The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-22

| VINO shall decide II in writing, cOnfOrmaDIy
to the provisions of this act, and to the
laws and customs of Samoa not in conflict
herewith; and the signatory governments
will accept and abide by such decision"
The protest of the Tanu-Tamasese party
was accepted and the Mataafa party noti-
fed. Every effort was made by the latter
to show their strength ana The weakness
of the other side 10 the chief justice so
that he would see how nopelessly beaten
the weaker side was. A number Of tae
foreign residents endeavored to point out
how trif1ing the opposition was and how
it was only kept together by the lawyers.
The Mataafa people who occupied Nd
limni (the capitaD gave feast and para /
ed past the chief justice $500 armed war
riors, whom they gathered in a few days.
| They challenged the Tanu-Tamasese party
| TO show anything like this force, but
though they were doing all they could to
| muster men in Apia they were unable to
make even "a respectable showing.
Shortly after this Mataafa was anointed
| and proclaimed king in the public square
at Mulimni, in the presence Of a very
| large gathering Of people. Replying to the
complimentary speeches that were made
to him he stated that he accepted the office
only to please the people, as he personally
| had no ambition to be king of Samoa.
AS they had freely chosen him, he would
take up the reins of government as soon
as the treaty powers had confirmed their
| choice and he should always do his best
to bring about that harmony and good feel
ing between the whites and his own peo-
| pie that always ought to exist.
!
| far from the supreme court, Tanu was in
vested with a number of titles and anoint-
| ed by some inferior chiefs of his follow
! ing.
Thus there were two kings. Mr.. Chief
Justice Chambers, against the advice OF
people whose opinions should have had
weight with him, decided to have a trial
in open court, instead of making careful
| inquiries from all sides and deciding after
! the result Of these had fixed his concIu-
! sions.
| Before proceeding with the trial he drew
up an agreement, which he wanted both
sides TO sign, binding them to abide by
his decision when rendered; and at the
same time he intimated that the lawyers
! might be introduced into the case.
The Mataafa party, it appears, had no
objection 10 a fair trial of a matter in
which all the parties concerned were Sa-
means, but, as they did not believe in
| having lawyers NEEDLE with their affairs.
and as they should not employ one, they
objected to the other side having any,
The Mataafa party thought they had good
! reasons to suspect that the chief justice
would favor the opinions of the mission
party If it were possible and the agree
nent was declined. The Tanu-Tamasese
! party were ready to accept anything and
signed without hesitation.
At this point in the dispute the chief
justice proposed to the Mataafa chiefs
that both sides count their forces in his
presence, and thus settle in one day
which was the larger party, for the Tanu-
Tamasese kept claiming to have as large
following as Mataafa. This PROPOSE
ton was accepted by the Mataafaites but
declined by the lawyers.
Finally the chief justice ordered both
parties to appear in his court on the 18th
or December and that on the 29th he would
render his decision. On the opening of the
court he again demanded that both parties
sign his agreement. but met with a firm
refusal from the Mataafa chiefs. among
whom were nearly all of the prominent
followers of the late king Malietoa. On
the one side the whole OF Samoa was rem
resented by the highest chiefs in the land;
on the other a few lesser chiefs. mostly
from the district surrounding Apia.
At the last moment the Mataafa chiefs
were induced by the German consul. who
has been number of years in Samoa and
had taken great pains to find out the
true situation to accept of the services
OF Mr.. Won Bulow who knew nothing Of
law but good deal of the Samoan Gus
toms.
Instead OF combining the discussion 10
the circumstance Of the election and there
by trying 10 discover which was the
stronger party. the lawyers were allowed
the widest latitude and undertook 10
search back through many generations
to prove that Mataafa was ineligible and
in fact no chief at all. Several times the
court was nearly broken up by the prin-
cipal chiefs who were provoked nv the
statements OF very common people which
they believed to be untrue
One night during this eventful trial the
chief justice found his house surrounded
by armed men Of the Tanu-Tamasese
party who stated that they had come 70
protect him. as they had learned that A
Mataafa chief had threatened to take his
Efe. An investigation showed that there
was no foundation for this story, and the
affair was probably arranged to give the
court the idea that The Tanu-Tamassse
party was bound 20 protec, the chief JUS
tice, and 10 abide by his decision n any
event. The Ma5aafa chiefs swore that
none Of them had heard this particular
chief make any threats and did not believe
that he had done so. The chief himself
was not questioned. nor was any witnesses
summoned against him. but The chiefs
were ordered 20 heavily punish him at
once. The trial dragged on from day .
day. wandering from the point. Was the
election a fair one and was Nataafs
chosen according 10 the laws and Gus
CONS Of samoan
Bo-h parties prepared for war. Two DAYS
before the decision was rendered the chief
justice addressed the different consuls IL
qu.-ing from them If they had any O.
tons from their governments a. 70 the
eligibility Of Mataafs. This vas u course
publicly known. Some years ago at Va
Isle the forces q Ma.safa defeated the
German sailors and : ont IF I33 were
either killed or wounded while The native
loss vas only nine. In disc lS5-r- the
treaty during the Berlin conference. Count
Bismarck wished II inserted 81 -ha final
act tbat Mataafa should forever be barred
from being king Of Samoa Eut a. chis
proposition was not concurued "a. 8. vas
not embodied IN the treaty as accepted
10y the Samoans. snG Therefore I'D par1 Z
X In fact. one OF the American c0m-nis-