The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-09-20
ANSWER OF
HUMPHREYS
CONTINUED II ON Page l.,

understand that one of the charges, and
the only charge with color of truth or
reason is that am the controlling stock
holder in the Honolulu Republican,
newspaper printed and published in this
city. 1t is true that l own and control
a majority of the stock in this newspa-
per. When the Islands were annexed,
there was no morning daily Republican
paper published here, and / associated
myself with other gentlemen for the pur-
pose of establishing a daily Republican
newspaper upon broad and liberal party
lines, not deeming 1t wise that the field
should be entirely occupied by Demo-
cratic and Independent papers. invest
ed in the corporation purely in a spirit
of party zeal and pride the major part
of my estate This investment was made
by me long prior to my appointment to
the Bench and before / had any idea
that I would be assigned to the Bench
of this Territory. Directly upon the re-
ceipt of my commission, had meeting
of the stockholders of the corporation
called and resigned from the office of
president thereof and from the board Of
directors thereof; and at my request a
resolution was passed by the stockhold-
ers giving full and complete control of
the editorial policy of the paper to the
editor, General E. 8. Gill, a gentleman
of high character and ability. Since that
time / have not sought to control Tor
have I in fact controlled the editorial
po-cy or utterances of the paper. Since
the day I assumed the Bench I have
continuously endeavored to dispose of my
interest in the paper, even going so far
as to offer my stock at a figure which
would entail upon me a loss of many
thousands of dollars, and I am still en-
daa to diSp0Se 0f
1 beg also to submit herewith the affl-
'davit of Edwin S. Gill, who Is and has
been since it's establishment, the editor
of the Honolulu Republican, showing
that Mr.. Gill made 1t a condition of his
employment that he should be absolute
ly untrammeled in his editorial conductN
of the paper, and that he has not per-
mitted me or any other stockholder Of
the paper to dictate the policy of the
paper or the character of it's editorials.
SO far from the truth is the allegat on
that 1 have been engaged directly and
actively in the publication and running
of said newspaper, the fact is that even
the Washington correspondent of said
newspaper did not know until recently
that 1 had any connection Herewith, nor
did know that he was the Washington
correspondent of said paper until the
present month.
On ILLS punt L DtS " REFER the 3IT-
davit of Mr.. E. S. Little, filed herewith,
in which Mr. Little says that he did not
know of my interest in said paper until
short time since, when he was inform
ed by an acquaintance from Honolulu
and that before acquiring such informa-
tion he had. in his capacity of Washing
ton correspondent, sent to the paper as
good item of news, what newspaper
men call roast upon me-
Since my arrival in Washington 1t has
been my unexpected good fortune to find
corroborative evidence of my sense of,
judicial propriety and of my efforts, on
that account, to dispose of my interest
in said newspaper. This evidence con-
sists of two letters written by me in
January and April last to James D.
Wheipley, Journalist widely known and
of the highest character. ] beg to SUBJ
NIT herewith the affidavit of Mr. Whelp-
ley, in which he shows that on January
8. 1901, long before the present attack up
on me was made, 1 wrote to him offering
him the position of Editor of the Re
publican, assigning as a reason for such
offer my dissatisfaction with General
Gill's editorial management and the inn
possibility and Improperly of taking
charge of the paper myself. In said let
ter, "a mere business letter used the fol-
lowing language, to be found In Mr.
Whelpley's affidavit:
Aside from the question of propriety
involved in my holding a judicial posi-
ton and controlling the policy of a news
paper, my duties as Judge are of such
an engrossing nature as to render 1t i'm
possible for me to give any thought to
1t. The right man would be given full
control of the editorial and news depart
ment of the paper, with the limitation
that 1t shall be Republican in politics"
The affidavit, quoting from a subse-
auent letter from me to Mr.. Whelpley on
this subject, written early in April 1901,
corroborates my statement that I have
been endeavoring, on account of my po-
sition as Judge, to dispose of my interest
in said paper. In suspending my nego-
tiations with Mr.. Whelpley, which had
not been consummated because the paper
was unable to pay sufficient compensa-