Evening star., 1902-08-05
HAWAIIAN HISTORY"
STRANGE STATEMENTS IN A NE
BRAsKA PROFESSORS BOOK.
Assertions Which Are Unfounded and
Are Unfamiliar to the Is
land People.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
HONOITJJT Julv 10 1aj

HONOLULU, July 10. 1902.
In a work on contemporary American his
tory, by the professor of American history
Of the University of Nebraska, is the fol-
lowing, after an account of the annexation
of Hawaii and the adoption of the Ha-
waiian territorial act by Congress:
Sanford B. Dole, former president of
Hawaii, was made its first governor. Par
ties were soon formed, adopting the names
already in use in the United States. In the
first election the democrats were victorious,
their candidate for delegate to Congress,
Robert w. Wilcox, securing 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 reason assigned
for the Ill feeling and for the democratic
supremacy was the corruption connected
with the payment Of losses incurred from
the burning of the Chinese quarter in Homo
lulu in the work of eradicating the bubonic
plague"
This strikes people in Rawaii os very
queer stuff to be teaching the students of
university. 1t is wrong in its entirety with
the single exception of the statement that
Sanford B. Dole was made the first gov
ernor. The democrats were not victorious
in the last election. They came out third.
Wilcox was elected against their candidate,
David Kawananakoa. He had majority
over the republican candidate of 263. and
not 316. Instead of controlling the legisla
ture. the democrats were practically unrep-
resented in it. The governor did not ''ad-
journ' the legislature. Who ever heard of
an American territory where an executive
''in anger" could adjourn legislative
body? The territorial act referred to by the
professor might tell him and his students
that Governor Dole has no such powers.
Did Not Happen.
The reason assigned for this state of
things which did not exist. is something
that never happened. Instead of there hav
ing been corruption connected with the
payment of Chinatown fire losses, there
had been no payments, no appropriation,
not even an effort to make payments, at
that time, nor an acknowledgment that
anything was due to those who sustained
losses Up to the present day there has not
been single payment this account.
Hawaii asked the last Congress for an ap-
preparation of a million dollars to help to
pay the claims, but the House struck out
the appropriation after the Senate had ap-
proved It,
Honolulu people wonder where such his
tory comes from. 1t has never been seen
in the press by any one here. The press
correspondents make mistakes, but it has
remained for a university professor to issue
from a state university press the most in
correct series of statements about Hawaii
that has yet appeared. Most of them are
erroneous statements about affairs which
existed and events which took place, but
the last one, about corruption, is an inven-
ton by some and Is founded upon an
other invention In all the bitterness of
Hawaiian political controversies over Gov
ernor Dole and his policies the word cor
ruption has never been used.