The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-11-20

sonal grievance. Whatever happened
the Hawaiian executive, imDerturbable
and serene, did what was best for the
country, never considering himself,
looking only to the greatest good for
the land In which he was born and
where his life-work lay.
War brought the hour of annexation
and here again the sound Judgment OF
the President asserted itself Some of
Mr.. Dole's best friends and advisers
men devoted to the cause he had at
, heart, urged him to declare che republic
neutral as between the United States
and Spain. Such n blunder, as all see
IL now, would have been worse than
crime, but Sanford i. Dole, with the
insight of n statesman, saw its full
meaning at a glance and he wrote
President Mckinley putting Hawaii at
the service of the United states. 1t
was not long before the Stars and
Stripes rose upon the towers Of the
capitol. For five years the President
had held vigil for that day and the end
crowned his patriotic work.
Still he could take no rest. Faction
raised its voice to prevent his becoming
Governor; but Mr. Dole had deserved
and won the confidence Of those ele-
ments in any country which shape its
affairs if they wish to do SO and they
saw that President Mckinley was MOI
deceived as to the personality of Mr..
Dole or the needs and wishes of Ha-
wall The Governorship was offered to
the man who had earned it. Mr.. Dole
was not ambitious for office; his health
was broken: he wanted rest and free
dom from responsibility, but the de-
mands of the new Territory were i'm
Fortunate and he acceded to them. He
entered office with the treasury surplus
gone to pay for the battle with the
bubonic plague and at a time when
demands for public outlay were great
est. Through the labyrinth of debt and
doubt he led the way to firm ground.
only to find himself undermined at
Washington by men who had been
driven from plumber by the triumph of
his American policies. For weeks there
was danger of his removal; but when
the business interests of Hawaii, al
ways as tardy in action as decisive
in results, asserted themselves, Cow
ernor Dole received a splendid vindica-
ton from President Roosevelt who gave
out officially: "The President, after
most careful investigation and hearing
as many men as possible and hearing
from others has come to the conclusion
that Governor Dole's administration Is
such as to warrant his continuation as
Governor of Hawaii and entities him to |
the respect and hearty support of the
1t was the very irony |
of fate that some of those who were |
deepest in the plot to secure the Gov
ernor's removal soon had their political |
power utterly broken by the exposure |
of their misconduct in Office.
Today the long executive career of |
Sanford b. Dole ends with his exchange |
of the Governorship for the bench of
the Federal Court. Looking backward
over more than decade one can see
how surely, when the emergency came,
the Man was here to meet it. AS Presi-
dent Mr. Dole did not suffer in con-
trast with some executives that have
lowered in n wider field. He was ac-
cepted by thinking men in the United
under an alien flag though
he was-as a great American. Let the
fractional storm rage never so wildly
against him, his mere appearance at
Washington was enough to win him
the respectful fellowship of the mas
ters of American destiny. Presidents
welcomed him as friend and an in
tellectual and moral equal. AS Gov
ernor he has served in more restricted
sphere than he did as President, but
with a fidelity to honor, with a stand
ard of public service, with certainty
Of judgment which makes his appear
ance in the Federal judiciary as hon
orable to the bench as 1t is gratifying
to him.