The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-01-12
fHE PRESIDENTS eLUNoERS.
Partisan Practices OF rhe Chief Executive
in the Hawaiian Affair.

against the integrity OF MS predecessor
and the American minister 70 Hawaii,
and the insolence of opinion exhibited
by him in his Interpretation of the
events attending the establishment of
the visional government, are alike
unworthy of the occupant of the execu-
tive Office. Mr.. Cleveland asks the
country to accept his judgment as alb
solutely sound and conclusive. No
other conclusion. he declares, could be
arrived at, in view of the facts stated,
than that which he has formulated.
Does Mr.. Cleveland expect the country
to agree in this estimate of his own in
fallibility? Has it never to occurred to
him that President Harrison is just as
honest man, just as pure in morals,
just as intellectually acute. just as ju-
dicial in temper, just as impervious to
hasty and immoderate impulse as he is
himself? Was Gen. Harrison, as an
honest executive, trained to the con-
sideration of large questions, and with
clear conceptions of duty and the linn
itations of the executive authority, any
less capable of determining wisely the
question of Hawaiian recognition and
our relation to the island kingdom
upon the facts presented, than Mr..
Cleveland or Mr.. Gresham. or any other
prejudiced official of the present admin
istration, upon the ex parte testimo-
ny accumulated by special commits
sioper?
Mr.. Cleveland mistakes if he sup
poses that the American people will
suit their thinking on this subject to
his particular views" Their judg-
ment has been determined by the facts
in the case, as presented by both sides
to the controversy, and not at all by
what any man chooses to think or any
construction he may care to put upon
the acts of the participants in it. He
is equally mistaken il he imagines that
his extraordinary criticism of his pred
ecessor, going to the verge of personal
atfront, Will command the popular ap-
prevail Such an act of official indie
cency has never before disg-aced our
annals and it will never be repeated by
any executive who appreciates the
amenities of public life. A distin-
guished American well says: Most
civilized governments attack the repu-
tation of their enemies. if they must.
1t was never before known that they
blackened their own national walls
/ with posted scandals against them
selves"
Whatever may be Mr.. Clevelands
honesty of purpose. and we do not call
it in question, his course in this whole
matter has been that OF the rancOrous
partisan or hired advocate rather than
that OF an enlightened statesman. His
recent message is characterized by a
spirit of studied hostility to the pro-
visional government in Hawaii. Yet
he has formally recognized that gov
eminent as the only existing govern
ment in the islands. He charges the
last administration with treachery and
conspiracy in its foreign relations. and
forgets, or refuses to see, that his own
policy has been one of G.eceit and
double-dealing in that, while rccogniz-
Ing the provisional government as the
de-facto government, he was scheming
to bring about its overthrow and re-
store the monarchy. While informing
the queen that he would not resort to
actual force to accomplish this restora-
ton, he left the provisional authorities
to suppose that United States troops
would be used against them if occasion
required, thus creating apprehension
and keeping the public mind in state
of excitement likely at any moment to
flame out in acts of violence. But his
offending does not stop here. He per-
sisted in his plan even after the queen
had refused to return to power under
any engagement to exercise clemency
toward the members of the provisional
government, thus revealing vicious
and bloodthirsty character incapable
of defense or apology. 1t is surprising
that Mr. Cleveland did not see the in
consistency of his action as to this par
ticular point What right has the
United States, if we are bound in JUS
tice to restore the queen, to impose
conditions which would deprive her.
when restored, of the rights CO
sovereignty? If she has any claim at
all upon us to fright a wrong" done to
her, that claim is absolute and uncon-
ditiOnal, and any attempt on our part
to couple the performance of an act of
justice with conditions of any sort
whatever is pure impertinence.
We have not dealt, in what has gone
before, with the larger and primary
question of President Clevetaud's ex-
tracrdinary assumption of power in
dealing with this whole matter. In
deed, little needs to be said upon this
point, since the better opinion of the
country is practically unanimous in
condemning the arrogance which not
only defed the rights of congress in
undertaking a policy involving possi-
bilities of war. but studiously concealed
that possibility from the people so long
as there was possibility of their In
reference with it That sort of thing
may be done in Russia, but in this
country even presidents are subject to
laws and constitution, and any en-
croaohment upon popular rights. any
assumption of autocratic powers at the
expense of the legislature in which the
popular will is imaged and epitomized,
will be resented, as Mr.. Cleveland's in
solent disregard of the authority and
rights of congress has been, with pitt
less and overwhelming emphasis
Frank Leslie's Weekly.
COMMENT AND OPINION.