The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-12-11

dIoAASi w DIS II waste or love Tor
Him to have gone about doing good
and then to he malisned. slandered,
abused and crucided by those whom he
came TO uplift? The answer is that
the cross is everywhere the sign OF
victory, and men look at His life as
the one life which was really success
ful. Was II waste of time and service
for the Apostles TO labor in season
and out of season, to uproot the pagan>
ism of their day? It seemed so to the
worldly wise men of their time who
told them that they We're insane It
might have seemed waste to the ADos-
ties themselves as they saw some of
the churches which they had planted
decay, and have their candIestick TAX
en- away.
Was it waste of time and service for
the Saints of God in any age to toll and
sacrifice for God and man? The an
swer is that the reforms, the progress.
the liberties, the blessings which we
enjoy, came from men who in losing
their lives, found life and gave life
and light to mankind
Now what are the facts in relation to
conditions here? It is etghty-five years
since that first company landed at Kali
since then, the Hawaiian people have
made greater progress in enlightment
and civilization than any other bar
barous people have ever done in the
same time You who are familiar with
history, know that this is true. The
matter of having barbarous people for
ancestors is only a question of time
with all of US. It took our ancestors
n ar ba Of
advancement which the Hawaiian peo-
pie have reached in less than one hun
dred years. If they have decreased, it
was on the one hand because of sins
which the missionaries fought, and on
the other because this rapid develop
ment was too great a strain
A gentleman from New Zealand who
was here some time ago said to me,
These people surprise me at every
turn, they are far ahead of the Ma
oris."
/ am quite familiar with all that is
said in the way of discoura cement. In
some ways this resembles the lapses
of the MaoriS after their wars with
England about their lands. These
things were heart-rending to the great
Missionary Bishop Selwyn in his day.
We forget also the Superstitions and
immoralities and manner of conversa-
ton of our own race a few hundred
years ago, as shown in Chaucer or
Boccaccio; We forget the sins of our
own race now. when we talk in a
sweeping way of failure. 1 see and
feel causes of Encouragement in work
among white people which pain me
more than anything which L see in Ha-
waiian work. But to dwell upon fail
ureS in any work will never make
things better. I would rather dwell
upon the fact that there are men and
women of Hawaiian blood known to
you and to me that if Missionary work
here had accomplished nothing else
but to produce them, it would be worth
all that has been spent in money and
in men. Don't expect too much. The
old Aloha for the people is still in your
hearts. | know the dsappointments, 1
feel them too, but there is no race that
you or l love more or would do more
for than this people whom your faith
ers loved and who loved your fathers
as their recorded words SO plainly
show One of the most remarkable
things in history is the safety there
was in living here. No white woman
was ever made to fear though left
alone. All honor be to these gentle,
kind people for their many good quail
tiles.
Here I would touch upon the feeling
of Hawaiians as far as it affects the
progress of the Kingdom of God. I
know very we'll that politics should
not affect us in our religious life but
they do. Time will heal and is heal
ing the soreness. When L was young L
n. a..
self in His Place" and it was an epoch
making book in my mental life. We
shall judge people more fairly if we
try to put ourselves in their place We
may ask ourselves the question, How
should we feel if we were Hawaiians?
How did the Royalists feel towards
Cromwell and his followers? How did
the North feel towards the South? How
did the Maoris feel towards the Eng
Iish during the troubles with them? 1
am myself surprised that all things
considered the feeling here is as good
as it is and how rapidly the Hawaiians
are accommodating themselves to con-
ditions as they exist. The young are
growing UP in the new order. The
future depends upon our faithful dis
charge of duties in this our day. Our
duties lie in fairness, justice, consider
ations, sympathy and helpfulness. You
must keep alive, my brothers, your faith
er's faith in God and in your brother
man. In this faith and in the works
which follow can we alone really do
good work for the future of Hawaii.
Our discouragements are not as great
as those which your fathers knew. Men
may prophesy failure. But in doing
ones duty there is no failure while to
neglect duty is the only real failure in
any life.
Again as I go about I find in some
persons a critical attitude which finds
expression in statements which are fire.
quently most unjust. Sometimes they
are the result of transformation. some
times due to- refusal to see facts. Such
an attitude is always hurtful to ones in
tellectual and spiritual life and Injuries
the progress of the Kingdom of God.
/ am not here to defend any person or
set of persons and I have the whole
cause of Missions and Christian work
in mind in what l say. First. there
are people whom I meet who are not