The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-03-18


lulu Diocesan Magazine of March Is,
the following reference to my imput-
ing to the ex-Queen the practice of
idolatry =
THE QUEENS ALLEGED IDOLATRY.
"For the Rev. s. f. Bishop to pro-
claim from the housetop the Queens
lapse into idolatry IF fact, is not
only bad taste, but breach of that
charity which should cover a multi
tude of sins. But as straw will show
which way the wind blows, so the
artless witness of child will often be
a better guide at arriving at the truth,
than loud and persistent assertions.
The following counter testimony
should be weighed against the letter
| of the Rev. $. f. Bishop in the New
York Post. In a country school,
teacher was giving reading lesson,
| and, the word sacrifice" occurring,
by way of explanation of its meaning
he told the class that in the old time
| their Aliis used to throw pigs into the
volcano as an offering to Pele, and
| that that was ga sacrifice" One child,
thinking that the teacher had spoken
of the Alii-the Queen-indignantl
/ will pass by the question of
"taste.n AS to that of charity" my
| critic seems to think that charity
| should cover all sins whatever, and
not merely "a multitude" L may be
allowed to refer to all public mention
which / have made of the eX-Queen
prior to her dethronement, in proof
| that have never before made men-
ton of her idolatries, or of other mat
tiers of public scandal. / will mention
an article in the Review of Reviews
| for September, 1891, and a Thanks
giving sermon of November, 1892, as
| we'll as numerous articles in The
| Friend, where / have endeavored to
/ place the most favorable construction
possible upon her actions.
Why then, is it asked, have / since
the revolution, exposed and denounced
those idolatries as to which / previ-
ously thought fit to be silent? The
answer is that those practices were in
timately and directly associated with
her crime of destroying a liberal con-
stitution, and substituting an auto
cratic one. The idolatry and sorcery
which Kalakaua Systematically
taught and fostered, was for the pur-
pose of subjecting the people to the
will of the Sovereign. The party of
Royalty, the Palace party, was also
the party of Heathenism. 1t is inn
possible properly TO understand and
weigh the elements concerned in the
late revolution, without taking full
account of the systematic cultivation
of heather superstition for the past
thirty years by royal influence for the
purpose of increasing the natural sub
servience of the people to the Mon
arch.
The present contest is more than
anything else, that of the enlightened
and progressive civilization represent
ed by the large whitepopulation, with
the best of the natives, as against a
revived heathenism with all its besti-
atty and despotic tendencies, as re-
presented by the court and, 1 fear, a
majority of the native people.
The fact of the Queens personal
participation in idolatrous practices
has therefore become an essential
one, and it becomes public duty to
make it known.
My Right Rev. critic appears to
challenge proof of the facts, setting
up an infants petulance as if ample
rebuttal. "She didn't is probably
all the answer that will ever be at
tempted to the notorious and over
whelming evidence in the case.
AS the lady's worship of Pele is
specified by my critic, l will give as
an example of her conduct, some evil
dence which / had at first hand.
During or about the year 1885, Mrs.
Dominis supervised large and en-
thusiastic Sabbath School Convention
at Hilo, gathered by chartered steam
ers from all parts of the island.
Thence she proceeded to Kilauea,
where she descended to the then
New Lake, and threw in living
pig and living cock, as sacrifices to
the goddess Pele. The unhappy ami
mails fell upon the hot crust, where
with fearful screams, they roasted to
death.
This fact was verified to me by eye
witnesses, and confirmed by Mr..
Maby, who kept the hotel in 1886
Prof. J. d. Dana heard the above
9 statements, also DR.. ]. NJ. Whitney
At recent visit in April, 1892,
was informed by eye-witnesses, that
Queen, during her royal progress
came to the Volcano House. Being
weary, she did not personally des
cend, but sent down as sacrifices tt
Pele, two pigs, which she had brought
5 from Hilo for the purpose. Mr.. Petel
Lee confirmed the truth of the above
During the same visit of mine, {
= large party of natives from Honolulu
s lodged at the hotel, including TIVE
+: leading kahunas and a prominent
: member of the "Hale Naua" Society
They spent an evening at the fiery pi
below, during which they performed
clamorous lamentations to Pele, cast
ing in handkerchiefs, locks of thei
hair and silver coin to the amount o
about forty dollars. l subsequently,
e ascertained that this party brough
special letters from the Queen to tn
Governor of Hawaii, who supplied
J. them with horses for the journey t,
' Kilauea.
: If my critic desires evidence of othe
o kinds of idolatrous proceedings he cal
easily be supplied. I should be re
joiced if the Bishop of Honolulu coul,
be made to understand that he is de
t finitely allying himself with tn
! heather party of these islands. Fo
- him to ignore or deny the existenc,
. of such party in great strength
d pure faulty. Let him look to his owl
t "First Congregation and find out
y it is not as honeycombed with super
stition as is Kaumakapili.
I Mr.. Kaunamano, the Nice-Presiden
d of the Hawaiian Patriotic Leagu
Y (Royalist), is the spokesman of Kala
9 kaua, who, in His Majesty's presenc
= few years ago, advised a large as
sembly to practice the worship of tn
: themselves and their country. Tha
| xx-aS Ha1iVara1 nm tho os