Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-29
Mr. Willis and Mr.. 0lney Do Not
Agree.
THE MINISTER RESENFS CRITICISM
Republished From The Star in a
Honolulu Paper.
R E F 0 r M M E A S Z r E S
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
HONOLULU, April 16, 1896
The steamers from Asia give us much
trouble in a sanitary way. 1t will be recall
| ed how last August the Belgic brought
cholera to Honolulu, through the conceal
ment of cases Of that pestilence by the
ships surgeon, Bowie. Notwithstanding
that fact, the Belgic brought the same
| surgeon here again last month, causing
several hours detention of the ship for
! thorough examination by the port physi-
clan. On the 18th of this month the Gaelic
arrived with 900 Chinese laborers for our
plantations from Hongkong and one case
! of smallpox among them. 1t had also been
| learned that a case of black plague had
occurred on board between Hongkong and
Yokohama. Consequently the passengers
were sent to the quarantine, and the 100
| tons Of freight was landed, after being
thoroughly fumgated in the ships hold bv
| Cur excellent fumigating apparatus recent
! ly procured. 1t is nearly certain that all
remaining passengers will be Quarantined
| on reaching San Francisco Consequently
| number of passengers booked for the
Cache stayed over for the Australia, sail
| Ing today.
| Minfster Willis in Trouble
Among these was United States Minister
Wills, whose departure his sixty DAYS
lurlough has thus been postponed a second
tlme. Ihls much worried, but really es-
unable gentleman, Is thus not unlikely to
De seen in Washington a few day hence
especially as 1t is surmsed that there is
some tension In his relations with Secreta-
ry olney. as we'll as with President Dole
IT Will be remembered that the min,ster
nau a serious difficulty with the president
ABOUT the observance of January IL having
persuaded his diplomatic colleagues to iojn
nun IN making no reply to the official invi-
.a.ions sent them to observe that ami
hersdry OK the overthrow of the monarcbv
| The complaint of this government and tba
| correspondence were laid before Secretary
olhey by Hawaiian Minister Hatch. The
ras ve haa, now reports that information
erect that while Minister Willis has not
a cehsured by his government his con-
"I Pr on January II is disapproved."
freclsely what the distinction is between
| cehsure and such disapproysI docs NOT sn
| pear. The morning paper adds: 1T has
peen an open secret since January that the
! 'd relations between Minister Willis
anu me government have not been cordial:
| IN lact, all social relations were discon
siueu alter the 18th Of January episode.
none OF the officials of the government
tons birthday celebration at the iega,ion
nor We're they invited to be present at the
raves british minister dinner rendered
Minister Willis last week"
Our good Mr. Willis sensibit.ies were
seriously disturbed last week by a copied
paragraph in the same newspaper so that
ne lett 1t necessary to claim something
like redress from the government Ey
pecung shortly to sail on the Gaelic the
minister PAID an official farewell call 10
Mr. Dole and his cabinet. After the usual
exchange OF coUrtesies, he took occasion
10 call their attention to what he regarded
as an insulting notice of himself for
which he thought the government was
me, more or less responsible the Advertiser be-
Ing their official organ, and controlled by
James H. Castle, prominent government
official. The Advertiser is owned by cor
poration, in which Mr.. Castle Is a large
stockhoider. 1t has. for many years, been
the leading organ of the reform party 1t
Is, however in no sense the organ of the
government, which neither controls nor in
spires it, Mr. Castle and his brother. late
~ minister at Washington, both doubtless
Influence the course Of the paper Mr.
Willis was quite misled.
AS foreign representative, the minister
was undoubtedly entitled to be exempted
from public hostile attacks. The executive
recognized this right, and while disclaim-
Ing all responsibility for utterances of the
Advertiser. and courteously expressing
their regret for Mr.. Willis wounded feel
ings, they promised to admontsh the Of
Tending editor for his assault upon the
representative of the United States. The
admonition was duly administered, and the
paper appeared on the second morning
with explanations and quasi-apology.
What was the nature of the Advertisers
ing, wholly without comment, at the end
of its editorial columns, of a part of an
editorial from The Evening Star of Wash
inston. You had said: Mr.. Willis has
no value whatever in Honolulu. If any
thing, lie is q standing affront to people
for whom the people Of this country feel
warm attachment" Certainly these were
not agreeable words for the Advertiser to
thrust under the nose Of Mr.. Willis One
cannot help commiserating the worthy gen.
tleman. who, after two years of endurance
of adverse and trying conditions, finds
echoed in his hearing such words of disap-
prevail as The Star awarded to him. One
can but fear that the truth was told-a fact
which fails to mitigate the pain inflicted.
Esteem for the Minister.
1t seems due to Mr.. Willis to say that he
has generally made the best of a bad posi-
ton, which he came to occupy without
wrong intention, misled by grateful sub
serviency to Mr.. Cleveland, who had stood
his faithful friend. He has generally acted
with moderation and courtesy toward this
government In his social relations he has
made himself quite acceptable in Honolulu
and is personally much esteemed. While
his original errand here created tension
In his relations to the government which
time could not wholly relax, he has enjoyed
the confidence Of all parties in his integrity
of purpose He made a failure of his orig
iral errand, in which a stronger positive
ness and determination might probably
have enabled him to succeed, at least so
far as to initiate an armed conflict. No one
can doubt that the caution and scrupulous-
ness which postponed his attempt to re-
store the queen until success had become
impossible were fortunate in saving him
from the infamy of making war on a civil
lized American regime in order to restore
one that was semi-barbarous.
Mr.. Willis predecessor, the eminent John
L. Stevens, had a very serious collision
with the queens government in 1890, on
account of some violent animadverSions on
him In the chief organ Of the queens party.
boat had landed with wrecked seamen,
and another boat was believed to be behind
1t In distress. Mr.. Stevens was abuSively
criticised for not instantly dispatching the
United States cruiser Boston in search of
It, He complained personally to the queen
for which a futile attempt was made to
censure him in the legislature. The real
animus of the accusation against the min
lister was that he deemed it unsafe to send
the warship away at a juncture when con-
troversy in the legislature was excessively
rancorouS, and the queen was making I'M