The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-04-20
TO THE DEVILS ADVOCATE,
Mr.. ThurstOn Pays His Compliments
to Palmer.
Latter Hired by the New York Post to
Write Anti-AnnexatIon Material
Treasury Misrepresentation.

MR.. EDITOR: - When it is proposed
nOnize man and place his name upon
the catalogue of saints, in order to
prevent unworthy additions to that
honorable list it is customary to select
a cardinal of ability whose duty it is
to marshal and present to the Pope all
evidence and possible reasons why
such distinction should not be con-
ferred. The man who is assigned to
this disagreeable duty is appropriately
designated as "the DEVILS advocate"
I was informed some little time
since that the New York Evening
Post had sent Mr.. Julius Palmer to
Honolulu, not to write an impartial
account of the Hawaiian revolution,
but to "work up material against an
nexation." Whether such was the
case did not know; but in this morn
ing's ADVERTISER I find over Mr..
Palmer's own signature the statement
that his mission is to photograph
and exhibit at their worst the cOndi-
tions in Hawaii, and says "there is
because ''if man wishes to marry
my sister it is my duty to ascertain
not the best but the VeTY a0Orst which
can be eaid of his character. Your
Government avows its intention to
make alliance with mine," and that
he is engaged in working up the argu-
ment to prevent it.
feel under deep obligations to Mr..
Palmer for thus openly declaring him
COLI 10 IA 70
that he is professedly presenting the
blacklist possible phase of Hawaiian
conditions, for the express purpose of
preventing the elevation of Hawaii to
the honorable position of a member
of the American Union. He comes
out into the open and makes his
declaration instead of skulking in the
shadows and masquerading as an
impartial investigator who is giving
the result of his researches from the
standpoint of fairness and truth after
considering all of the conditions.
hope that the IN. Y. POst' will be
as fair as Mr.. Palmer is, and state at the
head of each of Mr.. Palmer's articles,
"Take notice that there is another
side to the statements hereunder
made, and more or less satisfactory
reply and explanation to each of the
charges therein made"
This is simply the plea OF julius a.
Palmer, the DEVILS advocate, ap-
pointed to write up and report to Pope
Godkin the every worst" that can be
said about Hawaii, to be used here
after as ammunition against anneXa-
ton. I take the liberty of reminding
Mr.. Palmer, however, that 1t is a rule
that the DEVILS advocate must confine
himself to the strict truth. l have
not had the pleasure of seeing all of
Mr.. Palmer's valuable reports, but in
one of his telegraphed dispatches pub
lished about the first of this month
there was contained the statement in
effect that the balance of cash shown
by the Hawaiian treasury is purely
fictitious one, it being simply de-
posit to secure payment of outstand-
ing certificates of deposit.
There is very little excuse for this
error, as the treasury statement is
published in detail each week, show
ING in separate accounts the amount
on depos4. - secure the outstanding
certificates of 0eyv.y;t and the other
moneys in the treasury.
On the 18th of March last, about the
time Mr.. Palmer's dispatch was writ
ten showing the "very worst that
could be said about the finances of
Hawaii, the treasury statement for
the week ending March 16, 1895,
shows that on March Is, 1895, there
was then cash in the treasury in addi-
tion to the special deposit securing
outstanding certificates of deposit as
follows:
Loan funds...... ................S 4O,O7491
Cash in Postal Savings
Bank ............................ 131 ,167. 81
Road mOneys........ ............. 39,O64 22
School oneys.................~ 6,176.6O