their offices
in most instances there would be a
shocking and gruesome tale to tell
If the opening inquiry in the quoted
paragraph could not be met, the revolu.
uonary cause would find itself in a
logical predicament But, in point OF
fact, hundred words from the Presi
dent and Council would reply to it in a
most conclusive way. Why, then
should these words be withheld, par
ticularly while silence, however due tc
magnanimity, is regarded on all sides
at home and abroad, as confession o
weakness.
Why not answer the Royalist chal
lenge by a simple statement of the fact
about the Minister who used the fund
of this Government for the support O
members of his family abroad, and ha
not yet made the defalcatiOn good p
Why not tell the truth about tn
atrocious scandals connected with tn
management of the Custom House
scandals of which there have yet bee
but a glimpse?
Why not 90 into details about tn
astonishing commissions made out {
the English loan?
Why not bring out all the proc
which has been massed up that tn
Monarchy of Kalakaua and Llliuoka
lani was little better than a "Thieye.
Paradise ?"
After that had been done and tn
necessary prosecutions commenced
would be many long year before an
Royalist or foreign paper would agai
question the validity Of the charge tn;
Hawaiian Monarchy and official scOur
drelism are interchangeable terms.