Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-05-11
EARLY COUNTY POLITICS.

The public Is informed by the morn
Ing press that an attempt has been
made to bride the Attorney Generals
Department and the Attorney Gener-
ais Office is found to be honest. On
this as a basis the public Is requested
to rally around the Attorney General
and crown him lord of all-next to Sec
rotary Carter.
The Bulletin is highly gratifed that
the Attorney Generals Office has been
proved to be honest. This paper ad'
mits degree of surprise that the press
agents OF the Department should imply
that proof Of honesty required an at
tempt to bride in order that the pub
lie might be properly impressed. The
exhibition of the Territorial Attorney
General sweating in the narrow con-
fires of an old wardrobe to assist in
rowing the honesty of his Department
really remarkable.
The Bulletin is not aware that the
public has ever doubted the honesty of
the Attorney Generals Department.
And the enthusiasm with which the
proof is proclaimed creates condi'
ton that is mystifying.
Is honesty such a stranger to the de-
partments of the Territory that It's
capability OF proof should be consider
ed worthy of being heralded before the
people like the second coming OF the
Messiah? Is this proof Of honesty
meant to imply dishonesty among An
drews' predecessors or subordinates?
Is bribery so rampant that in order TO
avoid II officials are obliged to proclaim
81 am honest? Did Attorney General
Andrews, while cooped up in an old
wardrobe along with an Advertiser re-
porter, become witness to the first In
cident on record where bride was Of
fered and refused? Is 1t really fact
that the object of Dlogenes' search has
at last been landed?
Somehow or other the sensational
character OF Attorney General An
drews' affair fizzles in the pan Of pub
lie opinion. The public is not particu'
larry impressed with the part played
by John Baker, the Hawaiian go'be'
tween, whose name the Attorney Gen
erals Department press agent with
held in the interests of Justice. II
appears that purported gamblers
agent made several kinds OF PROPOSE
lions and, whether by his own volition
or by careful coaching said he would
pay money for protection from the At
torney Generals Department. This
agent also said others had received
protection. Just about this time the
Attorney General came flying from the
wardrobe, closely followed by his pri-
vate press agent.
Now why did the Attorney General
come from his hiding at such an unin'
teresting stage of the game? Anyone
can offer to pay money as bribe, but
II Ia a horse OF another color to get the
coin. It would seem that the ardor
of the Attorney General would have
led him to at least secure dollar on
account II he really thought someone
was attempting to bride his depart
ment The report of the affair states
that the Attorney General was very
uncomfortable in the wardrobe, but he
must realize that the public would
have been much better satisfied had he
stood the heat of close quarters little
longer and thereby produced some tan
gible results. Instead of proving q
case of bribery the Attorney General
Frances before the public with the
statement that his department has
been threatened. His press agent
echoes the cry: The Attorney Gen
erals Department has been threaten
ed. Line up!" The public fails to see
the force of the call. If the Attorney
Generals Department finds itself fire
quently threatened 1t should ask the
Governor to call out the National
Guard.
Taken as whole, the Attor'
ney Generals bribery experience Is
rather interesting, but the public IL
of the opinion that 1t is a little early
to begin doing politics for county pur
poses.