The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-10-04
HILO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The memorial handed by the Hilo
Chamber of Commerce TO the organic
law Commissioners, contains the fol-
lowing words:
18th. That no one should be selected
as Governor for the Territory of Ha-
wall who has been an official Of the
late Government of the Hawaiian
Islands,
This request, like that of the Com
mittee of the American Union Party,
will probably be treated with contempt
by the President, who will have the
appointing power He will treat it
with contempt, because it is SO utterly
un-American in it's spirit. 1t suggests
either that the memorialists here have
forgotten the American habits of po-
litical thought, or have such rancOr-
Gus hatred of their fellow citizens, and
mistrust of each others capacity and
sense of justice, that they are willing
to proclaim the unfitness of the mem
bers of the present Government to con-
tinue or hold office
There are d score of men here who
are capable of filling the office of Gov
ernor most acceptably. When the time
comes for making a selection or nom
ination for the office, choice may
readily be made That event may not
happen for many months.
1t is humiliating to the community
that it's character for dignity and hon
esty should be impaired the moment
annexation takes place
For some years, the anneXatiOnists,
represented to some extent by the A.
u. p, have preached from the house
tops the virtues of the present Execu-
to show the marvellous excellence of
the administration of the laws Doc
uments have been freely circulated
over the Mainland, detailing the I'M
usual fitness of the members of the
Cabinet to lead the march of Ameri-
can civilization on these Islands.
We know that some of these sup
porters of the Government made these
statements only in the interests of an
nexation, just as the old farmer, when
he is trying to sell a sick COW, is reck-
less in mis- description of the virtues of
the animal. But these many words of
lofty commentator are ON record, in
the press, and emphatically so in the
platforms of the annexation parties.
The political power has now passed
to Washington. The men who hold the
power have been educated to have an
abiding faith in the capacity and in
tegrity of the members of the Govern
ment. There are scores of prominent
men in Congress who will be surprised
TO hear that the men who were select
ed as leaders OF the annexation move
ment, are really not approved Of by the
men who supported them.
Instead of creating a prejudice in
Washington against the members of
the Government, the requests OF the
memoriaHsts will raise a strong sus-
/. picion there, especially in the mind OF
the President, that pipe laying has
begun, and that the memorialists have
an axe to grind, but dare not say so. =
On the whole, the acton of these rep
resentative bodies in making their
strange requests will do much good
They tell the story plainly of the jeal-
ousies and intrigueS of men pho hops
to be political leaders. The dangerous
men in politics are those who play the
game without showing their hands. In
= this case, the hands have beer
shown with childlike simplicity. Fol-
this we should be thankful. The Ad
vertiser will never quarrel with the SIT
nation under such circumstances