The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-04-05
A SUICIDAL POLICY.
Evidences of Conscious Weakness on
the Part of the Government.

the Part of the Government.
In my last letter I drew attention
to the fact that the conduct of the
Provisional Government bore evil
dence of conscious weakness. 1t
must be borne in mind that strength
and strong measures are most fire.
uuently in inverse ratio. Weakness
seeks to fortify itself with arbitrary
actions. The strong man smiles at
his feeble adversary, encourages him
to renewed attack so that his own
superiority and strength may be the
better displayed. If the Provisional
Government felt satisfied of either
of two positions it would not waste
its time in nervous. vacillating, but
arbitrary and oppressive enactmcnts
/ If it we're assured of the ultimate
/ support of the United States, or if it
were satisfied that the population of
! these islands would endorse it's poll
CIV, it might well afford TO pass by
with a smile the Off hand criticism
of its employees. This course of
summary dismissal of old and eff
ciont public servants for what is hui
morously styled "a want of loyalty"
constitutes a painful exhibition of
almost feminine vindictivcness
There are circumstances which ag-
gravate the cruelty of the case. If,
when first the United States troops
allowed the Provisional Government
to assume the control of public af-
fairs, this Government had come
forward with programme of sum-
mary dismissal of all those not open
ly supporting the revolution, the
situation would have been intclligi-
bile aud consistent even if entailiug
hardship on many tried and trusted
public men. After all to the victors
belong the spoils. But such was not
the case by any means. With the
exception of six persons mentioned
by name, all public officers were re-
Questcd to retain their positions sub
iect, however, to the condition of
swearing to support the Provisional
Government until it should make
way for something permanent.
That was in the flush of victory.
In fact. our heroes felt heroic. Why
shouldn't they? Who could not af-
ford to be magnanimous when sup
ported by the strength of the mighty
Republic of the West? However,
things did not seem to shape them
selves quite so readily as our con
script fathers could have wished
The Claudine sailed away with mill
tary honors. She came back like a
thief in the night. And our com
: missioners return one by one, with
|; out even a policeman to see them
home. 1t is pretty well-recOgnized
, fact to-day that the money spent on
the Claudine was thrown away; and
, the whole incident is but poor
guarantee for the prudence Of the
government, and is not far removed
from the ridiculous.
Then came the hosting Of the
American flag. 1t was confidently
i asserted that it would never come
down. The twenty-one guns which
hailed its appearance proclaimed tC
the world that annexation was prac
> tically fat accompli.' And a
= the Wiltse ball great was the rejoic
: ing and but few compliments lavish
y ed on these poor little islands
s. Everything else was lost sight OF il
Il the glare of approaching anneXa
, ton. However, somehow, our father
y might have quoted Locksley Hail.
II knowledge comes but wisdom fingers
T and lingcr on the shore"
II They waited and waited Steame
II after steamer came and annexation
z seemed as far off as ever. False re
i ports of the Australia being drape'
+ with flags were freely circulated, bu
II the Hawaiian flag was at the fore
Then comes the Rush. Great prepa
S rations were made. American flag
2, were distributed freely. Such dis
g play of stars and stripes, the like @
Il which Honolulu had never seer
= Nevertheless the first act of tn
II Commissioner was to lower the onl
Ia flag that meant anything, and to-da
. the ''old glory of Hawaii once NOR
a graceS tho hall of an unwilling an
+ ,npatriotic government. No wol
Sc der, then, that the members of tina
II government are becoming spitefu
Il They may call it pressure from be
j. low" but it is "a suicidal polio.
: Every man dismissed from office b.
le comes focus radiating the heat {
T. deadly hostility to the government
with what effect time alone ca
IL show. CITIZEN.