Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-04-11
THE EXECUTIVE RESPONSIBLE

peatedly sought to SHIFT the RESPONSE
bility of the Executive order creating |
and defining the powers of the Court OF
Claims, and the legal appointment
made under II, upon the Federal au-
thorities in Washington. The RESPONSE
hility of the local officers to President
Mckinley has been set forth extern
sively by the Ministers at the Council
of State sessions and again by Mr..
Mott Smith in today's interview.
1t Is suggestive that this response
bility which has never been serious
burden on the minds of these officials
should now give them much concern.
The fact of the matter is, they have
cast about for a defense against an en-
ragged public. whose representatives in
the Council of State have brought the
Hawaiian Executive face to face with
an accountability 1t cannot evade.
Consideration should be had for
him" president Mckinley pleaded Mr..
Mott-Smith. And the consideration CIV
on MIN II W luNOht Wv
fence of the most unpopular action in
the whole career of the VIGOROUSLY re-
pudiated and discredited Hawaiian
Executive. This is the consideration
shown by this Executive to our Presi-
dent to whose generosity and tolera-
ton IL owes its continuance In Office
long after 1t has lost every vestige of
popular support.
Where does the real responsibility
rest az shown by the record?
The Court of Claims Is the child of
the Hawaiian Executive and no one
else. 1t was this Executive in its
eagerness to appear as a custodian OF
public interests, that conceived the
idea that originated the Court. 1t was
this Executive that sent necessary In.
structions to It's political agent in
Washington. 1t Is supposed that 1t
made It's meaning clear as to what sort
of court was wanted. And thu Execu-
tive's own agent, acting on its instruc-
tons, wrote the telegram In reply to
which Secretary Hay attached his sigma
ture. being the only part he had In 1t
Have we not the testimony of Arm
strong, secretary to the agent and
Cocoanut Club delegate, In his letter
designed to impress the Hawaiian pub
lie. through the morning organ, with
the confidence placed in the official
lobby by Washington authorities?
The answer was according to Arm
strong practically these words, Sub
nit whatever despatch you wish" And
wa have the Agents and official and
and unofficial delegates words on this
point In his letter to Mott-Smlth pub
lished In the morning organ March
gath:
Attorney General Griggs desired
also,-and ! presume IL Ia good po-
litical course-to avoid taking any I'M
necessary action on any Hawaiian mat
tiers pending the enactment Of the Ha-
waiian bill, and each of the kilograms,
the first authorizing, as you remember,
appropriations to eradicate the plague
plant, the second telegram authoriz-
ing Ave commissioners to be appointed
to assess damages for the burning of
Chinatown, and the third, of last Tues
day, expressing the Presidents views
against calling the old Legislature and
his expectation that the Council of
State would do what was requisite for
appropriations until the bill should
take effect-these were prepared to
meet the conditions above mentioned
and wrote them ALL"
1t was evident to everybody who has
watched Hartwells proceedings In
Washington that he has become a
bore to the Attorney General and Sec
rotary of State and that 50 far from
being an evidence Of confidence in him
II was In fact merely a polite way Of
getting rid Of him.
But this does not relieve the Hawa-
iian Executive from the responsibility
In question. Acting on the interpre-
tation of the authority received on the
representation of his chosen agent
which may be assumed to be also that
Of the agent himself-Mr. Dole wrote
his Executive order creating the
Court and appointing the judges. Be
fore the storm of indignation aroused,
the Hawaiian Executive refuses to bow
but takes cowardly refuge behind
instructions which 1t says 1t framed
and which 1t interprets as 1T chose to
do. In It's light regard for loyalty and
truth, 1t counts for nothing that the
evident evasion is to bring condemna-
ton upon the President and Cabinet OF
the United States.
But little else could be expected from