The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-03-13
MISREPRESENTATION.

The average correspondent makes,
as a rule grieyous mess of what he
writes about. Once more comes up
the old chestnut that the Hawaiian
Islands are being governed by pro-
testant hierarchy. A contribution TO
the Free Press" of Singapore gets off
the following. He makes the state
ment that in Hawaii it is "always
church and no amusement" and fur
Their that it is Church in the morn
ing, church at noon, and church al
night" OF course when any one
makes statements like these it is al.
ways somewhat difficult to combat
them. In Honolulu or in the Hawaii
an Islands we do not have Church in
the morning, church at noon, etc" We
have far too much to do. The Anglo-
Saxon community upon these Islands
is an essentially a hard working COM
munity. The charge brought against
them that they go to church and try to
make others go to church is certainly
not one that should bring any odinm
upon them.
For a moment let any one look at
the amusements of Honolulu and the
Islands. Honolulu possesses one OF the
prettest theaters this side of the
Rocky Mountains. Whenever any com
pany that has any ability comes down
to show here it is admirably support
ed. Take the example of the FrawlcY
Company, who a few months ago car
ried off quite neat sum for their
season in Honolulu. At the present
moment there is an excellent horse
entertainment and one would only like
to bet ten per cent that it clears con-
siderably over five thousand dollars.
This does not look as if this commlin-
ity was of the type where the long
est face gets on best" AS a fact this
is a pleasure loving community and
there are few communities upon the
face of the globe which are not more
ready to support amusement than this.
The Hawaiian Islands suffer from an
utter interpretation of their people.
The average beach comber is accus-
toned to brand any one who tries to
lead an average good life as a mis-
sionary' OF course the term so used
means an intolerant man. Now there
have been intolerant men and there
always will be intolerant men among
any set of earnest workers for an OBJ
ject. But such people have no inf1u-
ence politically at the present time.
Take the personnel of the Cabinet
and some of the chief positions under
the Government and the charge of
missionary influence is absurd. Ger
tainly the career of Minister King,
who looks after the Interior Depart
ment is not of a character to be re-
garded as missionary" nor is that
of Minister Cooper. Minister Smith
certainly descends from missionary
family, but he is known for a man of
broad views, and the same may be said
of Minister Damon. Taking the Blu
reaus, no one can think that Messrs.
Messenger Qnterior), Potter (Foreign
Affars), Ashley Finance), or Dole
attorney Generals otfice), ard a large
number of others are typical mission
aries" They and their fellow workers
are honest, hard working men, with
an earnest desire to do their work to
the best of their ability and the ques-
ton of religion has no more influence
upon them than water upon duck S
back.
The islands are unfortunate in two
ways. The one is what The Star has
been combating in this article, the
other is a totally different side of the
shield, where the Hawaiian islands are
represented as sink of iniquity,
where there is no honor or chastity
To use an old Latin quotation ''in
mediis tutissimus ibis"-the middle
course is the safest. The Hawaiian
Islands are not priest ridden com
munity, neither are they a sink Of in
iquity as some think. The inhabitants
are no worse and no better than their
neighbors. They try TO do what is
right and they do it as honestly as
they can. As for the imam with the
longest face getting on best" quoted
above, it is just so much bosh, along
with the whole matter published in
the singapore Free Press"