Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-07-28
PETITION Of SAMOANS
ARE ADOPTING SCHEME
OF NEWSPAPER APPEAL
CLAIMED THAT THEIR ANCIENT
CUSTOMS ARE BEING RID.
DEN DOWN BY UNFEEL.
ING AMERICANS.

San Francisco, July 16.-Trom Pasc
Page, that far corner Of our new p1s
sessions" in the Samoan Islands
comes this pathetic appeal to tbs
great, generous heart OF the America
people, by the lips OF Tulfua, socallet
"tulefale" or talking man Of the Kim
OF Manua:
ITO the President Of the unitct
States: We. the people OF Manud
greet you: We love you; we love the
American people. We appeal TO you
through a great newspapers, in tht
name of our King to grant Us a re-
quest. We have great pains in oul
heart over the bad treatment by Mr.
Gurr. We ask you TO remove Mr.. Gu.l
and Mr.. Yandall from Office. They
have caused strife and jealousy amont
our people We want TO live in peace
with the great country of America
We love Captain Sebree. He is on
friend; but Mr.. Gurr is not. Remuv,
Mr.. Gurr and harmony will prevail
among the Samoans Of American Sa
moa."
This petition. dictated by Tulifua, or
behalf of ne King Of Manua, was sign
ed by the chiefs Of Manua and trans
mitted through the representative o.
the Hearst newspapers at Page Page
where these tribal functionaries arc
now prisoners at large by order of Il
w. Gurr. Secretary OF Affairs, In retail
ia:ion for the Manuans' resolutc dccla
ration that they would abide by thu
customs of their tribe. guaranteed tc
them by the second clause OF The
agreement between the United States
and the people of Manua which eXplic
lily promises that no Samoan custom
shall be disturbed under the American
protectorate.
The story of their wrongs at tho
hands of Secretary CUR is told by tn
lifua.
During the month Of May, Manga
native Governor of Tutuila, came tc
Manua on a visit and demanded thai
he should be received by the Manuau'
with an 'ipu' or royal bowl of kavl
in the village of Ofu. Now II is a ia
dition sourced in the earliest legends
OF all the tribes Of the Samoan archi
pelago, that when the lpu Is served Il
an alien he becomes the equal in au
thorfty and all domestic privileges o
the king who rules the tribe by whom
the kava is prepared.
Three times did Manga, Governor o
Tutuila. demand the ipu Of the villaG
ers OF Ofu, and thrice was il refused il
honor of their king, the beloved Tui
manua. Finally, however, when tn
Governor threatened the power OF III,
American Secretary Of Native Affairs
the timid, simple people Of Ofu yiell
ed and a law very dear to the Sd
means was put aside 10 the end tina:
gross insult might be thrust upon tn
King of the Manauns.
When the people Of Tatu, a neigh
boring village, heard Of what had beef
done in the village Of Ofu, they wer
so incensed that they would have driy
en- the people of that community out o
the island had II not been for tho COdr
sci of Tulifua. their Judge. who tan
them that the American Government
under which they were at that momcn
iiving would respect the ancient Law
OF the Samoans II those laws did no
conflict with the laws Of the Great Il,
public.
The villagers OF Ofu were then hna
for violating the royal custom of IN
ipu, whereupon Secretary Gurr. wh
had arrived on U. S. S. Abarenda to Il
vestigate the treble. insisted that IA
peopls of Ofu should be tried b
American law.
Judge Tulifua called the attention G
Secretary Gurr to the clause of IN
agreement between the Samoans an
the Government OF the United State
guaranteeing respect for the nativ
customs, hut the Secretary would nc
listen and the case was transferred I
the court at Tutuila, where a decisiD
adverse to that rendered by the coul
OF Manua was handed down at the II
stance Of Secretary CUR and Mr.. va.
dali.