The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-07-03
TRIBUTE TO DOLE.
VIVA, Former Political Enemy Says
of the Governor.


/ What Former Political Enemy Says
i Of the Governor.
The Boston Transcript the paper
i represented here in 1s93-94 by julius A.
/ Palmer, the bitter opponent of annex
alton, contains the following impartial
tribute to Governor Dole touching his
relations with the Legislature and to
the land question:
| The action OF Governor Dole of Ha-.
wall in refusing to extend longer the
session of the Legislature, while it
may appear on it's face as arbitrary
and imperial, is regarded by those who
are converSant with conditions there
as only firm and just. The Home Rule
party in the Legislature which has
specifically a large majority seems to
have been able to accomplish nothing
and Governor Dole may have adopted
this policy to bring its members to
their senses. The more one studies the
situation at Honolulu the more he is
| impressed with the belief that our
government has been fortunate In be
ing able to command the services of
such pure, able man as Sanford Dole
to rule the affairs of this new terrific
ry. problem in which We are for the
first time confronted with the admins
tration of native races. The attacks
which have emanated from Honolulu
and Washington upon his official con-
duct have invariably turned out to be
| based on untruthful premises. Un-
Edoubtedly of this sort was the charge
made by Delegate Wilcox, in a recent
! Washington interview, that Governor
Dole was in favor of making new
leases of public lands. to run ninety
nine years, thus giving everything into
the hands of the sugar trust, and pre-
venting any subdivisions of these
large bodies of public lands.
Governor DoIe's past record should
be sufficient answer to the accusa-
lions of Delegate Wilcox. If Governor
Dole has any special distinction aside
from his official position, it is in con-
nection with the Land Act which was
introduced into and carried through
the Legislature by him several years
ago, by which special measures We're
enacted for the benefit of homestead
ers, both native and foreign. In so
doing 1t is well known that he met
strong opposition from would-be hold
ers of large estates. Professor Black
man, of Yale University, in his book,
THE Making of Hawaii" 1S99 says:
"Since 1884 several efforts have been
made to promote small holdings. Ex-
President Dole is a strenuous advocate
of this policy, and at it's first session
the Legislature of the republic pass
ed an admirable land act (1895), which
provides among other matters for
homestead leases, covering from eight
to fortyffve acres, according to the
quality of land, and running for 500
years, without purchase price or rent,
and conditioned only on continuous oc-
lcupation as homes, payment of taxes,
Il and a certain degree of Improvement"
1 Governor Dole himself says in an
article in Harpers Weekly for Febru-
airy IL, 1899, 1.-The land system of the
republic of Hawaii which encourages
the settlement of individuals upon
small farms has been very successful.
IL The continuation of this policy
under annexation is vital to success
full settlement of the public land by a
class which by it's industry and it's in
tterest in public affairs shall favorabIy
affect the future politics of the coun-
try. Spectators are dissatis-
fed with the Hawaiian land system,
which Intentionally excludes them
! from all participation in its benefits,
and are looking hopefully to Washing
ton for legislation that shall open the
public lands to their manipulation, and
are discussing means to promote such
Legislation"
! In regard to the leasing of lands af-
ter annexation, these are the facts;
Under the "Newlands resolution and
the Presidents proclamation, the civil,
/ judicial and military officials of the
Hawaiian republic were to continue to
exercise authority until Congress
should provide for the government of
Hawaii Immediately succeeding an
nexation applications We're made to
| the Hawaiian government for the pur-
chase of public lands. The govern
ment sent to Washington for an inter
probation of the "Newlands resolu-
ton in regard to land transfers, and
while waiting for reply continued to
act as heretofore. Interested parties
in the Islands represented to the ma
tional administration that the lands
We're being distributed in an unconsti-
tutional manner. Hence Attorney Gen
/ eral Griggs' decision in September,
i 1899 Congress, however, approved and
/ confirmed the action of the Hawaiian
/ government in the organic act, which
says:
THAT all sales, grants. leases and
other dispositions of the public do
main, and agreements concerning the
same, and all franchises granted in
good faith by the Hawaiian govern
4 ment in conformity with the laws of
i Hawaii between the seventh day of
July, eighteen hundred and ninety
4 eight and the twenty-eighth day of
lSeptember, eighteen hundred and nine
ty-nine, are hereby ratified and con-
firmed.''
It is further charged that the Gov
Iernor has no authority to lease or sell
public lands, but that he has done so
nevertheless. The organic act says:
mo lease of agricultural land shall
be granted, sold, or renewed by the
government of the Territory of Ha-
wall for a longer period than five years
until Congress shall otherwise direct
This is certainly some authority.
This seems to dispose thoroughly Of
these charges, but we may expect to
be inundated with a new lot now that
Governor Dole has had the firmness
and grit to lay down the law" liter
j ally and fieliratiyeIy to the leeisla tnr.s