The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-04-18
Mr.. THURSTON'S LETTER.
FULL TEXT OF A MUCH-MooT.
ED DOCUMENT.
No Compromising Sentiments Revealed.
"A Letter Which Has Been
Misrepresented.

IlC lSNlNl llOill AVN IL 80 l. ilhl oNOli
to John f. Colburn was brief and with.
out compromising sentiments. In it
Mr.. Thurston RETAINED from giving his
political views but referred Mr. Colburn
to another letter which he had address
ed to Antoine Rosa and of which the
following is a copy. The STAR readers
will see that the letter does not bear
out the Interpretation which royaist
leaders have placed upon it:
WASHINGTON d. c., Mar. r6, 1898.
Hon. ANTOINE Rosa,
Honolulu, Hawaii.
FRIEND RosA:-Yours of March first
is duly at hand. / am very sorry that
the band boys have taken the course
which they have. 1t is certain that they
cannot get work enough in Honolulu
to support themselves from the receipts
of an independent band, as there are not
people enough there who could afford
to pay for band Of that size to give
the boys living.
With regard to my taking charge of
them in Chicago, l thank you for the
interest you have taken in the matter
and their confidence in me, but for
several reasons l would be unable to
do it. In the first place the expenses
of so large number of men are very
heavy, and it is only by systematic ar
rangement that the business part Of the
trip could be made a success. This
would require the laying out of a regu
lar series of entertainments, with detail
arrangements with theatres, fair, etc
This time l cannot possibly give to
them, as my own business at Chicago
will necessarily take a great deal of
time In the second place, | should
not think of such a thing as undertak
ing to engineer such combination as
the Hawaiian band without a thorough
ly competent musical leader such as
Berger. l think they will make great
mistake if they go on there under the
leadership of the Manila man that you
speak of, or any of their own number.
Itrequires something besides the ability
to blow in the end of trumpet to con-
duct band. You yourself know how
rapidly the band has always deteriorat-
ed when Berger has been away. Of
course, there are other men in the
world just as good as Berger, but the
boys are peculiar lot, and | know of
NO one who has been able to handle
them or get music out of them as he
has. should therefore very seriously
doubt, the ACCESSIBILITY Of their going at
all unless they can get him as leader.
l hope that something can be done by
which their differences with Berger and
the Government can be fixed up, SO
that they can go to Chicago, as l think
their presence there would be of great
benefit to Hawaii. You can tell any
of those gentlemen in Honolulu, who
you say are interesting themselves to
keep the band out Of my control that
they need not worry themselves any
longer about it. If the band comes to
Chicago, l will do everything in my
power to assist them and forward their
interests and shall be glad to employ
them during part of the time to pay
at the Volcano Building; further than
this l have no desire nor intention to
have anything to do with or any con-
troll over them, although presume this
will be difficult for some of our peanut
souled friends who cannot imagine any
one doing anything except for private
gain, to understand.
am glad that you have succeeded
in settling up the Aylett suit with the
Bishop estate. will write to w. o.
Smith to represent me in the matter as
the probability is that | will be unable
to come back until after the opening of
the Fair and after that my movements
are uncertain.
You say that you hope that we will
do what is fair for all of you here. You
ought to know by this time that We
desire nothing else. l think, Rosa, that
you have got an opportunity now to
take a stand that will not only be bene-
fetal to yourself, but in the highest de-
gree beneficial to your people. l de-
sire to say few words to you on the
subject, knowing that from your superior
education, and associations you can
appreciate the logic of events and what
the future is likely to bring forth as
very few of those who look to you for
guidance and as a leader can. What
is done within the next month or two
is going to effect The future of Hawaii
for great many years A vast number
of the natives will look to you and Col.
burn and few others for their opinions
and information, and whether you
take a narrow view of matters or a
broad one is going to be radical
factor in the settlement Of the question
at issue. There are several things
which are settled and determined,
and if we all recognize them and
act upon that basis the results will
necessarily be very different from what
they otherwise will be. One of these
certainties is that the monarchy is pau.
The Queen and her partisans may not
appreciate this and will probably con-
tinue to labor under the delusion that
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