The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-23


The Opium and Lottery Rings and
the Debased Court.
| Boston, Mass, November 22.-Ex-
| United States Minister John L. Stevens.
gave lecture this evening in lvceum
course at West Somerville, Mass, to a
crowded audience on Hawaiian affairs.
His remarks were heard with close at
tention and greeted with loud applause.
| Mr.. Stevens said: "Our interest in
Hawaii appertains to at least three uues-
tions, more or less distinct from each
other, though they cannot be considered
entirely separate.
| civilization, there is the question of
| American future commercial power in
the. Pacific, and the third involves the
issue of responsible government under
the American flag, in harmony with
pledged American faith, the best Ameri-
can antecedents and the plain logic of
American history and American oppor-
| tunities.
What is the intrinsic value of the Ha-
waiian group? What are their resources,
| how much civilized population can they
sustain, and what are and can be her
| figure in the American commercial
| world? The Islands are of volcanic for
nal fires many centuries ago, nd.around
them floats one of the most genial clim-
ates ofsthe world. They have an area of
six thousand square miles about the size
of Connecticut andssRhode Island united.
The chief value of the group is in the
five islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Kauii
and Molokia. Well governed and well
cultivated they are capable of sustaining
population of half million souls.
They are adapted to the production of
sugar, coffee, bananas, rice, oranges,
lemons. pineapples and Indian corn, and
the highlands to the raising of cattle,
horses and sheep. Though sugar is now
the leading product, the amount Of. lands
capable of producing coffee of superior
quality is believed to be larger than that
devoted to sugar culture. An important
consideration relative to coffee culture
is that it can be done by small farmers,
not necessarily requiring Large holdings
and much com mbined capital, as does the
raising of sugar.. The increase of free
holders, farmers and. fruit cultivators is
the aim of the present Provisional Gov
ernment, which has resolved to cut up
the crown and government lands ana
dispose of them to men of limited means
who wish to make for themselves per-
manenu homes and become responsible
citizens onAmerlcan lines of development
Under the monarchy these crown lands
were leased out, often to palace favorites,
at. much less than their real value, and
net unfrequently were the means of
policies shall be maintained as to dealing
with these lands is of great Importance
to the future of the Islands.
While Kalakaua was facile andsgood
natured, he had never assented to the
constitution in good faith. He. sought
opportunities to change it and to regain
his lost power. Dying in JANUARY, 1880,
his sister by his appointment be anne
the sovereign. She had strongly disap-
proved of her brothers. assent to the re-
form constitution of 1887. She was known
armed revolt of 1889, for the overthrow
of the constitutional government. In
capable of ruling, self-willed to extreme
obstinacy. she sooD fell into the hands
of the unworthy, openly defying public
and private morals by installing in her
palace "a Tahitian half-white favorite,
who had long sustained scandalous rela-
tions to her. Scorning the opinions and
advice OF all the best msn Of the Islands,
both of her own race and the whites, she
finally united her politice1 fortunes with
the opium ring, and those s4ho were
leagued to carry through the legislature
a sweeping lottery charter of the Louisi-
ana type, which, if it's originasors could
have been successful in shsis plans,
would have given the palace adventurers
the opium ring and the lottery gang
complete control of the Hawaiian govern
ment and made Honolulu not only Sc
cure opium depot, hut strong fortress
from which the lottery men could :pray
upon the American, Canadian and Aus
tralian people. Deep in the conspiracy
to remove, the W;lcox-Jones ministry
whom all the best men of the Islands
wished to continue, she signed the lot
terry and opium bills, appointed to her
cabinet the men who had been the chief
parties in bribing the lottery bill through
the legislature, Immediately followed
by her attempted coup d'e:at, calling a
worthless mob of retainers to her assis-
tance and trying to proclaim constitu-
tioasgiving herself arbitrary power, over
turning an incorruptible and capable
Supreme Court, and giving to herself the
appointment of new Judges, with the
final appeal to herself
This was Saturday, January 14th.
From that hour the Hawaiiap:monarchy
was absolutely dead and no restoration
possible except by the exercise of some
outside and foreign force.
AT the date of her downfall the mis-
guided and unworthy Liliuokalani was
Continued on Second Page.