The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-14
MAY KILL
SOCIETY
War Amid Chinese
Organizations
Bitter.
APPLICATION TO
AFFECT OFFICERS
May Have Election Made Void
or Entire Charter Declared
Invalid.

~ captured the United Chinese. So
A cieties. by steadily getting into
the organization its members until they
have now elected all the officials of the
societies for this year. there seems TO
be more than good chance that the
victory will be ort-lived. The step
which may have the result of effeeting
this has been taken by Joseph Goo
Kwai Long.
Acting upon the fact that the cleo
ton of the officers of the society was
not made under the rules and regula-
lions of the society. that member has
filed with Treasurer Wright a state
ment of facts upon which he expects
to have the last election set aside or
the charter of the society revoked. The
letter setting out these facts has been
on the desk of Treasurer Wright for
several days and will be submitted to
the Acknowledgement for the purpose
of having an opinion as to the powers
of the Treasurer in the premises.
This move in the fight of the Reform
ers against the consul was the result
of. the meeting of the society two
weeks ago, at which time the election
of the years officers took place. AT
that time there was a hard fight made
by the conservative members of the
society for strict action along the lines
of the charter and bylaws of the or
for h
been to permit men who have simply
grown into the habit of attending the
meetings of the society to vote. They
have in few instances paid their mi
tiation fees. and in fact only in name
are members of the society. These facts
are made more pregnant in that the
very method of holding the election
was different from that which is pro-
vided in the laws. According to the
bylaws there was to be chosen first
a Board of Trustees Of fifteen members
and from these men the officers were to
be chosen. But in defiance of this pro-
vision the custom has grown up to
choose judge who in turn selects nine
members to act as a nominating COM
mittee. This committee prepares two
tickets. The result was that two weeks
ago the committee being of Bow
Wongs. there was no chance for the
conservatives to show their strength.
The protest is based upon half-doZen
allegations of irregularity in the per-
Torrance of duties by officers and the
carrying on of business in the society.
First the fact that there were no re-
ports of officers given at the meeting is
cited. The next reason is that there
was no prior election of trustees. The
fact is stated that the office of assist
ant secretary was not filed. The next
allegation is that there We're many
votes cast by others than members of
the society. Following this is the
charge that there was an Illegal cleo
ton of the trustees and the members
of the advisory committee. Lastly it is
set forth that the Board of Trustees
and the Advisory Committee of the
past year were barred from participat-
ing in the election, for no other reason !
than that they We're endeavoring to
preserve the laws and charter.
The protestants have in addition to
this action served notice upon the
bankers of the United Chinese Society |
that there has been fled a charge that /
the officers were not legally chosen and /
advising that no money be paid out of
the funds of the society. An attorney .
is now preparing papers so that in case
the Treasurer shall not find cause to I
act in the case the courts will be asked !
TO step in and settle the matter by de-
claring if the officers are in reality the
true officials of the society. The deter
mination of the trouble seems far from
sight, and there is a complication in
that the society is not recognized any
longer by the Chinese minister or the
and there can be no APP
peal made to the officials of the nation
md a compromise made in that way
The facts seem to be that since the
arrival here of Leung Chi Tso and his
formation of the Bow Wongs, there has
,een between the members of the colony
md the consul such feeling that there
seems no hope that the air may be clear
ID until there has come a disintegration
II the revolutionary society. The United
Society, however. is strong in it's deter
to hold out. and it is said that
me of the ante-election pledges of c. X
Al. the new president of the society, was
hat he would introduce and press a suit
against the Chinese Consul for the recov-
Try of fund of $4,000 now held in bank
" that official for charitable purposes
d some fifteen years ago. and at that
ime took an important place in the
,ingdom. There was then no treaty be-
ween China and Hawaii, and the society
vas formed by the merchants and COM
nunication taken up between them and
he officials of the Chinese government.
The minister at Washington seemed TO
e kindly disposed to the plan of the
ocal Chinese and sent instructions that
he president of :he society should act
s the consular agent of China. and that
here should be reports of affairs here
ent to Washington. Later, the Chinese
government recognized the society, and
I was known as the direct representa-
I've of the Chinese people in the Islands :
FOR many years IL kept UP this high
tanding. being recognized in turn by the
arous ministers at Washington and be
~ l.. ORIGINAL p0SitiOn when Consul