The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-01-19
Conclusion of Professor Alexander S
Article.
ROYAL ABUSES OF TWENTY YEARS
The Kalakaua Opium Bribe-Reform
League and Great Mass Meeting.
Constitution of ISS5-FinaI Settle
ment of the Aki Case.

The facts of this case were stated in
| the affidavit of Aki, published May
| 81, 1887, and those of Wong Leong, J.
| S. Walker and Nahora Hipa, pub
lished June 2S, 1887, as well as in the
decision of Judge Preston in the case
| of Loo Ngawk ct al, executors of the
will of Il. Aki VS.. A. j. Cartwright ct
al, trustees of the king (Haw. Rep,
| Vol. vii, p. 4OD.
L have already spoken ST the opium
| license law, which was carried by the
| royalist party in the Legislature of
| 1856, and signed by the king in spite
of the most vigorous protests from all
/ classes of the community. AS this
| law had been saddled with amend
| ments, which rendered it nearly un-
| workable, set of regulations was
published October 10, 1856, providing
for the issue of permits to purchase or
use opium by the Marshal, who was
to retain half the fee and the Govern
| ment the other half.
The main facts of the case, as proved
before the court, are as follows: Early
in November, 1856, one Junius Kaae,
q palace parasite, informed Chinese
rice planter named Tong Kee, alias
Aki, that he could have the opium
license granted to him if he would
pay the sum of 100000 to the kings
private purse, but that he must be in
haste because other parties were bid
ding for the privilege. With some
difficulty Aki raised the money, and
secretly paid it to Kaae and the king
in three installments between Decem-
Der and December s, 1886. Soon
afterwards Kaae called on Aki and
| informed him that one Kwong Sam
TT l. - e..
| the license, and would certainly get
it, unless Aki paid SIS, 900 more. Ac-
cordingly Aki borrowed the amount
and gave it to the king personally on
the 18th.
Shortly after this another Chinese
syndicate, headed by Chung Lung,
paid the king $4,000 for the same OBJ
ject, but took the precaution to secure
the license before handing over the
! money. Thereupon Aki, finding that
he had lost both his money and his
license, divulged the whole affair,
which was published in the Homo
lulu papers. He stopped the payment
of note at the bank for $4,000, max
| ing his loss $71 600. Meanwhile Junius
Kaae was appointed to the response
| BILE office of registrar of conveyances,
which had became vacant by the
| death of the lamented Thomas Brown.
AS was afterwards ascertained. the
King ordered 100000 gunboat from
England, through Mr.. G. w. Macfar-
| lane, but the negotiations for it were
broken off by the revolution.
| On the 18th of April, 1887, Queen
Kapiolani and the Princess Liliuoka-
lani accompanied by Messrs. c..
p. Iaukea, J. II. Boyd, and J. O.
| Dominis, left for England to attend
| the celebration of the jubilee held
| upon the fiftieth anniversary of the
accession of b er Majesty Queen Vic
tora. They returned on the 26th Of
July, 1887.
THE REFORM LEAGUE.
The exposure of the two opium
bribes ubi the appointment of the
Kings accomplice in the crime as
registrar Of c0nveyances helped TO
bring matters to n crisis, and united
nearly all taxpayers not merely
against the king but against the
system of government under which
such iniquities could be perpetrated.
In the spring of 1887 secret league
had been formed in Honolulu, with
branches on the other islands, for the
purpose of putting an end to the pre-
vailing misrule and extravaganza,
and of establishing q civilized govern
ment, reSpOnSlOlG 10 the people
through their representatives. Arms
were imported, and rifle clubs sprang
up all over the islands. In Honolulu
volunteer organization known as
the "Rifiesn was increased in num-
bers, and brought to a high state of
efficiency under the command of Col.
V. V. Ashford. It is supposed that
the league now numbered from 800 to
1000 men, while its objects had the
sympathy of the great ajority of the
community. 1t was at first expected
that monarchy would then be abolish
ed, and republican constitution was
drawn up.
AS the time for action approached,
the resident citizens of the United
States, Great Britain, and Germany
addressed memorials TO their respect
i've governments, through their re-
representatives., declaring the conditions
of affairs to be intolerable. As is the
case in all such movements, the
league was composed of average men,
actuated by q variety of motives, but
all agreed in their main object. For
tunately, the 'spOiIs wing" of the
party failed eventually to capture
either branch of the Government,
upon which a number of them Joined
the old Gibsonian party and became
bitter enemies of reform.
THE GREAT REFORM MEETING.
II