The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-07-20
D|SAGRtES WITH WILCOX
COOPER STOPS ISSUING CERTI-
FICATES.
Thinks the District Magistrates Deci-
sion in the False Impersonation Case
Was Wrong.

Acting Governor Cooper does not
agree with District Magistrate Wilcox
decision in the case of the Chinese
Kong Hung, whom Wilcox acquitted
yesterday of false impersonation in
trying to pose as Tom Cow, deceased
in order to get citizenship papers.
Cooper however, has ceased to issue
certificates and will not issue any more
until a different decision is made, if
ever. His reason for ceasing to issue
certificates is that if it is declared not
a crime to resort to false impersona-
ton in such matters, there is no pro-
lection against wholesale fraud.
The certificates are issued by Cooper
as Secretary of the Territory. under
authority of a letter from Secretary
Hitchcock, They are declarations over
Coo2ers signature, that those having
them We're born on Hawaiian soil or
We're naturaized citizens of the Re
public of Hawaii Up to date SO4 such
certificates have been issued to men,
women and children, some of them to
small infants. Two days of every
week have been set for receiving the
Chinese applicants and on those days
the Secretary'S office has always been
crowded with Chinese, young and old
II was held in the United States that
simple citizenship papers, without any
certificate of identification, were not
enough to secure admission of Chinese
and some from Hawaii were sent back
on account of inability to identify them
selves. The result was the issuance of
Cooper's certificates, each bearing the
holders photograph. The Department
of the Treasury at Washington agreed
TO recognize such papers.
Il shall not issue any more certih-
Gates said Cooper this morning " as
long as the decision given remains. The
reason is simply that this office is Who'll
ly unprotected from fraud under such
ruling. Our only protection was the
fear of those who might attempt fraud
that we should have them punished.
Il do not agree with the decision of
the District Magistrate in the matter.
/ hold that false impersOnation in try
ing TO get certificate from me is a
crime within the meaning of the code.
The magistrate held that there was no
authority for issuing the certificates
and therefore the false impersonation
was not such as constitutes an offense
within the definition that is given in
| the code / think the magistrates de-
cision was Incorrect"
Mr.. Cooper was asked if it were not a
fact that any person who had an inter-
est in a public document was en-
titled to a copy of such paper He re-
piled that he had supposed they We're
but until there was some means of
protecting his office from fraud he did
not propose to issue any more such do
cuments.
MY department will not he con-
tinued take the responsibility of per-
hitting such fraud to be .perpetrated.
What has kept people from attempting
fraud with such documents heretofore
has been the fear of punishment but
now that there is no way TO check fraud
they are likely to be attempted at any
time. l shall not write to the depart
ment at Washington for any further
advice on this matter but so long as
this ruling is in effect we will refuse to
issue any more certificates"