Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-01-11
GOV.P|NGREE HOT SHOT
PAYS HIS COMPLIMENTS
TO The BEST CITIZENS"
Address on Retiring from Office Filled
With Good Advice and Correct
Conclusions -Alger's
Experience.

with some eXtemporaneous remarks
in which he attacked the courts. legisla-
ture and press. He also urged the
Legislature to Appropriate sufficient
money to amply pay the expenses Of
the Governor, saying 1t had not cost
him s450.000 during his four years
term. The reading Of his message.
which consisted of 80 printed pages,
took almost four hours.
After mentioning the failure OF the
Senate to pass the railroad taxation
bill, the former Governor said:
IF the people wish this great prob
lem to be satisfactorily settled they
must center their efforts on the cleo
ton of a Senate which shall be less
subject to the seductive arguments Of
the railroads and other wealthy and
powerful interests and more responsive
to the wishes of the people,"
The message urged the Legislature to
adopt resolution requesting Congress
to call convention for the purpose
Of proposing an amendment to the con-
stitution to provide for the election Of
United States Senators by popular
vote. The message says
"The cases of Hanna in Ohio Carter
in Montana, and our own discouraging
and disgraceful experiences furnish the
ppct npwarful and ,npyipripg argu
ment in behalf OF popular elections.
1t Is a matter of common knowledge
that the Office is sought by wealthy
men, not so much for the alleged hon
or. as the opportunity which 1t offers
for financial profit and commercial
advantage, not only through stock
speculation. but in other and less
legitimate ways. Instead of being the
bulwark of our government, as the
trainers of the constitution intended
1t, the Senate is now looked upon with
fear and distrust by the people Of the
country"
Municipal ownership of public utili-
ties was advocated.
Discussing the pardons and paroles
which have been granted to prisoners
during his former term In office, the
former Governor said: "The people
Of the state would be astonished II they
could know how loose and careless and
almost criminal have been the meth
DDS of courts and prosecutors in prose-
cutting criminal cases. II has become
trite saying in our State among those
familiar with the circumstances, that
our public prosecutors should be nam
ed public prosecutors. They seem
to have lost sight Of the fact that they
take an oath OF Office to protect the
innocent from punishment as much as
to bring the criminal to justice and 10
protect the people Of the State.
Mr.. Pingree said in conclusion: "My
experience during my political life,
extending over a period OF twelve
years, has convinced me that in order
to secure the full commentator Of
those who consider themselves the
better classes the Governor and other
high officials must do nothing to an
tagonize the great corporations and the
wealthy people. am satisfied that
could have had the praise and support
OF our best citizens and our best So
ciety' and OF the press Of the State
generally, II ] had upheld those who
have for years attempted to control
legislation in their own interests. to
the end that they might be relieved
from sharing equally with the poor
and lowly the burden of taxation.
would have been pronounced good
fellow and great statesman.
THE memory Of the treatment Of
General Alger by the press OF the coun-
try and his removal from the Cabinet
is fresh in the minds of all. ! was in
formed by General Alger that one Of
the main reasons of the opposition to
him was because he had ignored the
claims Of the great steamboat corpora
tions with representatives In New York
City. The bids which the general re-
ceived from Spain for transporting 50,-
900 Spaniards were less than half those
offered by the New York syndicate and
the contracts were therefore awarded
to the Spanish vessels. The press di-
rected its venomous attacks at me be-
cause | defended General Alger.
Every large interest that have an
tagonized during my fight for equal
taxation has been arrayed against me
and the allies of those interests, the
newspapers OF the state, have lost no
opportunity to attempt to draw the
minds Of the people from the real issue
by making personal attacks on me and
publishing malicious and wilful libels
and to belittle my efforts and bring
mo into dlsrepute in order that the
present system of unjust. lnequitable
and Ubiquitous laws might still remain
In force, to the detriment of the great
masses Of the laboring classes and far
mers and those of small properties
who are unable to speak and act for