The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-10-01
a DEAD PARTY.

The authorized text of the Memorial
OF the A. y. p. to the Commissioners,
contains significant language with ref
erence to the formation of the party.
1.-THE object of the American Union
Party was to assist and support the
Provisional Government of Hawaii in
the formation OF the Republic OF Ha-
wall, and to maintain such Republic
when formed, until annexation to the
United States should be accomplished
The existence OF tie party was,
therefore limited to the hour when the
Flag went up. The declaration is dis
tinct and unreserved. The death of
the party is fixed in cool, business
like way No extension of it's exist
ence is even suggested. 1t might have
easily been added TO the words above
quoted land for other purposes" 1t
is exact as Mark Twain's declaration
to his, enemy: Your funeral will take
place next Wednesday at p. M, and
your corpse will be ready
According to the language quoted
above, the party was merely a scat
folding in the building up of Annexa-
ton. 1t has no further utility, after
that event, than the scaffolding about
a building has after the building is
finished. The timber of the scaffold-
ing may be, of course, useful in other
respects. Mr.. f. j. Lowrey seems to
have had an acute and just perception
in this respect.
The Committee might have invented
reasons for perpetuating the party
after annexation. Theys have not
shown political sense enough even to
do this. On the other hand, in the
death of the party at IL certain hour
and minute. In contradiction of it's
present policy, that is, an active po-
Itical campaign for the Governorship,
it has followed the example of the
1rishman, who, wishing to saw off the
branch of a tree overhanging the river,
seated himself on the branch, and
then used the saw between himself and
the trunk, and precipitated himself in
to the water. The Committee seats
itself on the branch of the political
tree, and then saws itself off, and
drops into the waters of political
death, by declaring that the party
gave up the ghost on annexation day.
We assume that the writer's of the Me-
mortal knew the meaning of the words
which they have used in writing it.
Indeed nothing could be more explicit.
The whole case is not quite like that,
in the histories, of the King who died,
and his courtiers, fearing that the an
nouncement of his death might cause
their expulsion from power. concealed
the body, and declared that the King
was still alive.
In this case, the Committee, with a
childlike innocence, that indicates the
earliest stages of diet on the political
bottle declare that the King is dead,
and then continue to govern in his
name. 1t says to us: The party died
on annexation day, but Gin a whisper
to ITSELF we will work the corpse for
all it is WORTH
The rank and file of the men who
composed the old party will see the
'.masheen" in these doings, and, no
doubt, in time will make revolt. That
matter will take care of itself
The political situation suggests
quiet ways on our part. The United
States have annexed these Islands, but
have not yet made us American citi-
zens. The meanest specimen of
swamp niger, has, today, rights which
We do not have. We may, and shall,
probably get rights in due course of
time, but until We do, it would be
quite as we'll for us to maintain a
modest walk and conversation, and
not bother President Mckinley with
too much advice.