Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-03
DENIED BY BURTON
DID NOT CAST SLUR ON MISSION
ARIES IN HAWAII.
Inquiry Made by the Christian Herald
Alleged Charges Refuted in
Letters From Honolulu.

Senator Burton of Kansas will be criti-
cised in the next issue of the Christian
Herald for statements he is alleged to have
made in relation to the missionaries in Ha-
wall.
Some time ago." the Christian Herald
asserts, United States Senator Burton of
Kansas, who had recently returned from
visit to Hawaii, was quoted in the public
prints as having asserted that the Christian
missionaries in Hawaii had swindled the
untutored natives by taking their lands
from them, in exchange for certificates en-
titling the holders to admission to heaven.
The senator had gone to Hawaii as men,
Der of subcommittee appointed by Con-
gress to investigate and report upon the
condition of the people in these distant is
lands, which have now come under Ameri-
can rule.
while believing such charge to be alb
soutely unfounded, the Christian Herald,
rather than oppose it with an unauthorita-
tive denial at the moment, decided to first
secure the statements of the accused mis-
SionarieS and let them speak for themselves.
We Immediately communicated with the
American missionaries now in Hawaii, and
the result is shown in the letters printed
below from the oldest, most experienced
and beSt-known missionaries on the Is
lands
The Herald then publishes copies of sew
eral letters from people in Honolulu. which
are to the effect that the missionaries In
that Mr.. Burton made the statement ascrlb-
ed to him. Rev j. Leadingham. the only
American missionary there, wrote:
IT notice that he is quoted as saying that
the missionaries were from Boston, and
have been here recently. This would nat
urally refer to missionaries of the Amer lean
board l would say that the only mission
aries that the American board has appoint
cd fn eli IN he la ct v-1v
years, my wife and myself, appointed
eight years ago, and neither Of us owns
foot Of land here; nor has either Of US ever
owned any,
legged statement, went on to say:
Indeed 1t is a question If in view Of the
facts the honorable senator spoke seriously,
il he were not trying in this statement to
make political capital by burlesquing the
so-called missionary party now in power.
He alone of the three commissioners who
recently visited the islands seemed out OF
sympathy with the government, and In
clned to lock with favor on the so-called
home rule party, which supports Wilcox"
The Herald, referring to the information
contained in these letters, says:
I'VE cannot for moment believe that the
Kansas senator himself invented so mon
strous an absurdity, or that 1t was the out
come of any part of his legitimate investi-
CATION. But an injustice has been done,
which ought to be repaired. Senator Burton
the sufferers by this silly SANDER; to the
American people, who have been misin form
ed by his dissemination Of the story, and
lastly he owes it to the dignity of the Unit
ed States Senate, to make such prompt ex-
PLANTATION any honorable public official
would do under like circumstances.
No Slur on Missionaries Intended.
The attention Of. Senator Burton was
called to the above by Star reporter to-
day.
Il did not know that at this time there
were any Christian missionaries IL Ha-
WALL said Mr.. Burton. Il did not suppose
there had been any missionaries there dur
ing the last fifty years.
This entire statement is founded
falsehood There Is absolutely no truth in
it from beginning to end
This statement about missionaries trad
ing certificates to heaven for land, which is
attributed to me, Is sometimes told in Ha-
wall as joke, but 1t does not refer to the
early missionaries. The country has been
christianiZed and l did not know until l
read this statement that there had been
any Christian missionaries there during the
last fifty years. Some of the more pro-
gressive white people, among whom might
have been some descendants of mission
aries had great deal to do with the gov
eminent The reigning monarchs advised
with them, gave them office and gradually
they worked their way into politics and
statecraft and accomplished a great deal of
good, but those who were jealous of them
began to call them the missionary party
That term refers to the political organiza-
ton, but not to any Christian organization
at all.
II do not remember ever to have said
anything that could be interpreted like the
statement contained in the Christian Her
aid, even in relation to the missionary
party. 1 positively know have never said
anything that reflected in any way upon
the Christian missionaries. l think there
is no country in which Christian mission
aries have accomplished more good than in
Hawaii"