The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-05-30
The HERALD AND Mr.. soRDHuFF.

The New York Herald is one of the
great newspapers of the world. 1t has
attained this position by enterprise
and pluck. Its reputation is, how
ever, that of news-gatherer, not that
of leader. 1t has appeared to have
taken positions on great questions,
after it guessed what a popular ver-
dict would be. The policy of the
paper is dictated from Europe. 1t is
generally un-American, frequently
disloyal, and always mercenary. On
the Hawaiian annexation question it
took no positive stand for some time,
and then it suddenly jumped in with
both feet" to use a popular phrase,
against the project. twas very largely
believed in the United States that its
position was dictated by the Sugar
Trust. Well knowing that the Trust
is obnoxious to the great majority of
the people, and using the Trusts
astuteness, it paraded the names of
the Trust and Claus ,Spreckels
through its columns in such scraps as
=" Is Claus Spreckels the niger in the
fence on the Hawaiian question ?"
SIS the annexation of Hawaii deep
laid scheme of the sugar king to get
the bounty ?" etc.
MR.. NoRDHoFF SENT TO HONOLULU.
Having determined to kill annexa-
ton, the unprincipled and unscrupu-
lous Herald sends out one of its pen
sioners, Mr.. Charles Nordhoff, to
Honolulu to write letters from the
scene of action. Of course these letters
might have been written from any
other part of the United States, or of
the world for that matter, except for
little local coloring. But they would
have been open to the objection of
being manifestly false; but in order
to do their mischief they must have
the appearance of truth-an appear
ance TO be obtained only by writing
on the ground. Mr.. Nordhoff's well
known reputation as a veteran cores
pondent was relied upon to give force
to his attack. 1t was believed that
his literary skill might make the
truth tell lies. But he must have
passed his best days and be now in his
70 ITO 1,o hoe 10 Il
some very bungling falsehoods, and
has laid himself open to prosecution
for libel. He has avoided several suits
by apologies. His first letter was dis
patched the day after his arrival, but
it bears no appearance of the effort of
one seeking the truth, nor of the
freshness of recent arrival on the
scenes. He knows it all, and thar all
is "aDything to kill annexation
DETERMINED TO KILL ANNEXATION. |
Mr.. Nordhoff's second letter is dated |
April 18th. It begins with the state
ment that annexation is losing ground
here. He may have thought so be- !
cause of his royalist associations, but |
very little trouble would have shown |
him the truth. He knows whom he
is addressing in the United States,
and that the word "plantern suggests
monopoly, and will be obnoxious
there. So he plays on this string |
nearly all the time. But nothing is
better known than that the planters
while opposed to the misrule of the
past, have been lukewarm on the an
nexation question, knowing how it
would disturb the labor question.
They have favored annexation at last
as the only escape from ruin by an
archy and bad government.
HE USES RIDICULE.
1t must be remembered all the time
that Mr.. Nordhoff is not writing for
us, but wholly for America. He can
scarce conceal his contempt for Ha-
waiians. Honolulu is ''little hole"
a "queer gossipy little spot" and
those who support law and order and
who opposed the ex-queen are ''silly
planters" "people otherwise decent"
Members of the government as well
as others, he refers to as, "every man
Jack of them"
In the first letter he speaks of those
who fear disturbance as "some absurd
persons" In view of the terse strain
of the January days and the changes
since, Mr.. Nordhoff's terror during the
early part of the present week and his
demand for protection, while he is
in fact as safe or safer than at his
Coronado home, is very funny.
He says he has seen the petitions in
favor of the lottery. Some of the sign
ers ''are actually members of the Pro-
visional government" This state
ment is false and he now apologies
for it. But the mischief is done in
the United States, and what avail is
it that he readily publishes here an