Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-03-17
MPOIKAI TALK
AbbUT Waikiki
Everybody Talking On
All Sides OF
Question
Wailuku, Maui,

| March 10, 1908.
by a bulletin posted in the hotel
here I see that the Bar Association
at Honolulu has endorsed Judge Ke-
poikai for reappointment to his pres
ent position; so 1t appears that the
preponderance of sentiment among
the members of the legal fraternity
is in favor of the Maui jurist and
that they do not attach great impor-
lance to the charges brought against
him by County Attorney Dan Case.
| The Kepoikai matter is one which
is attracting great interest and caus-
ing much comment all over Maui.
Naturally Il is of more moment on
this Island than on oahu, where the
chief interest in the matter is politi-
cal. From Hama at the other end OF
the Island all the way to this place
have heard the matter much dis
cussed, and, whatever the real merits
of the controversy, I am obliged to
say the popular sentiment appears to
be strongly against Kepoikai. AL
most everybody ! have talked to in
regard to the matter appears to think
that Case was very moderate in his
charges and that he didn't say near
ly all that he might have said in re-
gard to the faults which he claims
should disqualify the Judge from
longer occupying his position on the
bench.
1t is, however, practically impos-
sible to quote anybody. Nearly cv-
eryone will talk freely enough, but
not for publication. "of course, you
understand don't want to be quot
ed. | have to live here, and the
Baldwin interests, that are backing
Kepoikai, are powerful. cant af-
ford to lose my bread and butter. -
Such is the usual ending of all con-
yersation on the Kepoikai subject.
And, of course, Il is not without
foundation. In this part OF the ISL
and especially, as everybody knows,
the Baldwins are the whole thing
and a man who makes himself OBJ
noxious to them can be made to see
the error OF his ways. BY this do
not mean to say anything against
II. p. Baldwin, who appears to be
very generally liked by nearly every.
body. Baldwin Is the despot oil
Maui" one man said to me, "but he
is beneficent despot, and means to
do well by everybody. But he is used
to having his own way and 1t is not
well to cross him."
Fortunately, the Kepoikai matter
has not been made a racial issue. In
fact, from what | can learn, the
Judge is more unpopular among the
Hawaiians than among the haolcs.
II Kepoikai had to run for an elect
i've office, he couldn't be elected
poundmaster, is the way one of the
best politicians on Maui put It the
other day. THE Hawaiians have alb
solutely no use for him. They think
he has thrown them down, and they
ore sore. And they don't like his
bullying. The trouble with Kepoikai
is that he is all swelled up with his
cwn importance. He thinks he is
the whole thing down here. He butts
into everything that is none Of his
business and tries to run It,"
What about that fishery bust
l ess?" | asked.
We'll, I'll tell you. That fishery
is regular gold mine. Some years
know that 1t is worth $1,000 a
year,-that is what Kepoikai makes
out OF 1t. Baldwin doesn't know
this. Kepoikai has pulled the WOO
over his eyes and made him believe
that 1t is not worth over 5000 a
year. II II were not worth a good
deal more than that, there wouldn't
be several thousand dollars worth OF
nets In the harbor. You see, the
fishery takes in the whole harbor."
That is one mans view OF It
though he can quote no obvious factl
to support 1t.
| l asked a good many times ahou
Kepoikai's temper and invariabl!
was told that Case had not at all ex
aggerated in regard to 1t. Severa
told me that the Judge can put frill
on the English language when h
lays himself out that would make
Mississippi steamboat mate greer
with envy. Cases allegation tina
the Judge horse-whipped a Chimes
police officer in the public road
have heard corroborated severa
times. coupled with the remark tina
II was a id outrage,
One remark that Is almost InYn