The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-09-04

AN ODD DOCUMENT
The statement which the murderer
aud suicide kealohapauole left behind
him Is remarkable one. and shows
the peculiar workings of mind UNI
balanced by passion aud rabid jealousy.
The man evidently had contemplated
committing the crime for some time.
for the statement is dated August 2s
and the murder was not committed tin
August 81.
The statement appears intensely ego
tistical, but II is the egotism of simple
city. the egotism Of the child. To Ke-
alOhapauole's mind the whole world
would be interested in his love affair
OF course the word love, which so fire.
quently occurs throughout the docu-
ment, is improperly used 1t is con-
stantly misused both in English and in
French What Keslohapauole felt was
not love but passion. Love is self
abrogating, pure, unselfsh. Passion is
all graspins, impure selfish. That Ke-
alOhapauole mistook passion for love is
evident, Tut a very large section Of the
world make. the same mistake. Love
can exist between persons Of the same
sex, passion except in the most de-
cadent natures can not. Love exists
between father and son, between broth
er and brother, sister and sister. mother
and child ard Between friend and
friend. The love between David and
Jonathan is described in the Bible as
so great as to be passing the love Of
women"
Another curious feature in the docu-
ment is the reference TO kahunaism.
II throws a flash light upon this phase
OF The Hawaiian character The super
stition OF heredity cannot be eradicat-
ed by the scratching, as it were, Of six
or eight decades Of Christianity. APP
parently both Kealohapauole and Maria
Keiki were Roman Catholics but that
did not prevent them from resorting TO
kahunaism to decide about whether IT
was right or not for the marriage to
take place. 1t was unpropitious, and
naturally Kealohapauole denounces
kahunaism. If the reply had been pro-
pitious kahunaism would have risen in
Kealohapauole's esteem.
That kahunaism is ingrained in the
Hawaiian Is certain, that we should be
surprised at it is illogical. one has
only to have a knowledge of the lower
classes of England and Ireland to
realize how. thoroughly they are steep
ed in superstition. One has only to
study the advertisements OF a San
Francisco daily paper, and see the
clairVoyants, the astrologers. the planet
readers and other elements Of credu-
lity who put forth their claims to see
what an amount Of superstition is rife
in the most progressive city Of the
West. In our own city the fortune
teller rules the actions Of many of the
Portuguese and some American and
European women have been known TO
make application for advice at the
same muddy fountain. Superstition is
ingrained in mankind, and even the
most cultivated are a prey to it. Why
should we be astonished at minds bare
ly cultivated resorting to superstitious
practices?
There Is a vein Of naif simplicity
about Keaohapauoles apology for his
-'black deed" which is touching. There
IL an Unconscious poetry in his words
which recalls the ballad of Barbara |
Allen, who played with faithful hearts |
much In the way that Maria KeiIxi did. |
OF course there is humorous side to !
the simplicity, but again 1t is the SIM
plicity and straight forwardness Of
child. q simplicity which makes us
smile and which brings tear at the !,
same time.
One curious touch In the document Is
the appeal to the Legislature. Mr., Ke- t,
Aloha2auole must be q believer In the
wonderful power of the Legislature
when he asks that body to prevent
women from fooling with the love
that is In mems hearts" 1t viii take
even greater powers OF mind than those
of Messrs. Mossman and Prendergast,
or any other Of the wiseacrers who sat
in the House or the Senate, to solve
that problem, but Kealohapauole had
faith, and he certainly furnished an
example which might be used as
strong argument. There can be no
doubt that either Of the gentlemen
named would be perfectly willing to
debate the late Mr. Kealohapauole's
proposition. as they would be TO debate
the doctrine Of original sin or the i'm
mortality OF the soul. But the cogency
of their arguments might be seriously
doubted. Poor Kealohapauole. his
apology is probably the cleyerest thing
ne did In his life 1t is certainly unique.
MERCANTILE MARINE.