Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-10-28
WHO GOVERNS HAWAII?

court!
This is the verdict returned by a
jury that listened to the case Of a
man who stabbed one Of his fellow
countrymen on the street, came
within a shaving Of severing his VIC
Tins jugular vein. and when
brought to the police station after
committing the murderous deed de.
livered himself OF language indicat-
ing that he was proud of what he
had done.
This man brought before the bar
Of justice on the charge of assault
with a ewapon "imminently and OBJ
viously dangerous to life. with in
tent to commit murder" is. after a
long struggle with refractory
juror, found guilty.
Not only is he found guilty after
long deliberation, but In order to
secure a verdict he is recommended
to the mercy Of the court.
To the mercy Of the court!
Great God, what for?
What rightful claim has any
Juror to commend the man who
missed the fate OF an assassin by so
narrow margin to particular mer-
cy Of the court?
BY what rule of law, of justice, or
Of common decency is any man in
such a position entitled to the spe-
cial exercise OF judicial mercy?
Wherein is justice served, in what
way is the right of life. liberty and
the pursuit OF happiness to be more
perfectly guarded by commanding
such persons to the mercy Of the
court?"
Many citizens OF Honolulu. no
doubt. felt some satisfaction when
they learned that a verdict OF guilty
had finally been secured after they
had been led to believe that the
culprit in vicious street stabbing
might escape.
But the final verdict returned by
the jury is almost an insult to the
law-abiding people OF this country,
almost as completely a travesty
on justice, very nearly as powerful
an exhibition Of the daring indiffer.
ence with which certain aliens have
defied the laws OF this Territory, as
hung jury would have been.
II this is to be the record OF the
juries in this Territory, the Japan
csc authorities might have reason
to complain that they find 1t i'm
possible for Japanese residents tC
secure protection from criminals Of
fanatics of their own kind within
the Territory OF Hawaii.
American law Is common justice
and the extent to which the justice
OF the Territorial courts has beer
tempered with alleged mercy toward
the people engaged In promoting the
recent strike is more likely to Great,
the impression among the alien peo
pie involved that the courts O
America are more soft" than kind
ESCAPE Of rioters from their jus
deserts was disgrace. The recor,
of the last six months has been on
that should arouse every American
with spark of respect for his coun
try In his soul.
The record shows that not onl,
were vicious aliens deliberately set
ting at naught the laws OF tn
country in which they find a kind
domicile, but they were maxim
rules Of their own, and further tina
they have been able to escape tn
just punishment for their crimes an,
misdemeanors.
II doesn't make any differenc
whether they have made this escap
by playing on the prejudice agains
the plantation operators. II doesn
make any difference whether a vel
dict is controlled by a citizens dis
approval Of the course of the plant
ers' association-and a Juror in on
or the cases growing out OF tn
strike has stated to the editor OF tn
Bulletin that his conclusion wa
practically made on that basis - O
whether a Jurors vote was bought
the fact remains that the record @
the past six months is such as t
point to the whole system OF gov
eminent having been and now be
Ing undermined by powerful. in
sidious, alien, traitorous force.
More than one dollar-grabber
satisfied to let 1t 90 on so he is no
disturbed in his game. Perhap
some people have forgotten that
man In the public streets was al