The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-04-13
Mr.. Davies on the Situation.

EDITOR Bulletin
The one question which every one
asks about Hawaii is:-"What is to
he the outcome1 You seem to be in
bad way down there
II appears to me that almost the
only persons who do not realize the
serious condition Of Hawaiian affairs,
are the members, and the immediate
supporters Of the Provisional Gov
ernment. Nearly every one of their
auticipations has been disappointed,
aud yet they appear to live in sort
OF Utopia, and continue to lay out
plans that seem to the ordinary
vision as cbimerical as any which
have preceded them.
II Is generally understood now,
that the Provisional Government in
tend to summon convention, and
, to promulgate constitution. which.
! it is hoped, will in some way be &C.
! cepted for, or by, or as the act OF
the Hawaiian nation; but for which
, the Hawaiians may not vote, unless
they first forswear their own convic-
tions. | venture to assert that the
Hawaiian people will have nothing
to do with auy convention or any
election that is not the bona fds act
Of the Hawaiian people, or of meG
whom they trust. The Hawaiians
will simply refuse to vote, unless
their national rights are recognized;
aud, il they do not vote, the conyen-
tion must eventually y come to moth
ing.
The Provisional Government have
not sought in any way, to win the
confidence OF the nation, aud they
have apparently thrown away all
hope of ever winning IL. The recent
decision of the government To at
tempt, after more than a year of
office. to introduce martial law into
civil life, ought to prove to them
how vain il is to hope to carry on
constitutional government, without
the confidence Of the people.
To attempt to set up such a gov.
.rnmeut, in which imported mer.
cenarv troops may vote, and Hawai-.
ian men may not, is more than a
uovelty-it is a farce. Foreign ma
tions will know, more clearly than
ever, that the Hawaiians have not
sanctioned any Of the deeds which
have been done in their name.
In July. 1893, | wrote Of my deter
mination that mine should not he
amongst the regulations that would
iind their grave in that year. To
day look back with sad sa,isfac
ton on the stand | took. and the
warnings | gave. now dare To re-.
peat those warnings, aud to say.
that il the wreck Of lS.3 Is not To
becoiue the ruin OF 1885. the disast-
rous statnmanship Of the past year
mus: be abandoned, aud a policy of
plaiuer principle must be adopted.
The only convention that can be
effective, is one in which the nation
can he fully represented, whatever
may be the political opinions of in.
diviiual voters.
IL IL a. true now a. il was in Jan
uary, last year, when | wrote the
words, that I'VE must procure the
goodwill Of the natives. or pay for
sufficient garrison to compel it,"
Tho gentlemen IN power have tried
the garrison" policy, and IL has
been a costly failure, aud they are
farther from the goodwill Of the ma.
, tives, than ever they were. The only
possible means OF success lies in their
now trying the goodwill" policy.
lquestion whether il is any longer
in the power Of the present govern
ment to gain that goodwill, aud | dc
not believe that they can induce the
Hawaiians to vote on any question
except on that Of the continuance ol
! the present men To rule.
, Speaking in Washington last
March. said, To-day the Pro
, yisional Government OF Hawaii dare
not appeal to the electorate To ratify
any Que Of their acts, and what sort
: Of a government is that To-day
!. | repeat those words, and | solemnly )
make to the members OF the Pro
visional Government, the following
= propositions:
/. Will they recognize the alb
solute failure Of their Hawaiian poll
cy thus fart
2, Will they vindicate the integri
D ~ OF their aims, by showing that i
| was good government, and not powe
that they sought
3. VIII they confer with the mel
: outside their ranks, whose persona
{ aud property interests in good gov
I ernment are as great as their own, a
:, 10 the best means Of attaining tha
= good government
= /. Will they ac ept the declara
e tion that, These two principles ar,
l. essential: The Hawaiian national in
stinct must be satisfied, and the con
=, 6dence Of white men must be main
tained?"
J. Speaking for myself and for IN!
J. friends, ] say that we will accept un
n reservedly the declaration hav'
named.
Z Is 1t too much to ask that the Pro
" visional Government should accep
J. it, and stand fairly by the result?
?. There will be no rest nor comfor
!; in Hawaii, until the people are one
- more consulted.
9 Surely il must be within the scop
i uf wise and humane statesmanshiI
y 10 devise way OF satisfying the ma