The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-22

decline. Throughout this period this
mission has been in receipt OF some 5000
d year from England. During these
years many clergymen have come and
gone again, finding it impossible to work
happily in this diocese, only three haV-
ing remained there any length of time.
Since the withdrawal of the English
grants the people have assumed the re-
sponsibility of supporting their own
Clergyman. and with one exception, the
various missions of the Hawaiian church
are self supporting. In the case of this
exception the people are preparing to
support the incumbent's successor The
clergy are probably better paid than
they are in similar positions on the main
land. And not only this, but the people
are prepared to pay one-half the stipend
of new Bishop, and a guarantee of the
annual payment for five years of some
81 300 or $1,4OO toward this object, hur-
riedly prepared and signed by some
twenty persons, has been forwarded to
the General Convention.
All the people in Hawaii want law,
justice and some court of appeal, and
more church life. The American portion
want to find this in their own church.
in their own country. They want their
own prayer book, their own hymnal,
their own Bishop, their own constitution
and they feel entitled to them.
1t would be to no purpose to speak of
the many instances of ,miscarried JUS
tice in this diocese, and the lives that
have been thereby ruined, the frequent
and fruitless appeals to England for
help, the mass of pamphlet and news
paper warfare extending over twenty
years, each broadening and deepening
| the scandal in this church. The fact re
mains that its history has been sad
one, and one that not only the church,
| men of Hawaii, but that all Christians
in the Islands demand should be closed.
| Hawaii is no longer an independent
country; it is no longer out of sight of
| the world. 1t is now as much a. part of
| the United States as California, peopled
| by Americans. This being so the Church
of England has signified her desire to
withdraw absolutely from the Islands
and to transfer to the American church
| whatever interests she may have here
tofore held there. The American church
is as anxious to assume this RESPONSE
bil!ty and gather in again her pioneer
sons into her own fold. Probably more
than 95 per cent of the church people in
I Hawaii are in sympathy with this move
! ment and keenly, desire the transfer II
| is but natural it should be so; 1t is bui
right, it is but just, it is eXpedient, and
what is more, the interests of religion
demand it. There are now In San Fran,
cisco the representatives of the three
churches, attending the general conven
tion of the American church, and II
seems strange, indeed, If these three au.
thorities of the church, represent ng al
those concerned, cannot now definitely
settle whatever may be in the best in
terests of the church.
From whatever cause, the Bishop OF
Honolulu has had a hard struggle fol
many years, which all must regret IN
one holding so high and responsible g
position in the church, but the time has
now arrived when he can honorably anC
with dignity retire and resign the gov
ernment intrusted to his care, trusting
the American church to erect on tht
foundation he has laid such superstruc
ture as it shall see fit, and since 1t /!
almost the universal desire that thi:
transfer be now accomplished, the
Bishop of Honolulu VIII, no doubt, seC
the wisdom of lending his cooperation
Failing this action On the Bishop:
part (and this transfer, sooner or later
is inevitably he would place himself il
a very unfortunate light throughout tn
Anglican church, and would forfeit tha
sympathy and support which all goot
men will ever extend to the disappointed
general who knows how to gracefully re
tire from a position rendered untenabl
through the force of adverse crcum
stances A CHURCHMAN.