Daily Kennebec journal., 1893-06-01
4 csaeiss Statamsat d WAai HAS esea and
Sheuld b neae.

lslands-th0re beautiful emeraids IN the
| North Pacific sea. | had not been long in
Honolulu when perceived how thoroughly
an American city it is, how strong is Amer
lean sympathy and how predomnating are
American interests in all the islands of the
Hawaiian group. More than one year of
careful study of the existing complex facts
| found necessary to a correct understand
| ing of the moral, commercial, and political
state of of the islands. Though I had had
much previous experience and observation
among the nations of three continents,
found condition of things in Honolulu
unlike that | had ever known at
any other national capital.
found an intelligent body of citizens, of
European and American origin, sharing the
goodwill of many native Hawaiians, sup
porting q semi-barbaric monarchy resting
on no solid or normal foundation, dead in
everything but its vices, coarsely luxurious
in its tastes and wishes, constantly sending
out impure exhalatons, and spreading social
and political demoraliza.ion throughout the
islands. This semi-heathen and grossly
spurious government mechanism, called the
Hawaiian monarchy, was being chiefly sup
ported by the taxes and federation of those
who could have no sincere loyalty to it, and
who knew that il returned TO the islands
nothing for the money it annually squan-
dered on worse than useless expenditures.
That such barbaric and absurd counterfeit
in the name of government and law was so
long endured, lis striking proof of the self
control and forbearance of the responsible
citizens Of Hawaii. Suffice it to say that such
an abomination in the name of government,
or for any other pretence or purpose,
/ 10 all aI 90, s,v .lut4
in any of our American cities. Only very
exceptional circumstances caused the re-
sponsible citizens and principal taxpayers
of the islands so long to maintain this lead
and worse than useless monarchy. One
I years careful observation of the existing
state of things brought me to the firm be-
lief that it could not long continue. The
death Of kalakaua aud the accession of his
sister to the little throne revealed man,
facts and circumstances which showed how
utterly vicious ard lemoralizing the
monarchy had become. Bad as had been
the courtiers and favorite companions and
advisers Of this semi-barbaric King, thuse
whom his sister Liliuokalani Immediately
drew around her were still worse. The
death of her brother, followed BY that of
her Lawful husband, did not prevent her
| from appointing to the chief executive
office of the islands the Tahitian
half-white, who had sustained scan
| dalous relations TO her, and whom she
now installed in her palace, though he had
lawfully married wife, and her chamber
lain, paid out of the government treasury,
was always at his post to discharge palace
duties. Even this astounding exhibition OF
| shame and the low character of her whit.
retainers and confidants the Haw aiian pub
lie endured without overt acts of protest
and indignation.
The biennial Legislature assembled in
May, 1899. The body very soon asserted
its constitutional prerOyative in voting out
ministry that had consented to the malad-
ministration of the Queen and her immoral
favorite at the palace, who exercised dicta-
torial powers and rioted in official police
corruption. Instead of appointing ministers
possessing the confidence Of the Legislative
tms sjority and of the business men of the
islands, she continued to select those of her
own type of character, those whom she
knew would retain her illicit palace favorite
in power. Three successive ministries of
this description were voted out by the Leg
islature, with the warm approval of all the
best men of the islands. At last the Queen
appeared to yield to the pressure of public
opinion and consented to the appointment
of four responsible men three of them per-
sons of wealth, and all of them men of good
financial standing, who took the official
places with reluctance, all four of them
sharing the public confidence. Known as
the Wilcox-Jones ministry, it was believed
that they would safely carry the country
through the following eighteen months TO
the election and assemblsge of the next
Legislature. Fully sharing this belief, the
United States minister and naval comman-
der left Honolulu January 4 in the United
States cruiser Boston, for Hilo and the Vol
cano, the distance of nearly three hundred
miles. 1t was the first time for many
months had felt it safe for the United
States minister and naval commander tn
be away from the Hawaiian capital.
We were absent ten days. When
we arrived in the harbor of Hono-
lulu on our return from Hilo in the fore
noon of January f4th, there came to us
the startling news that the Queen and the
ring of white adventurers who surrounded
her, had, by intrigue and bribery, carried
the lottery and opium bills through the
-,.gislsture; had forced out the Wilcox
and Jones ministry, had appointed in their
places four of her palace retainers. two
of whom the Legislature and the respon-
sible public had recently and repeatedly
rejected, headed by the man who bad
carried the lottery and opium bills through
the Legislature. In spi'e of numerou.
retitions and protests from sll the islands
both of whites and native Iiaw ali
ans, and the earnest remonstrancs
=. the chamber of. commerce an
the principal financial men of ths
country, the Queen Immediately signed
the jniquitous bills. Both she and the
ring of adventurers who surrounded bel
expected thus to get the money to carry
on the government, by making Homo
lulu fortress of gamblers and semi-pi
rates smid the ocean, from which they
could by every mail steamer to the Unite'
States send out the poisoned billets oi
, chance, by which to rob the American peo
pie of their millions of money! method oI
gaining silver and gold as wicked and auda
cious as that of the freebooters who ones
: established themselves in the West 1ndiar
seas and made pirztieal forsys on American
7 commerce. But even this was not enough
for the semi-barharic Queen and the Clique
+ of adventurers around her. To forsify
{ themselves in their schemes of usurpatioy
{, and robbery. they must have = new consti
| tuition. they were afraid the supreme tOur
: would decide their lottery bill unconstita
g tional. The Supreme Court must be recon
:. structed 80 that the Queen could resppoin
: the judges and give the final appeal to tn,
: Queen herself. The new constitution WA
b TO be proclaimed iu way that the existin;
. constitution expressly prohibits. Her fou
i new ministers we're in the plot
While the Boston was coming into tn
harb0r of Honolulu, on the forenoon o
January 18th, the mob Of hoodlums. a
the cali of the Queen and her retainers, ,wer
gathering in the palace grounds. The Leg
islafure was profogued at IL A. n. Tn
+ Revolutionary edict Of Havaii's miseuides
sovereign vas ready to be proclaimed
: rumors of which we're slready in the publ
= ear. The storm Of public indigestion be
: gan to gather. A few minutes before tn
3 appointed hour for the comp d'etat, imme
= diately after my reaching he legation from
the B0ston, ' - urged to go st once q
the English minister to ask him 70 accom-
pany me 70 the Queen and tFy 10 dissuad
her from her Revolutionary design.