The Florence tribune., 1901-10-05


 in duties on Hawaiian sugar and molasses were remitted by the United States during the last fiscal year on account of the annexatio1. Judge Humphreys has advocated that the government lands should not again be leased to the planters whea the old leases expire, but should be opened to settlement in farms of 80 acres each under the American homestead laws.
 He has also ;hampioned the political rights of the native race in Hawaii and insisted that they be given the fran chise. The old regime, led by the Doles tue Thurstons, Bishops aud Carters, advised very strongly that Congress grant restricted suffrage that would have eliminated the natives as poiti- cal force. Nothing could be more curious than the antagonism which deve oped on this point between descendants of New England mission aries and a son of Mississippi. The southerner, who was bred and educated in the most deusely populated negro state of America, said that he was for allowing the natives to vote because be was republican, and that he was not one of those who believed iu talk ing the franchise even from the Ameri aa n lao tr da ,.ff { n cavaliers stood for the widest appiica- tion of the principles of political liberty; the descendants of the Puri- tans wished to maintain an oligarchy founded on race and wealth. When Congress organized the new territorial government it was this southerner's view that was adopted, with the result that the native race at once rose to position of political power.
 After Mir. umphreys's elevation to the beach by the Washington govern Inent the antagonism of the old white regime was concentrated upon him. There appears to have been an effort o the part of the lawyers who were ln sympathy with the Dole government to drive him from the oeDch oy brow beating methods. Judge Humphreys, however, proved to be man of great spirit, and be met his enemies with vigorous but very just use of the power to fine and imprison for con tempt of court. It is certain that he maintained.his judicial dignity. One of the persons who was fined by him for contempt was L. A. Thurston, l formerly Hawaiian minister at Wash ington. The son of Governor Dole, too, was castigated by his honor for con temptuous deneanor while addressing to the formulation of charges against Humpareys by the Honolulu bar asso- ciation and petition to the president for his summary removal. The jndge was charged with being bitter politi
 cal partisan in present controversies before the people, with using his judi eial position improperly to promote his own personal and political ends, with harsh and tyrannical treatment oi lawyers in his court, and so on. Every one of the charges failed of effect upon
 Attorney.Grneral Knox, who, in hi. : finding, severely rebukes tue Homo
 lulu bar association by saying: "Mem : bers Of the bar, as officers of the court should be loyal to the court. A mem Der of the bar is faithless to his higt
 calling when be assails q judge ane
 impeaches his integrity upon no facts
 even remote.y justifying the attack but upon vague suspicion and unfai ] ipnuendoes.
 The assault upon Judge Humphrey s seems to be the very worst kind of boomerang, if for no other reason tha that it has served to expose in thi country the ia ts concerning the notori 5 ous prostitutes stockade at Honolulu which was maintained with the ar proval of the Dole government. Du g allowance for Honolulu's diff .ultie. . as seaport in the middle of the Pacif - ocean, in regulating the social ev d being made, 1t remains to be said tha the facts concerning that institutio are simply astounding. The stockad e was purposely built for the harlots IL Honolulu, who were segregated the V aud encouraged to conduct their bus .. ness, under direct state supervision,