The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-10-25
An Open Letter to
the Voters of Oahu

whom he, Individually, thought ought
not to be indicted.
! 1t Immediately flashed upon me that
man who would do this could be
guilty of doing the other things with
which he had been charged.
As matter of fact, the above men
toned Indictment never came to trial.
Attorney General Dole having become
convinced that it was without founda-
ton, personally nol-prossed it.
Increased Suspicion of cathcart.
Upon my return to Honolulu after
several months absence, / discussed
the subject of Mr.. Cathcart with Walter
6. Smith. He told me that Mr.. Cath.
cart S action in office was growing more
and more suspicious; that he was fire..
quently hearing stories that he could
not reconcile with Mr.. Cathcart s hon.
esty.
then told Mr. Smith of the state
ment made by Cathcart to me. He
was thunderstruck, and said that he
had never had any intimation before
that Mr.. Cathcart had done such
thing.
The information which / gave Mr..
Smith caused no variation in his treat
ment of Cathcart in the paper, and from
time to time statements concerning the
improper conduct of the County Attor.
ney's office were published.
On two occasions Mr.. Cathcart com
planned to me that the paper was mis-
constituting his acts and not treating
him fairly. | told him that there was
no intention SO to do and that if at
any time he wished to correct or give
another version to statements in the
paper concerning him, the columns of
the paper were at his disposal. He
took advantage of this offer on two
occasions.
Meanwhile greater and greater suspi-
cions were aroused concerning Mr.
Cathcart on the part of the Advertiser
staff who were brought in contact with
bis actions, through the excessive num-
Der of nolle prosequis, suspension of SEN
fences and rumors of graft and inn
proper conduct in connection with his
The Castle Estate Proposition.
Tt was while things were in this con-
dition that, last summer, he made me
the proposition already published, that
if the Advertiser would support him he
would be ga friend at court to the
Castle public service corporations in
Honolulu, being the Gas Company and
the Rapid Transit company.
Last August I went up to Hilo and,
with the exception of one week. re-
NAMED there until three weeks 9agbuo, ;
Owing to close attention to business
there I had little time to bestow upon
the policy of the Advertiser9in Hofra-
ulu, but was in thorough accord with
Mr. Walter G. Smith in the policy of |
The paper in opposing Mr.. Cathcart s !
as County Attorney. We
lid not believe that on the showing
made, he would be nominated. He was
however, and upon my re-
turn to Honolulu on Saturday, October |
3rd last, it was necessary to make inn
mediate decision as to what course
should be pursued by the Advertiser
Mr. Cathcart
A Decision Necessary.
On the one hand, hiding behind the |
Straight Ticket" doctrine, I could
keep silence, simply advocating the
election Of the Republican ticket, on
5he principle that it was, on the whole,
he best ticket.
This would have been the easy thing
% do, and, moreover, would have been
n accordance with the wishes and ad |
vice of number of my most intimate |
friends, among whom ] num-
ger w. o. Smith, J. P. Cooke and Al /
pert +. Judd.
On the other hand there lay a labor
GUS fight, which might disrupt the par
"; q dangerous fight as is evidenced
" the fact that there are already libel
,uits to the amount of $4,000, filed
against the Advertiser by Mr. Cath
art by reason of its opposition to him;
most difficult fight, as is always the
,ase where a public official is accused
# grating. because, owing to the very
nature of the offense, much of the evil
lence must come from either criminal
IT ignorant classes.
What Would You Have Done?
I ask you, fellow citizens, what was
my duty to do under these cireum-
tances? What would you have done
lnder like conditions?
I was most reluctant to enter into /
he controversy and welcomed the visit
which Albert Judd, chairman of the
'ounty Committee. made to me on We'd