The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-21
MAKES REPLY
Attorney Dole Defends
His Chief,
Denies That There Has Been an I'm
proper Granting Of NoIIe
Pros99uis.

Editor Advertiser: In your issue OF
this morning you entitIe a column and g
quarter article Laws Are Laughed At
Convicted Criminals go Unpunished-Es
cape in Circuit Court-Numerous Fail.
ures to Try Appeal Cases Create Much
Comment in Honolulu" You also com.
ment editorially upon the alleged fail
ure of the Attorney General to do his
duty, intimating that he has been toe
busy trying to get another office. In your
issue of May 18th you entitle a half-col-
umn article Eight Go Free-Criminal
Cases Are Nolle Prossed-Government
Fails to Punish Men Found Guilty in the
Police Court" Ordinarily, 1 believe that
public officials who fearlessly and faith
fully do the work set for them to do, al
though they may often be praised for
credit due others, and censured when
they are not in fault, in the long run
Will be sized up by the public for about
what they are. without any explanations
or denials on their part. | also believe
in the absolute freedom of the press in
commenting upon official acts, whether
such comments are friendly or hostile
provided they are honest and based upon
an honest attempt to ascertain the facts.
In the articles above referred TO the
leading newspaper of the Hawaiian ISL
ands has accused the Attorney General
of neglecting his duty to devote his time
to political job chasing" and has ac-
cused the Department of laZiness and in
efficiency. In regard to Attorney General
Cooper l wish to say that l have the hon
or of his intimate personal friendship
and confidence, and know that he has not
spent his time seeking political advance
ment, and that his recent appointment as
Secretary of the Territory was wholly I'M
expected by him. | also know that dur
ing the period of the plague he worked
on one occasion some forty hours with
out sleep, and on several occasions from
daylight until late at night, taking time
to eat only one meal. The work put on
him then and before and since was be-
yond his strength. Three or four weeks
ago he had reached his limit and was on
the verge of complete breakdown. He
had positive orders from DR.. G. b. Wood
to take absolute rest for a few weeks
and, whatever criticism is visited upon
the Attorney Generals Department for
disposition of cases during the present
term, should. in justice to Mr.. Cooper. be
directed solely against me.
There We're siXty-nine criminal cas- IS
on the calendar for the present term of
the Circuit Court-an unprecedented num-
Der. In all cases where appeals have
been taken and perfected it is the duty
of the District Court to forward certified
copies of the record to the Circuit Court
having jurisdiction of the offense with
out delay. For years past this has not
been done by the District Court of Homo
lUiu, owing probably, in the main, to
the physical inability of single clerk
to do the amount of work required of
him by law. For several terms past the
greater portion of the copying has been
done by n clerk in the Marshars Depart
ment to relieve the clerk of the District
Court as much as possible. Relying up
on a daily watch of the papers forward
70 flN.. Ng1Ty- 4 ..r,,,.,
that the appeals from the District Court
had been nearly all sent up, 1 was, never
theless, confronted at the opening Of the
term with eighteen new cases, most OF
which should have been sent up weeks
earlier, and Of which ! had had no r~e-
vious intimation. In ALL since the be