The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-22

| 1SlanQS, or respecting the validity u
the powers which the king or any chief
| may claim in the exercise OF this Of
! flee, such question shall not lead to
war, but shall be presented for decis-
| ion to the chief justice of Samoa, who
| shall decide it in writing, conformably
| 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 notified Every effort was made
| by the latter to show their strength
| and the weakness of the other side
| to the chief justice, so that he would
see how hopelessly beaten the weaker
| side was. A number Of the foreign
residents endeavored to point out how
| trif1ing the opposition was and how
| 1t was only kept together by the law
yers.
| The Mataafa people who occupied
Mulimni (the capitaD gave a feast and
| paraded past the chief justice $500
armed warriors, whom they had gath
cred 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 ito make even
| a respectable showing.
|
anointed and proclaimed king in the
public square at Mulimni. in the pre-
| sence Of a very large gathering of peo-
| pie. 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 frequently chosen him, he
would take up the reins of government
as soon as the treaty powers had con-
firmed their choice, and he should al
ways do his best to bring about that
! harmony and good feeling between the
whites and his own people that always
| ought to exist.
| A few days later, in a native house
| not far from the supreme court Tanu
was invested with a number of titles
and anointed by some inferior chiefs Of
| his following.
| Thus there were two kings. Chiaf
Justice Chambers, against the advice
of people whose opinions should have
| had weight with him, decided to have
trial in open court, instead of MAX
| ing careful inquiries from all sides and
deciding after the result of these had
| fixed his conclusions.
| Before proceeding with the trial he
drew up an agreement, which he want
ed 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 to fair trial of matter in
| which the parties concerned were Sa-
means but, as they did not believe
in having lawyers NEEDLE with their
| affairs and as they should not en-
ploy one, they objected to the other
side having any. The Mataafa party
| thought they had good reasons to sus-
pect that the chief justice would favor
the opinions of the Mission party if it
| were possible and the agreement was
declined The Tanu-Tamasese party
We're ready to accept anything and sign
ed 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
fully as large a following as Mataafa
This proposition was accepted by the
Mataafaites but declined by the law
yers.
Finally, the chief justice ordered both
parties to appear in his court on the
18th of December, and declared 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 fol-
lowers of the late King Malietoa. On
the one side the whole of Samoa was re-
presented by the highest chiefs in the
land; on the other 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 Sa-
moa, and who had taken great pains
to find out the true situation to accept
of the services of Mr. Won Bulow,
who knew nothing of the law, but a
good deal of the Samoan customs.
Instead of combining the discussion
to the circumstances of the election and
| thereby trying to discover which was
the stronger party, the lawyers We're
allowed the widest latitude and un-
dertook to 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 principal chiefs, who
We're provoked by the statements of
very common people which they be-
1ieved to be untrue.
One night during this eventful trial
the chief justice found his house sur
| rounded by armed men of the Tanu-
Tamasese party, who stated that they
had come to protect him, as they had
learned that a Mataafa chief had
threatened to take his life. An investi-
cation showed there, was no founda-
ton for this story, and the affair was
probably arranged to give the court the
idea that the Tanu-Tamasese party
was bound to protect the chief justice,
and to abide by his decision in any
event The Mataafa chiefs swore that
none of them had heard this particular
chief make any threats and did not be-
lieve the he had done so. The chief
himself was not questioned, nor was
any witnesses summoned against him,
but the chiefs We're ordered to heavily
punish him at once. The trial dragged
on from day to day, wandering from
the point, was the election a fair one,
and was Mataafa chosen according to
the laws and customs of Samoa?
Both parties prepared for war Two
days before the decision was rendered
the chief justice addressed the differ
ent consuls inquiring from them if they
had any instructions from their govern