The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-09-14
A PARALLEL.

Il
-'Red Rock, a chronicle of reconstruc-
lion by Thomas Nelson Page is book
which has made more stir than prob
ably any of those published recently.
Like "To Have and to Hold" Janice
Meredith" and THE Prisoners of
Hope" it has had an immense sale, and
has caused far more real interest than
any of the three latter, because 1t des-
cribes events which have occurred in
the life time of many of us, and the
character types can be fitted to people
many of us have known.
But if Red Rock" is of interest to
people from Maine to New Orleans, and
from Boston to San Francisco, it has
special interest to the people of the Ter
ritory of Hawaii, because though the
main springs of action and causes are
rooted in different soils and different
people, yet Hawaii is going through a
similar period of reconstruction, and the
same general results are to be seen
working themselves forward. 1t be-
comes then remarkably Interesting to
study Nelson Pages Red Rock" be-
cause we can see many of his types
reproduced here, though in modified
form.
The lessons learned during the period
of reconstruction in the south were not
lost. and they bore fruit in the Terri
torial act of Hawaii. But the genus
carpet Dagger was on hand in Washing
ton to do all that he could to overcome
those lessons, and to give him a free
field and no favor among the political
pastures of Hawaii. In many cases he
succeeded, and is succeeding now. Ha-
wall is a long way from the seat of
government it is difficult to commune
cate with speed. There are plenty of
men of the Better, Leech and Still class
both here and in Washington, and we
may look for their increase 1t was not
so long ago that one of the carpet bag
cling fraternity furnished the State De-
partment with a long list of people
whom he considered ineligible for office
and heightened his document with
scraps of scandal which can be gotten
from the, garbage heap of filth that
some people like to pick over occasional
Iy.
We can see for ourselves the manipu-
lations of those who intend to run
things for themselves, break down the
conservative party and indulge in a
holocaust out of the public treasury.
With all the safe guards against the
carpet Dagger which the organic law
provides he is able to make good his
footing, and he will continue to
strengthen himself and to work upon
prejudice and ignorance for some time
to come.
We may take it for granted that this
policy will be for the moment success
full, indeed it may prove successful for
several years, but the end will be a re-
action and the men who win power and
political advancement in this way, men
who care not for the advancement of
the Territory, but who care very much
Tor the advancement of self and their
own small ends, will be swept away and
relegated to the obscurity from which
they sprang.
There is strong lesson to be learned
from RED Rock" and a stronger lesson
to be learned from deeper study of
the reconstruction period of the South.
The book generalizes, a deeper study
makes an even stronger impression on
the mind. The book gives character
types, deeper study gives individual
instances of actual living men and wo.
men.
Our reconstruction period will never
inhict the great wrongs which were
done i'm the Southern reconstruction pc
Rod The South was practically con-
quered country Hawaii was annexed
of her own free will. Nevertheless there
will be some wrongs done in the name
of justice, and there will be a great deal
of bitterness engendered but it will all
pass away in time, and even those of us
who are of middle age will see harmony
in the Territory, when people or citizens
will work for the Territory before every
thing else. The time will come when it
Will be Territory first and personal ends
afterwards At the present, personal
ends and personal enmity and spite, play
far too great a figure in the reconstruct
ton of the Territory. 1t is unfortunate
but it is inevitable.