The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1896-11-30

open TO every shade of opinion or party or
grievance. Correspondence must not be hbel- {
ious or indecent and must be accompanied by .
The name of the tcriter, not necessarily for pub
location, but as guarantee of good fdtth.) {
ED. The INDEPENDENT
Thanksgiving day has come and
gone, and will be remembered by
the people OF this country as one
more effort on the part of this "best
government" etc, to make display
OF their great power aud authority.
To see the police and the "army"
trudging through the mud and
slush in the wake of the $3.50 per
month Colonel and his staff, was a
sight not soon to be forgotten.
When Thanksgiving day was in
stituted in the United States, it was
the object of the good men who
created it, to be set apart as a day
of general humiliation aud prayer to
the author of all good for all the
mercies vouchsafed to the country
and ourselves during the past year,
but our "funny little republic" has
seen fit to depart from that manner
OF duty, and made it day of dis.
playing their strength, by showing
the people how many gun-carriers
they can place in procession, and
the loyalty and vim with which they
tramp through mud and mire at the
word of command. l was not a
little surprised to find you saying in
your paper of 25th, that you saw
nothing especial to be thankful for"
wonder how you can see so little
to be thankful for, when we consider
even small part OF what has taken
place in our midst during the last
year.
IT'S less than a year since our
Jail was crowded with men
who had shown disposition to
loosen the foothold of the gang who
have held the country in thrall
and have been rioting on its re-
sources for the last four years.
Those men had been tried by a
murder Commission" by
courtesy called "Court MARTIAL
and had been found guilty OF the
crime of patriotism. Some OF them, it
is believed, were sentenced to death,
while many were sentenced to long
terms of imprisonment and heavy
fines, some as high as thirty FIVE
years imprisonment and a fine of
$4,000. These men have all been
liberated, and are now as good citi-
zens as any we have.
Is not this something to be thank
full fors Is it not something to be
thankful for, that the President
has heart Of flesh, and opposed
those "she devils" Of the Union
Church, who raised their voices
against the unfortunate, who were
sentenced to death, praying w. o.
Smith & Co. to set the guillotine to
work, that blood might flow as it
did 10 the days of Robespiere? You
must think this something to be
be thankful for. Is it not some-
thing to be thankful for, that our
government is so rich that it can
afford to send some of its most
servile followers to japan, New Tea
land, the United States and Europei
trot them around as show for our
country's wealth, pay them their
high salaries for the many months
of their rusticating, while their sub
ordinates are performing all the
duties of their Office as we'll, if not
better, in their absence as when
they we're present?
Is it not something to be thankful
for that so fine men were brought to
their death by the brutal incarcera-
ton aud abuse to which they were
subjected by those fends in human
form2 And while some have been
hopelessly ruined, financially, but
have not, as yet, been brought to the
grave, amongst whom may be men
toned the Ashford brothers, should
we not be thankful when we con-