Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-12-07


has failed to appreciate the fact that
the Hawaiian Republic, as separate
power, ceased to exist when the resolu-
ton of annexation took effect. II ex-
listed as an organized government only
for the purpose of municipal legisla-
ton within the well accepted meaning
of that phrase and for such special
purposes besides as were expressed in
the resolution, the sale and disposition
of the public lands not being of the lat
ter class
| The so-called instructions" contain
ed in the Secretary of States telegram
of August g. 1898, were the basis of the
assumed authority of the Dole govern
ment to barter and sell Hawaiis public
lands. These instructions" were also
the rock on which the government with
its superior knowledge of diplomatic
wording and departmental customs,
based its published defense and public
criticism of Washington authority.
government, to which hating and
readily abandoned loyalty was paid,
dsposes of the subject in these words:
1T will be observed that, taken by
itself, this response to the question of
the Hawaiian government does nothing
more than recite two unquestioned pro-
visions of the resolution, neither of
which in my judgment was pertinent to
the question or decision of it,
The good faith of the Dole govern
ment is not questioned That the Off
cials should have accepted this recita-
ton of the provisions of the resolution
as instructions" suggests its own ar
guments as to their legal and "diplo-
matte" capacity.
The Agent of the Hawaiian Gov
eminent" had the field to himself in
presenting the opinions of his local
compatriots. He had ample opportunity
to prove the secretaries ignorant of the
lines we have been running on here"
he was not prevented from pressing
the charge that Washington officials
had been misled by the misrepresenta-
tons Of falsifiers ,"two-bit politicians
and kickers;" no stumbling blocks
whatsoever were placed in his path
way to prevent complete exposition
of the opinions of officials he repre-
scented.
And what is the reply Of the WASH
ington Government? 1t is practically
the same statement purported to have
been made by Senator Cullom to w. o.
Smith while standing on the deck of
the Kinau, You people don't seem to
realize that you've been annexed"
The ignominy of the defeat suffered
by the Dole government is found not
in the wording Of the Attorney Gen"
erals opinion-which is a straightfor-
ward. dignified addition to our histo--
zeal literature-but in the fact that the
Hawaiian Government by its petty,
childish ignorance or thirst for power
should have forced the Washington au-
thorities to lay down these precepts of
American government, forced them To
establish the fact that Hawaii is am
neXed and the acts of It's local officers
are subject to the sovereign power of
the United States and to the direction
of the Executive and legislative bran
ches of the American Government.
The difficulties of the situation are
of the local governments own
making. That these difficulties have
been created, that disparaging com
ments should have been made from
official sources, the whole tenor and
method of the campaign to upset the
rulings of the Washington Executive,
all serve to accurately point out the
source and center of the real OPPOSE
ton in Hawaii, and the motives which
prompt this Opposition.
We do not believe that one word of
the Attorney Generals opinion was ut
tered with the intent of placing the
Dole government in the ridiculous posi-
ton which 1t now necessarily occupies
before the public. BY virtue of Its own
acts does the Dole government occupy
such position. 1t has met the fall 1t
has been riding for since Aug. II, 1898,
and the most unfortunate feature about
the affair is that the transition per-
iod" policy of our officials is more than
likely to exert damaging influence up
on Hawaiis interests which are about
to receive the serious consideration of
Congress.
The Attorney Generals remarks up
on the return of money TO purchasers
shnwa that ba 10 not ctnhho,,> oa