The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-06-21
FATHER JAMES ON
THE BOND REVELATIONS
Honolulu, June 20, 1905.

Honolulu, June ~, 1913.
Mr.. E. C. Bond Dear Sir: Allow
me to offer you my feelings of graft
tude for your contribution in the col
umns of the Advertiser (June 20) to
the Hyde Damien controversy. By
stating the mistaken identity of the
accused person you bring this really
disgusting story to an end in the sense
I have always claimed. You are a most
valuable witness to show that Father
Damien was really the wrong man In
DIR. Hyde's accusations; that conse-
quently all those who have listened to,
believed, copied and promulgated the
grievous charges, be they Sir Berry
Smith from Samoa, or the Boston Tran
script, or whatsoever else may have tax
en- stock in the said accusations, have
done a great injury to Father Damien.
N nat Dr. Hvde's intentions were
when he made those most unfortunate
charges, Goa alone knows. But l ven
ture to say that il he ever learned, as
you say, that he unwittingly laid such
grievous charges at the wrong man s
door, it was his duty, his most sacred
duty, to rectify his mistake, to rectlfy
it openly, publicly-inviting all who
had spread the falsehood to copy and
spread also the rectifcation. But up
to the present the falsehood is being
spread and repeated over and over
again, Just as Mrs. r. L. Stevenson
saws in truth: 1T is sure to be quoted
with approval in the future by some
mean bigot who would deny honor and
Justice to any Catholic.
Now. DO you expect us to keep quiet
ly silent, leaving the public mind feed
ing on poisonous falsehoods? 1t was
not James c. Beissel who resurrected
and started this new dust raising
through the press the world over. He
raised his voice in the interests of
truth that prejudice should fall, that
mistakes. if committed in the past,
should be honestly confessed by the
guilty parties and avoided in the fu-
ture. He wishes that mutual respect
and confidence should reign between
the different denominations, notwith-
standing the differences of religious
opinions.
If, as YOU say, somebody else, Father
Damien s predecessor in Kohala, Great
ed a scandal by alleged immortality.
for all | know the charge has not been
proved and no sentence pronounced.
But. nevertheless, those in authority
of the Catholic Mission at that time
should get credIt cor removing MIN
from his office and sending him away
from the country. 1t shows how siren
uous their efforts are to uphold and
protect the moral character of their
members I do not mean to say that
III the Catholic priests are impeccable,
but 1 do say that they have right TO
be respected as long as they respect
themselves. and that in presence of the
record they have acquired in these Is
lands in all the years past. those who
wish to formulate charges against them
should look out for what they are do
ng as much as 1 do look out for the
moral conduct of our priests, Just so
much I feel it my duty to stand up for
them and defend them when wrongly
accused.
Now. as matters seem to be made
plain by the present discussion, as
above all Father Damien s moral char
acter is cleared beyond the slightest
shadow of doubt, through the latest