The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-05-08
A WASHINGTON APOLOGY.

1t having come to the attention of the
Washington Star that Minister Willis
had complained to the Hawaiian Gov
eminent on account of an editorial ex'
tract that appeared in this paper, the
Star gives voice to its sentiments in the
matter as follows:
Minister Willis has left Honolulu
and is now headed in this direction. Ii
is rumored that he will not return to
the Island Republic; that this admins
tration will manifest its displeasure at
Hawaiian republicanism and progress
by having as its representative at Ho-
nolulu an official whose rank and sta
ton is that of a mere consul general.
The people of Hawaii will surely be
much delighted if this rumor has sub
stantial foundation, and so will the peo-
pie of the United States, for the latter
are tired of the picayune manner in
which Minister Willis has endeavored
to annoy government which it should
have been his pleasure and duty to en-
courage and support. From the time
when Mr.. Willis presented to President
Dole the ultimatum of his chief to the
effect that the government to which he
was accredited must commit suicide, he
has been energetic only in worrying;
the tactics of the mosquito have been
his.
What was probably his last effort
materialized when he called to say his
official farewell to the President of the
Pacific Republic. Upon that occasion
Mr.. Willis assumed the role of press
censor, and announced his dissatisfac-
ton with the Hawaiian Government be-
cause it permitted the Honolulu Adver-
tiser to reprint an editorial which ap-
peared in the Star, an editorial which
asserted that Mr.. Willis has no value
whatever in Honolulu. If anything, he
is standing affront to the people for
whom the people of this country feel
a warm attachment Not having any
control over the Honolulu Advertiser,
President Dole could do nothing but lis
ten with assumed gravity to the piping
complaints of the thin-skinned diplo-
mat.
Minister Willis complaint was a re-
markable exhibition of petulance, for
no one knows more thoroughly than
does Minister Willis how completely
as disturber-he has
been in Hawaii. The quotation from the |
Star to which he took exception and for
which he foolishly attempted to hold a |
Honolulu newspaper and the Hawaiian |
Government responsible, was part of an |
editorial in which attention was direct |
ed to the fact that Minister Willis was
not in any sense a representative of the |
people of the United States; never at |
any time during his brief and inglorious |
diplomatic career has he ever done more |
than voice the un-American and anti
republican ideas which have so griey-
Ously afflicted President Cleveland in
MS Hawaiian policy
las the Star has before stated-in
The editorial which aroused the Willis.
re-'the value of an American Minis
ter in any country depends upon his
representative character Following
hat came the paragraph to which most
exception was taken. In spite of the
act that the fretful and querulous Min
ster has taken umbrage at some of the
stars statements as to his diplomatic
status, the Star sees no reason for am
nding any of its declarations as to him.
lie has been merely the personal repre-
of Grover Cleveland at Homo
ulu. He has never been a representa-
i've of the American people. He is an .
vowed enemy to the republican Gov
of Hawaii. He is doing the
roper thing in coming home He should
tay at home" I