The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-07-18
CURIOUS HISTORY.

The Professor of American History at
the University of Nebraska, H. W.
Caldwell, mas prepared little pamphlet
upon contemporary American history
Some of the information is well put
before the reader, and the statistics Of
trade and so forth are correct, being
taken from the publications of the Blu
reau of Statistics. Mr.. Caldwells state
ment on Hawaii, however, can be chal-
lenged. Where the Nebraskan Profess
ton from is not clear. After detailing
the steps by which the annexation mea-
sure passed through congress, and stat
ing that the annexation bill was signed
April go 1900, Mr.. Caldwell says:
Sanford b. Dole former president Of
Hawaii, was made it's first governor
Parties were soon formed, adopting the
names already in use in the United
States. In the first election the De-
m0crats were victorious, their candi-
date for delegate to Congress, Robert
Wilcox, securing a majority of 316, and
the territorial Legislature falling under
their control. The legislature, on
meeting, quarreled with the governor,
who adjourned it in anger. The rea~
son assigned for the ill-feeling and for
the Democratic supremacy, was the
corruption connected with the pay
ment of losses incurred from the burn
ing of the Chinese quarter of Homo
lulu i'm the work of eradicating the
bubonic plague"
In the first election the Democrats
was not their candidate, 316 was not
his majority and the territorial Legis-
lature was not under Democratic con-
troll. There We're three parties, the
Home Rule, the Republican and the
Democratic. in the vote for Delegate
for the uneXpired term of the seth Con-
gress, r. w. Wilcox, Home Ruler poll
ed 1883 votes, Samuel Parker, Republic
can, 1856, d. I<awananakoa, Democrat,
1850. Majority for Home Rule 227. For
delegate to the 57th Congress, Wilcox
received 41OS votes, Parker 3S45, and
KawananalSoa 1856. Majority for Home
Rule 263. There were no Democratic
Senators elected, and but two Democra-
tic Representatives The Legislature
met for its full session and then had
an extra session to attend to appro-
priations. The governor certainly did
not adjourn it in anger.
The last statement, giving the rea-
son for the ill-feeling and the Demo-
cratic Supremacy" is certainly the
widest of all. The cause is given as
the corruption connected with the
payment of losses incurred from burn
ing the Chinese quarter of Honolulu"
Seeing that the losses have only just
been adjudicated upon, and the first
batch of warrants for their payment
are but now being issued, one fails to
see how they could have affected the
Legislature of 1901. Far from paying
any losses in 1901, we were seeking
means by which they might be equit-
ably paid. The results were published
but two days ago.
One would ask who supplied Profess
sor Caldwell with this farrago of rup-
bish. He certainly could not have
evolved it from his own brain. 1t is
pOrtant, but if it's contemporary his
tory is worth noticing at all, it is
worth having it correct. 1t may be
added that this history" is published
under the authority of the Department
of Education in Nebraska and is for
use not only in that State but is prob
ably used in many others.