The record-union., 1896-03-29


islands Went to the rescue of the King,
and the rebellion was put down.
King Kalakaua died january 90
1891, and was succeeded by his sister,
Liliuokalani, as Queen. The Queen was
thoroughly English in education aid
sympathy. From the first she dis
played intense hatred for the Amer1-
can missionaries. Left alone she might
have made an excellent monarch, for
those who know her say she possesses
many good qualities; even her political
enemies deny the ISLANDERS against her
personal character. But the Queen was
ILL advised. Her race predjudices were
reused by interested persons. The
American missionary was held up in
the light Of a moral pirate, who had left
his conscience at Cape Horn, and come
to rob and plunder the natives as the
Spaniards had done in America, and all
under the guise of religion.
In various ways she kept her subjects
alarmed by threats to deprive them Of
their constitutional liberties Though
her salary and income from crown lands
exceeded the salary of the President of
the United States by nearly $4,000,
she was not satisfied. She was advised
to be a Queen in splendor as we'll as
name. A crowd of evil-designing
friends were constantly about her ad-
vising her to do what they should have
known would be her ruin. There were
nearly 1000 Americans and over 1000
Germans, as well as many English, at
this time living on the islands, who did
not believe in the divine rights of Kings
Many of these had, by thrift and honest
toll, accumulated property amounting
to millions. With them it was a bust
ness proposition. Should they, in order
to maintain a tradition born in the
dark days of barbarism, and Graded
in ignorance and superstition, yield up
the hard earnings of their lifetimes?
Among the other schemes to replen
ish the depleted treasury of the Queen
was what is known as the lottery. The
originator of this was Thomas E. Ev-
ans, whose wife was a maid of honor to
the Queen, and who had held some Off
ces under the Kin&
After the Louisiana lottery had been
driven out of the United States, its
hackers and supporters began to look
about for some place convenient to
America where the gigantic Swindle
might be resuscitated. The Hawaiian
Islands were regarded as the most con-
venient place. Mr. Evans went to Chi
cago, where he met the capitalists will
ing to engage in the enterprise, An ar
rangement was made whereby the Chi
cago capitalists, providing the fran
chise was granted, were to pay the
Hawaiian Government the sum of
SJ00,000 per annum for the term of
twenty-five years. At the time the lot
terry bill was being agitated in the
Legislature, another bill, fully as odi-
Gus to all decency and morals, known
as the Opium BILL was brought up.
The Queens cabinet was composed of
men who inspired confidence in the
minds of the people, but they did not
prove sufficient to check their head
strong ruler. The Legislature, like the
Long Parliament in Cromwells time,
was in session until the more erespecta-
ble members were compelled to leave
for their homes to attend to their bus
mess. They had scarcely left before
the opium and lottery men, taking ad-
vantage of their absence, hurriedly
passed the bills known as the Opium
and Lottery bills.
The decent and respectable people of
La W oil saw lllC QduSeI LllrtL IA6UdC6O
them. The missionaries realized that
the race just rescued from heathendom
was about to be exposed to all the
vices of civilization, and a land to-day
filled with churches and schoolhouses
about to become the Monte Carlo of the
Western Hemisphere. Another class of
Americans looked on with alarm at the
condition of affairs-those who had
business interests at stake which were
in jeopardy. A party of Christian la
dies waited on the Queen and petitioned
her not to sign the odious bills. 1t is
said she wept with them; they prayed
with her and left, but she signed them
almost as soon as they were gone.
The alarm spread and increased.
Meetings were held, and some discussed
taking measures to avert moral and
financial ruin. The Queen prorogued
the Legislature, dismissed her Cabinet,
and appointed in its place a set of Min
listers obnoxious to most of the respect
able people of the islands. The ex-
citement was now at it's hight. This
high-handed trampling on the liber-
ties of the people, many of whom were
born on the islands, was resented. A
Committee of Safety was formed, and
citizens began to arm themselves.
The Queen announced that she was
going to give her people a new Consti-
tuition. The new Constitution was
written and signed, but she failed to get
the signatures of all her Cabinet. The
document never came to light, but it is
known that it provided for the disfran-
chisement of all white men not mar
ried to native women, and that only the
property of the whites should be liable
for taxes.
The Committee of Safety organized
and formed in companies. Arms were
concealed in a hardware store, and on
the morning of January 1, 1893 John
Good, now Captain Good, Mr.. Benner
and two others started with them to the
armory of the Committee of Safety.
On Fort street they were attacked by
the police. Captain Good fired and
wounded one man, and Mr. Benner
knocked another down with the butt
of his whip, and thus they escaped.
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the United States "
Captain Wiltse had already antici-
pated the request of the Minister, and
issued the following order:
"HONOLULU, Jan. 16, 1893.
Commander w. T. Swim
burne, United States Navy, Executive
Officer of United States cruiser Boston
Sir: You will take command of the bat
TALON, and land in Honolulu for the
purpose of protecting our legation, con-
sulate and the lives and property of
In the meanwhile John L. Stevens,
United States Minister to Hawaii, who
was away up to this time, returned to
Honolulu after the Committee of Safety
had been formed He issued the fol-