The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-06-26


remembered, spent some weeks in
Honolulu during the first part of the
year, and while sojourning in the city
delivered several instructive lectures
to large and appreciative audiences,
wrote as follows to the Springfield
(Mass.) Republican, under date of
April 2, concerning what he saw while
visiting the Paradise of the Pacific:
OF my nineteen days in Honolulu,
the first four were spent under mar
tial law. To a stranger there was
nothing to mark the transition to the
peaceful rule OF civil law. The trial
of political prisoners, with sentences
of death, their Communication by Presi =
dent Dole to fine, imprisonment, or
Punishment, practically ended the
drama of instruction which threat
ened to be a terrible tragedy. Dole's
leniency, which shows the conscious
courage and strength of the Republic,
meets almost universal approval. L
attended the last sessions of the Exec
utive and Advisory Councils, and
heard the discussion of the important
bills adopted, in which nearly every
member shared. They were short,
earnest and to the point. Not one
showed any flourish of rhetoric. These
nineteen men have all served without
pay. Nearly all Joined the volunteers
and bore arms during the rebellion.
They are evidently genuine patriots.
A visit to the State prison showed
that the rebels there confined have
been treated with kindness. There is
no truth in the stories of torture or
cruelty. I conversed freely with Gu
lick and Major Seward, who made no
complaints of ill treatment. Seward
was very glad to see one who lives
only eight miles from his old home in
Guilford, Conn The rebellion has
greatly strengthened the Republic by
testing its friends and revealing and
defeating its enemies. The native
Hawaiians were not the prime NOV
ers. The best of them stood by the
Republic and knew well that the men
in power had for years been the true
friend of the natives. The leaders OF
the insurrectiOn were disreputable
whites and demagogues like Seward
and Gulick, and other favOrites of the
dissolute queen. That now is the be
lief of nearly all classes.
That the Republic has come to stay
is now the belief of nearly all classes.
What a contrast between it's aims and
those of the ex-queen, when less than
three years ago she plotted to change
negatives, and virtually disfranchise
the white population and secure a lu-
crative lottery bill-althOugh she was
already squanGering over $50, 900 a
year. The Hawaiians have now a
pure government, intent on prOmot-
ing the highest good of all classes.
The whites cheerfully pay seven
Fights of all the taxes. Everything
is done above board, and full finan-
cial reports are printed every week.
President Dole is now making new
efforts to give every native a chance to
own home of his own, no matter
how poor he may be. The "HOme
stead Act" is likely to become still
more libe raj. A work has been re-
Gently initiated to make small farm
ing profitable by the natives. In the
two nurseries now established there
have been already furnished, free TO
the people, over 10000 trees, while
there are on hand Al, 900 trees, includ-
ing 20 600 fruit trees of sixteen varie
ties. Besides these there are 5000 in
pots, including hundreds of camphor
trees and lugwOOd and the Kona
coffee. The last official report says
that 11,744 acres have recently been
sold by the Government for coffee
planting, and 2,375 acres are already so
planted, and also gives an additional
list of individuals and companies who
have. planted over 143, 900 coffee trees.
The small farmers are especially en-
couraged to carry on this work. This
KOna coffee is so fine that mailed ten
pounds to my family in Connecticut,
by parcel post, which cost, including
postage (12 cents q pound, packages
not to exceed eleven pounds each),
only 81 20. To further facilitate the
Homestead Act and small holdings,
the Government nurseries now offer
free many thousand new fibre plants,
especially the promising sisal plant.
President Dole cordially welcomes
my suggestion for all arbOr day for
economic purposes and arbor day in
schools. The next Legislature will
probably realize such an observance
and provide that the President shall
issue an annual proclamation in favor
of devoting such day to tree-plant-
ing on the extensive barrens, as we'll
as on the farms, and also in favor of
enlisting school children in this
work, and it will probably also pro-
vide that the Inspector-General of
Schools shall send a fitting arbor day
programme to every school in the
Republic. The Government has Sc
lecJed 200 acres of land admirably
suited for the purpose of a free nursery.
This large tract Will be planted as soon
as the work for its irrigation is COM
plete. Many artesian wells now sup
ply pure wafer, rising from twenty to |
thirty feet above the surface. Visitors |
to Honolulu who are Interested in /
tree-pIanting or ia the prosperity of |
the natives should inspect these nur-
series, small and therefore Overcrowd- |
ed as yet, a mere beginning, but sure I
to expand and lead to- broad and per-
manent results. Mr.. Marsden, the
of Agriculture, and Mr..
superintendent of the nurser-
les, are enthusiasts in their line.
Several interviews with President
Dole and with prominent officials of
the Government impressed me with
feeling OF admire ion of him and of
high respect for his Cabinet. Mingling
with the HaWaiians and all classes of
foreigners, L found them, with here
and there an exception, loud in the