The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-05-23
MISSIONARIES AND LAND.

d1t1C1O AIOLA VIC POh " NES~H
Lyons given in another column in
which few facts concerning the
possession of lands by the mis-
gionaries are given publicity, and
the confirmation Of which is con-
tanned in the official records of the
Government land Office. To those
acquainted with the facts in the
history of the doings of the mis-
sionaries and with the personal
history of the individuals who are
casting such despicable slurs upon
their character, it seems almost a
waste of time to refute these state
ments. But the fact remains that
these lies are printed for distribu-
ton among people who know
nothing Of the personality of the
writer's or the motives that prompt
the dissemination Of such trash.
There is good deal of sound doc
trine in the principle of not giving
such matters the dignity of de-
NAL, but it is we'll to remember
that there are those seeking for the
truth and if they are fed. continu-
ally upon lies, there is little else to
do but accept them as truth.
Every man who has taken the
trouble to investigate the so-called
land grabbing of the missionaries
or their sons know that the accusa-
tons brought against them are az
rotten as the venere of public
benefaction with which individuals
Of this self-instituted organization
of transformation endeavor to
throw about themselves.
This claim of the missionaries or
their offspring picking out the best
lands and leaving the remainder
for the Hawaiian is about on a par
with a possible division of New
York City between the capitalists
and working men, in which the
working men were given property
on Fifth avenue, Broadway and the
water front, while the capitalists
took the barren and unimproved
districts of the suburbs. Possibly
the walking delegates would find
cause for complaint and preach
upon the unfair division, but facts
would give their statements the lie
from. start to finish, the unfairness
being shown the capitalists if to
either party.
Look to the records and notice
the lands put in the hands of the
Hawaiians. The rich valleys and
fertile plains were their portion,
while the missionary or his son
took the most unpromising sec
tions, and less than one per cent. |
of the whole at that. At one
time the district of Honolulu
toward Waikiki was a bar
rem, desert plain. The algaroba tree
has done much to make that plain
one of the best resident portions of
the city. There is just as much
sense in accusing the missionaries.
of stealing lands as there would be
in casting reflections upon the
labors of good Mother Armstrong
for planting and carefully tending
the first algarobas grown in the
Kawaiahao church yard.
There are several thousand acres
near Eva which B. F. Dillingham;
is DESTROYS of irrigating and con-
Verting into valuable sugar fields.
Today the land is practically use
less. Should Mr.. Dillingham; carry
out his scheme we shall expect to
hear of some unmitigated ass look
ing over the fertile cane fields and
stories of g a big missionary
steal" Yet Mr.. Dillingham; is
neither a missionary or the son of
a missionary. He is simply
thorough Yankee, willing to take
off his coat and put in good, honest
5oil for what returns he can obtain.
This is only one of many similar
instances that might be cited.
Coffee planters are risking thous-
snds of dollars in making some
hing out of the jungles of Hawaii. {
dore missionary thievery? Doubt