The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-04-06

to missionary Work.
''Suddenly their whole tone
changed. The missionaries sons and
some returned missionaries vehement
ly asserted that the native Hawaiians
were filthy and ignorant and de-
based, licentious and idolatrous race,
utterly unfit to be intrusted with
liberty, but must be kept under the
control of a firm and INSCRIPTIONS
but pious Congregational despotism.
assuming this to be true, then the
result of between fifty and sixty years
unbroken missionary government in
these islands has been that the popu-
lation has been reduced in numbers
by three quarters, and that these
three.quarters are as debased, licen-
tious and brutal as they were when
the missionaries began their labors,
and that the whole missionary enter
prise has been disgraceful failure.
meanwhile there are some other
facts, which the missionaries do not
mention, but which cannot be dis.
puted. During the fifty years the
government of these islands was un-
der missionary influence most of the
natives were deprived of their rights
in the land, excepting about $1,000
acres, and all the rest was divided
among the king, the chiefs and the
families and friends of the mission
aries.
"The missionaries sons and their
associates boast that they own four
fifths of all the property of the ISL
ands. Nearly all the rest is owned by
the descendants of the former chiefs.
The great mass of the people own
nothing. The missionary govern
ment, finding that the natives would
not work for less than % cents day,
mplained of the want of labor, and
insisted on the importation of scores
of thousands of the scum of the hu-
man race, including Chinese and what
are called Portuguese, a mongrel race,
who never saw Portugal, but who
speak something resembling the lam
guage of that country.
SIN this manner the missionaries
sons cut down the wages of the native
Hawaiians and compelled them to
work on their sugar plantations at
such rates as seemed good to their
masters.
"Before the missionaries gained
control of the islands leprosy was un-
known. But with the introduction OF
strange races leprosy established itself
and rapidly increased. An entire ISL
and was very properly devoted to the
lepers. No Protestant missionaries
would venture among them.
"For this do not blame them, as
no doubt / should not have had the
courage to go myself. But a noble
Catholic priest consecrated his life to
the service of the leper, lived among
them, baptized them, educated them
and brought some light and happiness
into their wretched lives.
"Stung by the contrast of his ex-
ample, the one remaining mission
ary, recognized and paid agent of
the American Board, spread broad
cast the vilest ISLANDERS against Father
Damien. He said that Father Da-
mien was dirty. Much good mission
aries can do among q wretched and
degraded people if they hold them
selves aloof from those who are dirty!
Did the Apostles take care never to
touch the dirty hands or sit against
the dirty clothes Of their early con-
verts?
HE accused the good father of vile
practices. But the vileness was In
the Congregational nissionary's
mouth, not in the Catholic mission
ary's life, and under threats of ex-
posure and legal punishment the
Congregational missionary sneaked
out of the accusation. Yet, after he
had degraded himself ia the eyes of
every decent man, he remains, if am
correctly informed, still we'll paid,
Well-houSed, comfortably cared-for
agent of the American Board in Ha-
waii. OF course, he is an ardent an
nexationist
"And now the very same men
who by hundreds and thousands have
protested with piOus indignation
against the Southern States for their
practical observation-disclosures of the
yrs1f
of their own best men
vastly beyond the moral standard
which the Hawaiian missionaries
have until lately boasted as the parti-
cular attribute of their converts, are
full of enthusiasm over what, with
bitter irony, is called the Hawaiian
Republic.
GA republic forsooth, in which no
man can vote unless he has property
which would be equivalent to the
possession of $4,000 IN Brooklyn, and
in whicn no one can vote for Senator
who is not worth $4,000, which is
equivalent to $4,000 in Brooklyn.
But even with this restriction of the
suffrage our republican missionaries
are afraid to trust the republican
voters. Accordingly they did not
care to allow the people, under any
whatever, to elect the
President, but having got control off
the Constitutional Convention, they
Mr.. Dole President, to hold
Office for six years, and just so much
longer as the Senate and Assembly
should fail to agree on a successor;
restricting the choice, even then, to
such persons as should be agreeable to
a majority of the Senate, which will
be elected by about 200 Of the richest
men on the islands,
"Nor do they stop here. They
passed laws severely furnishing any
one who dares to speak disrespectfully
of their high mightinesses. Any one,
whether a native or an American,
who dares to say that this republican
government is not republican, or that
any of the missionaries sOns who
deigE to govern the barbarous Chris
tians of Hawaii is not well fitted for
his post, is liable to long term of
i'm prisonment and heavy fine.
EAnd vat after all thOuoh thaU