The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-11-04
ATTORNEY AT WORK.

The letter which the Royal Hawaii
an band placed in the hands of Hon.
John w. Foster at San Francisco bears
the finger marks or rather the ear
marks of c. w. Ashford, an attorney
whose latest Hawaiian chapter was
that he left the country for the coun-
try's good. That Ashford should Sc
cure to himself the post of literary
man for the Wandering Minstrels is
not at all surprising. Further, it IS
not astonishing that in this capacity
he should repeat the version of the
overthrow of 1898 as manufactured,
supported, added to and piled upon
and exploited by himself and his
kind. Ashford is of the well known
variety of Hawaiian patriot that has
posed as the friend of the native, but
has been unable to even for an instant
subdue the desires, schemes and ambi-
tions of No. /. If there was ever for
eigner in Hawaii who fitted the des-
cription "adventurer," he was that in
dividual. For months upon months
now, during his sojourn at San Fran
cisco he has let escape no chance to
hurl shaft of malice or falsehood ut
the Republic and its officials. These
latter are men who had befriended
him in times past and whose dire un-
doing he plotted in the later days of
1898. He was party to the plot against
the Government, but his obstinate
legs would carry him only in direc-
ton away from danger. Ashford is 4
fair type of the men agitating and
tirelessly laboring for a "plebiscite"
in Hawaii. The gang would not hes
itate at anything to accomplish OBJ
jects of personal ggrandizement over
the shoulders of the unsuspecting
native, so many times duped and led
astray by them. These worthless would
readily stoop to lodges that men who
serve Hawaii would spurn. Their
'plebiscite" idea might well come
from the days of the rule of cap-a-pie
knights. If position as band members
was all that the musicians desired,
there never was the slightest preteXt
for their tour abroad. In this enter
prise they seem to have done pretty
well excepting when they quarreled
amongst themselves. One of their
former managers is at present in the
Government band here. The Wander
ing Minstrels refused service with the
Provisional Government upon bad adj
vice and could they make unhampered
expression would say so today and
gladly return to their old places. In
the hands of Ashford ct al. they will
say anything or sign anything with
out any degree of the import of their
course or conduct. All this is of the
plebiscite phantom, a shadow that
must of its own fault and weakness
and lack of genuine support or tang
ible merit melt away before the sun
shine of progressive, honest govern
ment with the purpose of the greatest
good for the greatest number and with
the determination to advance Hawaii
to proud position. The literary at
torney in fact of the Wandering Min
strels chronicles the statement or the
intimation that there had been gov
ornamental CONFUSION here. Nothing
of the sort. There was simply reached
visible and assertive climax towards
which events had been trending even
from the days of Kamehameha the
First The transition period was per-
haps long drawn out, but it was and
is plain to the eye of the observant,
and Hawaii is now only in an entirely
natural state, let those who will be-
wall fate and destiny.
L.