The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-12-10
sGON6. HUMPHREYS
RECENT TOAST ON

''vhe Wesk o. Or Missionaries Ia
Hawaii"
Tho following was the recent toast
delivered by Congressman Ben 6.
Humphreys at the Brotherhood of st.
Andrews banquet given in this city.
"Kipling says:
"'East is east and west is west
And never the twain shall meet,
but In the territory Of Hawaii the
course Of human events has refused to
follow the poets p%rophesy. There east
has met west and together they are
working out the problems Of a TWEEN
tieth century civilization. Twentieth
century in all it's elements, political,
social, religious. A territory Of the
United States, and whether or not it be
destined some day to place its star upon
the nag, it is today tho brightest jewel
In Columbia's diadem. No American l
believe can yer visit those islands
without feeling an intense satisfaction
that his nag floats over them. Hon.
0lulu 10 the beauty spot OF this earth
and the gentle hospitality of it's people
is in keeping and full fellowship with
its genial climate and it's rainbow skies.
1t il IS thoroughly American in senti-
ment a. Greenwood, but there is new
ertheless q faint though unmistakable
touch Of the East, an odor Of the Orient
which ~permeates their whole social at
mosphere. No that East which lies
"'-some 'eres east Of Suez where the
best is like the worst,
And there aren't no ten command
ments, ard a man can raise a thirst
By no means that. l believe the stand
ards OF life are as high there as else
where, but the flavor Of the cherry
blossom has nevertheless followed the
kiuona and the songs Of the Kanaka
will tempt color to cheeks which might
OVU0K "100 NO 0AChICN OOA iGA ~ R0lO
cas- of thought.
This is Hawaii today; a land where
every prospect pleases and not even
man ia vile, but ( am not to talk Of that.
/ understand that l was invited here to
tell Of the work Of the missionaries as
it impressed me- in the very short
while which l spent in that territory
during the past summer.
These islands were peopled by the
Polynesian race which inhabits all the
islands Of the Pacific. They were
naked savages, though O perhaps can
nibals. Each island was a separate
Kingdom, and on the large island Of
Hawaii from which the territory takes
it's name there were several kings. In
1875 Capt. Cook discovered the islands
and , few years later Van Couver land
ed there. There was q young chief on
the island Of Hawaii who had the wis
dom to see that these strangers were Of
. civilization far beyond his own aud he
determined to make use Of it. He first
made the conquest of his own island
and brought all the petty kings there
beneath his rule. He then enlisted the
services of a few white men who had
been sailors ON some of the wandering
vessels; purchased some amor and
built ships to carry them and then
equipped an army Of invasion and set
out upon the ambitious enterprise Of
subduing the Archipelago. With his
superior equipment, and with his su-
perior genius also, for though a savage
HI was . man Of intellectual force az
we'll as physical prowess, he soon
brought all the islands under his do
miniOn and founded the monarchy
which existed down to the overthrow
OF Queen L~iliuokalani in 1892. This
king, who is to the Kanaka what Wash
ington is to US, is known in their his
tory as Kamehameha the Great, and his
name and his statues a be found in
every part Of every island.
He founded q strong government and
administered it with an iron hand for a
quarter of q century and his dynasty
held ~undisputed sway for nearly a hun-
dred years. Kamehameha vas a savage
and an idol worshipper, but Var Couver
had not only brought cattle and horses
he had told the people Of the true re-
ligion and had councilled the king
against the pernicious tabu. This was
the means whereby the most cruel tyr
annies were practiced. Acting by au-
thority Of his wooden gods a tabu would
be pronounced to suit the fancy Of the
king. II fish were tabu then no une
nave the king could eat fish for fear OF
the wrath to come. Women and men
could never eat together because of a
perpetual tabu. The family circle
would be- invaded and rights the most
sacred would be violated, all under the
authority Of tabue
"ln the oourse Of time . number Of
young natives were brought to Boston
aud educated and returned % the is
lands to toll the story Of the Cross
QNh:. ->~ tho A-A ~uO~h ~ tho Amopioa