The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-01-17
What Happened on
January 18th,
1893.
How the Monarchy Was
Cast Down and
Why.

Exciting events aroused all Honolulu
a decade ago this morning, when the
last act in the overthrow of the Ha-
waiian throne was accomplished. On
this day in 1893 Queen Liliuokalani
was retired to private life, and all that
pertained to the monarchy was rele-
gated to the past and a new era of
government begun.
The strained condition of affairs was
broken on about o'clock in the after
noon, when John Good and Mr.. Benner.
who were driving up the street in a
wagon loaded with arms and nnmu-
milton, were stopped by the native po-
lice. Mr. Good resisted the attempt,
and upon noticing the motion of an
officer to draw revolver, drew his
own and fred, without intending to do
much damage, inf1lctfng a slight wound
upo1 one policeman. The police then
permitted the wagon to continue on
its way, but followed in a hack This
incident at once changed the entire
course of affairs. and citizens hurriedly
made their way to the armory, where
companies organized, received arms.
and then marched into the Capitol
grounds. While the citizens were arm
ing, the Committee of Safety, consist
ing of Henry E. Cooper T. A. McCand-
less, Andrew Brown, Theodore Ian
sing, John Emmeluth, C. Bolte, Ed.
Suhr, Henry Warehouse, w. c. Will
der, F. w. AcChesney, and William o.
Smith, proceeded to the government
building, where they inquired for the
Cabinet Minister'S who were not present
at that time. Possession of the build |
ing was then demanded and obtained |
of John A. Hassinger. The Committee |
of Safety then proceeded to the front !
steps of the Capitol building, where a !
large crowd had already assembled, |
and read the famous proclamation |
which declared the monarchy at an |
end and the provisional government |
reared in its stead.
The proclamation set forth that in !
its earlier history Hawaii possessed a |
Constitutional government honestly |
and economically administered in the |
public interest. and the crown had |
called to it's assistance able. honest and |
conservative men, whose integrity was |
unquestioned, even by their political |
opponents. The stability of the gov
eminent was assured, armed resistance |
and revolution unthought of, popular |
rights were respected and the privi- |
7eges of the subject increased from
time to time, and the prerogatives OF |
the sovereign diminished by the volun-
fary acts of the successive kings. |
With very few exceptions this state |
continued until toward the expiration
OF King Kalakaua's reign. At this time |
it seemed to make a change in the in
fiuences surrounding the executive.
The proclamation declared that /
steadily increasing disposition was
manifested on the part of the King to |
extend the royal prerogatives, to favor
adventures and persons Of no char
zacter, to encroach upon the rights of
the people by steadily increasing the
corruption of electors, all tending to
the final control of the executive, leg
fslative, and judicial departments. This
finally resulted in the revolution OF
1887, when certain of these powers were
wrested from the King The leaders