The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-07-06
THE "ARGONAUT'S "
OF STEVENS.

he never would have admitted such a
screed into the columns of the Argo-
HdHt Its author evidently needs
further training in the art of lying, for
he too palpably overdoes it.
The mercenary, who attempts to sim.
ulate Pixleys style, describes John L.
Stevens as ga country editor who was
rewarded with small berths in the con-
sular service, and finally promoted to
be Minister to Hawai-, where it was
supposed that he would be innocuous
This writer cannot be ignorant of Mr..
Stevens distinguished services as
United States Minister, first to Uru-
quay and Paraguay and afterwards to
Sweden, where he produced the best
work yet written on the life and times
of Gustavus Adolphus. AS veteran
diplomatist and historian, he was Sc
lected for the responsible and difficult
post Of Minister to Hawaii, and history
will vindcate his craftsmanship when
his traducers shall have been forgotten.
Instead of being removed" as the
Aygonant has it, he had rendered his
resignation six months before leaving.
This penny-a liner sneers at "white
planters, shop-keepers and adventur-
ers" taking any interest in public
affairs. We remember when white
shop keepers took up their guns in
San Francisco in May, 1886, to put
down a government captured by ring
of gamblers under the forms of law.
The men whom he nicknames as
"rebels," "usurpers," "filbusters, etc,
are mainly of the conservative, law
abiding class Of property owners and
taxpayers, identified with the Islands
by long residence, and, in many cases
by birth 1t is the American royalist
who is more generally a carpet
Dagger"
The ArgonaW writer tries to give
the false impress on that Mr.. Stevens
raised the American flag on shore or
the 18th of January, although he know:
that it was not done until February Ist
He sneers at the commissioners sent to
Washington as being all foreigners,
although three of them were born in
the Islands, and the Chairman's family
had been Hawaiian subjects for three
generations.
1t has been truly remarked by con,
temporary that in such cases other
factors count for more than mere
numbers, and Rev. H. H. Gowen has
we'll stated this fact in the closing
paragraph of his article in the Como-
bOlitan Magazine. But the ArgOnant
is all at sea in its figures. 1t asserts
that in the last election 1888 votes
were cast This figure is the census
return of the persons entitled to vote in
1890, and is subject to grave doubt.
The number of Votes actually cast in
1890 was II,67a, and in 1892 it was
only 1928.
The AygOnam pref, nds that the
Provisional Government could not
command one thousand votes" In
fact it could call out that number in
arms in an emergency, and has over
seven hundred enrolled and fully organ.
lied in Honolulu alore, while the r,lls
of the Annexation Club contain the
names Of over 6ooo males of voting age
This literary hoodlum puts his
| tongue in his cheek and leers at the
| idea that moral considerations should
have any weight in deciding the sym
| pathieS of Americans Yet he know:
that the immoralitieS Of the Bourbon
court had no Sight part in bringing
about the French revolution, and tina
in our time Isabella ii of Spain was
dethroncd and exied for similar rea
sons In Hawaii-nei, although not the
main question, it still had an important
bearing OF the result.
He disapproves of Americans carry
ing abroad or putting into practice the
principles of Magma Charta and of the
Declaration Of Independence II
yexed his soul to hear Stevens call thi.
the " Plymouth Rock of the Pocfc;'
but he may rest assured that this "ocear
fortress" is being held and will continue
to be held in the interest OF CiyiizaticJ
and good government.
In his closing paragraph he shows
either contempt FIR the intelligence OF
his readers or his own ignorance of the