Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-17
DISC0RD IN HAWAII
Charges Prepared Against Judge
Abraham S, HUMPHREYS.
POLITICAL AMBITION CAUSES TROUBLE
Accusations Of Oppression and
INSCRIPTIONS Intrigue.
A n T A NJ ERIC MS NJ

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
HONOLULU, June 4, 1901.
The leading incidents of the past month
in this territory center around one Abra
ham 5. Humphries, who for a year past
has held the office of Judge of the first
circuit court of Hawaii by the appointment
of the President. His actions as judge have
gone to such extremes of violence and tyr
amy that on the Goth of May the Bar AS
ISOLATION of Honolulu, by majority of 81
to Z, passed a resolution condemnatory of
HUMPHREYS, deeming it in the interests of
the administration of justice in this terri
tory that he be removed from the Office of
judge A committee was appointed to
formulate charges against him and trans
nit the same to Washington. Most of the
small minority also agreed in denouncing
his conduct.
The extreme ill-conduct of HUMPHREYS,
who is a of much ability. appears to
grow out of unusual arrogance and
acerbty of disposition, acting upon greedy
political ambition and an Inscriptions sys-
tenn of intrigue. He came here some three
or four years ago and. while maintaining
for time friendly relations with the sup
porters of President Dole, finally allied him.
self with the faction headed by Harold
Sewal. who sought the governorship for
himself. After Dole's appointment as gov
ernor of the territory and Sewalls with
draWal from the islands Mr. HUMPHREYS Is
known to have INDUCED an ambition to get
Dole removed and himself put in his place.
and even ultimately to become senator from
Hawaii. Working for this end, although
holding office a republican, he has not
scrupled to ally himself to the native home
rule party of anti-American royalists who
last November SO signally defeated the re-
pubicans in the election for the legisla-
ture and for delegate to Congress.
Founded an Organ.
Before and after the assembling of the
legislature in February Judge HUMPHREYS
became leading adviser of the native roy
alist enemies of the republican party, OF
Gov. Dole and of Americanism generally.
Nearly two years ago, to further his am
bilious ends. he established a morning pa
per. named The Honolulu Republican.
which has been edited with considerable
ability. This paper, while pretending to be
of the republican party, has from the be-
ginning worked against the strong Dole
majority of that party, causing the defeat
at the polls of many of their leading can
didates. Since the election it has not only
been virulentIy bitter against the executive
body, but has diligently advocated the
cause and policy of the home rule roy alists
and denounced every act of the governor
opposed to them. Humphries controls
majority of the shares of the Honolulu Re
publican Company and aVoWedly directs
the policy Of the paper.
During the legislative session of sixty
days of which / wrote you one month ago
the leaders of the native royalists were In
constant conference with HUMPHREYS. After
the close of the session, which Gov. Dole
refused to extend for possible thirty days
longer, the home rulers sent a committee
consisting of Representative Beckey and
Delegate Wilcox to intercept President Nc
kiney at San Francisco and deliver to him
their petition for the removal of Gov. Dole
on account of his iniquitous refusal to ex-
tend the session Beckley and Wilcox in
terviewed the President after which Beck
ley informed the public. through the re-
porters, that Judge HUMPHREYS was the can
didate of his party for governor in place
OF Dole. Thus was made open public
avowal of HUMPHREYS actual leadership Of
the home rule party while he was con-
tinuing to pose as a republican, as he does
still.
AS stated in my letter of May 4, Gov.
Doie's chief reason assigned for refusing
to extend the session was the wasteful
methods of the legislature and failure to
accomplish work. He, however ordered
a special session to assemble on May 8 and
pass an appropriation bill. Twothirds of
their time has now passed with little re-
suit. Gov. Dole also stated orally to the
committees asking the extension of the
session that he had evidence that members
were taking brides. He afterward stated
the same to the senate and house in writ
ing, in reply to their demands on the SUBJ
ject. In this statement of the governor
Judge HUMPHREYS appears to have seen an
opportunity for making political capital.
upon which ensued a remarkable series of
extreme and violent proceedings.
A Judicial Flank Movement,
HUMPHREYS first step was to attempt to
take out Of the hands of the executive Off
GERS the investigation which they were
quietly making to establish complete evil
dence Of the facts of bribery. On May 10
grand jury, summoned by his orders, ap-
peared before the Judge and received a
charge to investigate the governors allega-
lions of bribery against the legislature An
inspection of the names of this grand jury
discloses the important fact that it com
prises only one friend of Dole, a young
man, and of fourteen veteran and noted
royalist enemies of the governor six of
them having been defeated anti-republi-
can candidates for the legislature 1t was
SO composed by the personal orders Of Judge
HUMPHREYS, executed by the bailiff of his
court instead of being summoned in the
former and usual manner by the high sher-
iff.
HUMPHREYS claims the legal power so to
do and perhaps really has it, by virtue Of
a new law which enables him to appoint
a bailif who is to execute all orders and
processes of the court, the same as Is done
by the high sheriff. This law was rail-
rCaded through the legislature and signed
by the governor without suspicion Of It's
comforting upon The circuit Judge the power
now claimed. The bailiff appointed by the
Judge was one Oscar Lewis, a sailors
crimp, who has gained an undesirable no.
tCriety in Honolulu and in San Francisco
and in Portland Just a week ago Humph-
ries became compelled to discharge this
man in consequence Of an affidavit that
he had approached the business manager
of the Advertiser with an offer to pack a
jury to acquit the editor, on the consdera-
ton that he should get license to run a
saloon near the Sailors Home
The new jury Immediately summoned and
questioned Attorney General E. P. Dole "a
cousin to the governor), Secretary Cooper
and Lorrin A. Thurston, former minister
at Washington and present controller of
the P. c. Advertiser. Cooper and Dole re-
fused to testify on the ground that it
would defeat the ends of justice to divulgc
what they had been officially investigating