The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-11-24

18th when AfF. Colbourn came to me- dc
told Of the queens intention to promul-
gate a new constitution and asked my adj
vice. said to him: ''Why do you not &c
to the members of your own party?"
He replied: 81 have no party. Those
who have been our supporters are support
ing the queen. The downtown people
referring to the merchants) have no use
for me and unless the members of your
party and other citizens will support US
we are going to resign right away"
Armed Volunteers Support the Cabinet.
Second-At 10 o'clock the same day
met all the members of the cabinet at the
attorney generals Office. They had just
interviewed the queen who announced heI
intention of promulgating constitution
and demanded their support. Theystated
she had threatened them with mob vio-
lence whereupon they had left the palace,
each one going out by a separate entrance.
While we were talking messenger came
from the queen requesting them to at
once return to the palace. Peterson and
Colbourn positively refused to do so, stat
ing they did not consider their lives would
be safe there I shortly afterwards left
them and started down town. After Ihad
gone about two blocks, I was overtaken
by message from the cabinet ask
ing me to return, which I did. They
asked me to ascertain what support they
could expect from citizens and formally au-
thorized me to state the condition of affairs
to leading citizens and to call for armed
volunteers to resist the queen. I immed-
lately complied with their request and
with the assistance Of others within an
hour or two thereafter, about 80 leading
citizens had signed a written statement,
agreeing to support the cabinet of the
queen by force,
Had No COnfd ence in His Colleague.
Third-Later the same afternoon, Mr..
Colbourn informed me they had finally
gone to the palace and held a stormy in
terview with the queen, lasting over two
hours. He told me he had no confidence
in his colleague, Mr.. Peterson, who he be-
lieved was playing double with him, and
told me to beware of telling Peterson
anything further.
Colbourn further told me that at eau
Gus of their party on the previous Friday
night one of the members of the executive
party, Kalanaua by name, had said that
if he could establish the new constitution
he would die happy, if he could kill five
white men before dying.
Fourth-The queen was furiously angry
at the refusal of the cabinet to join her in
promulgating the constitution and pub
licly denounced them therefor.
Z
nouncement of her failure to promulgate
the constitution, two of the leading Roy
alist members of the executive party, one
on the throne step and one on the steps of
the building, addressed the assembled
crowd, denounced the cabinet as traitors
and said they wanted to shed blood. One
of them included the queen in his denun-
Citations.
Cabinet without Plan of Action.
Sixth-During the entire time: between
noon of Saturday, the 14th, and the after
noon of the 10th, when the provisional
government was proclaimed, the queens
cabinet was without plan of action and
did practically nothing but rush about the
city consulting various foreign represen-
tatiVes and citizens of all parties as to
what they had better do, begging the
American minister for the support of the
American troops against the committee of
safety and securing from the queen
declaration that she would not again at
tempt to abrogate the constitution, which
they hurried into print and distributed
broadcast, and tried to appease the indig-
nation OF citizens and break up the pro-
posed mass meeting.
In support of the fourth proposition,
that the committee and their supporters
were united, had ample force to carry
out their purpose and proceeded with
elaboration and confidence to do SO, Mr..
Thurston shows what the same men
under similar circumstances had done
upon previous occasions In 1888 they
had wrested from the king his power
and dethroned him. In 1889, while the
same men who now make up the provis-
ional government, were in control of the
kings government, conspiracy was or
ganized among the royalists for the
overthrow of the cabinet and the resto-
ration of the old royal power and consti-
tuition. The conspirators took the cab
met by surprise and on the night of July
90 took possession of all the artillery and
small arms of the government. The
cabinet supporters organized, and after
3 sharp battle the royaiists dispersed.
Hr. Thurston concludes as follows: