The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-11

the time OF his death, I can say that
saw nothing in him that led me to
tnlnk or kahunaism or sorcery. In JUS
tee TO him it should be said that he
was not kahuna, and that Kalakaua
old not inherit his policy of kahunaism
from him. That he did not care to
nave kahunas live on his lands or on
the crown lands as squatters, is shown
by the following extract taken from
one of his letters: "Haa has written to
me about his having been elected from
living at Piihonua. Happily 'squatters'
are not recognized in law. and I see
no difficulty in ousting him from the
land. As owners of the crown property
we can allow or disailow people living
as squatters on the crown lands The
question with US is. SHAH We harbor
this man, and by so doing drive OF the
majority of the people from Piihonua?
There can be no doubt in my mind of
the authority and right of a Konohiki
over a land to object to any squatter
living on his land True. Kamehame-
ha believed in dreams, and had super
stitious ideas like other Hawaiians. but
are the Hawaiians the only people who
nave superstitious ideas and believe in
and their meanings been written and
printed py foreigners, and have they
not in many instances been translated
into Hawaiian, which helps to confirm
the belief?
Kamehameha V. also believed in and
knew how to use Hawaiian herbs, many
of which are very powerful and the
use of which is now very much abused.
IN early days, and now in many instan-
ces, prayers and lamentations were
made to the various gods, but Kane
hameha ", so far as I know, never
practiced any of these arts. People are
known to whom some of these medi-
cines We're given without the use of
kahunaism. Some of these receipts
were given to others and nothing said
about praying to the gods, etc. Though
he understood the use of Hawaiian
medicines he did not practice their
arts.
Tt has been said that Kamehameha
V. did not care to appoint Hawaiians
to positions Of honor, and that when
asked for his reasons he kept silent.
This was not the case, as he really de-
sired to place the Hawaiians in offices
of honor but he felt that few of them
were capable of holding those offices,
as he once told Lunalilo, when he ask
ed him why he did not place more Ha-
waiians in the higher offices. The King
replied: cousin, you and the natives
have only yourselves to thank for not
being in these offices. You know very
we'll. cousin, that you could have the
highest office in the kingdom that is in
my gift, if you would only keep straight
and attend to business" Lunalilo re-
piled, 81 know it," The King then said:
Cousin, when 1 first came to the
throne, I tried filling the higher offices
with Hawaiians, and the first thing I
knew the men were too big for their
offices. L found they were keeping too
many people around them, and drink
ing too much and not attending to their
duties. Soon the government money
was missing, and so 1 quietly put my
hand in my pocket and repaid the
money to the government, and dropped
those persons and put in their places
men who would not disgrace the coun-
try by drinking and sQuandering the
government money. There are plenty
Of natives who know enough and are
smart enough to perform the duties of
a great many of these offices, but it is
hard to find one who will not be upset
after, a while by being put into Office,
ard disgrace himself and the nation.
feel that It is too bad that it is SO,
but, cousin, you know it is true" Lu-
nalilo replied: Eyes, it is So
Though Kamehameha had been in the
habit of drinking a good deal in his
younger days, he was quite temperate
before he came to the throne, and was
more and more so as long as he lived,
and would never screen his servants
when they got drunk or broke the laws.
When they were arrested he would
either pay the fine or let them stay in
iail as he thought best. The police were
not afraid to arrest his servants, as
they knew that the king would approve
of their doing their duty.
When S. k was discharged from
being a turnkey at the Jail, he went to
the King and asked him to reinstate
him. The King told him that he had
been warned not to get drunk, but as
no had not listened. he had lost his
place; but he offered him another
chance. He said to k, You can go
UP to Kona and look after my lands
there as long as you let liquor alone,
and L will get other work for you; but
If you commence drinking again, 1 will
not give you any further help This
kept S. k in check as long as Ka-
znehameha lived.
After the great earthquake of 1858,
when Kamehameha was on his way to
Hilo and Kau on the steamer Kilauea,
to see if the report was true that the
lava had surrounded number of ma
tives on the seashore in Kau. he was
suffering with a heavy cold, and one
of the passengers urged him to take
a little whiskey, but he refused, saying
that it would have been better for him
IF he had left it alone years before.
Kamehameha V. really saw the evil
caused by liquor and refused 20 sign
a bill allowing liquor to be sold to the
Hawaiians.
The King had the welfare of the ma
ton at heart, and tried hard to get a
reciprocity treaty negotiated with the
United States, and was planning to go
himself to the States to work for the
treaty. He approved of the establish
ment of a leper asylum on Molokai;
took great interest in the building Of
the Hawaiian hotel in Honolulu and
the court house in Hilo. and had the