The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-06-08

nn.n.-'.--n,ur-r
she went into our house with us. She
talked the marriage over. stating that
after all perhaps it was for the best.
She wished us well and asked my wire
to visit her.
"As to the question of my abandon
ing my wife ON that occasion, nothing
is further from the fact. Instead of
leaving her to be abused, was trying
to find her. As for peeping out of a
hack and watching while my wife was
being abused, nothing of the kind oc.
cured.
"My conscience is absolutely clear
as to what occurred that night | be-
lieved that / did what was right and
on reflection i see no reason for think
ing now that l did anything but what
was right.'
Was offered Attorney Generalship
After stating, in answer to questions
of Mr.. Breckons, that his neighbors in
Makiki had made no complaint about
him, Mr.. Robertson stated that both
before and after his marriage he had
been offered responsible positions in the
territorial government.
"When George r. Carter was Gov
ernor, he offered me the position of
Attorney General. After Mr.. Frear be-
came Governor, he also offered me the
position" said Mr.. Robertson.
Mr.. Kinney asked Mr.. Rath if he
had any questions he might wish to
ask Mr.. Robertson.
'"No. | only wish to state that
still believe Mr.. Robertson should have
gone back that night after his wife.
If he had / would have very different
opinion of him.
Mr.. Rath further stated that he had
gone to Mr.. Breckons and made com.
plant against Robertson under the Ed
munds Act, but had withdrawn it after
he heard that Robertson had married.
"Why bring the complaint up now,
thenf' he was asked.
because / do not believe that he
is the man to appoint as judge"
was the answer.
There was much questioning of Mr..
Rath during the meeting, Mr.. Kinney
wanting to know how much moral tran
gression Mr.. Rath believed man
might be capable of and still be for
given. He also suggested that it was
not according to church teachings to re.
gard marriage as other than the great
turning point in a man s life. 81 am
surprised that this opposition should
come from the church people, he said
81 have stated that L represent no
party, church or otherwise, :" said Rath
'Yes, but there have been church
people backing up the charges. They
have come to me about them,' said
Kinney.
Mr.. Breckons asked Rath if, in con-
sideration of the fact that every one
of the men present, men who knew
Robertson well, believed his statements
and were prepared to vote their con.
fidence in him, would not he, Rath,
acknowledge that he might be mis-,
taken. "You see, we all know Mr.
Robertson so well, I" said Breckons.
eyes, but I do not know him well, 4"
answered Rath, who stated that he was
sorry he could not see eye to eye with
the Bar Association members in the
matter. He could not bring himself to
acknowledge that the example set by
Robertson was n proper one and still
thought that his appointment to a
judgeship would be harmful. He de.
clined to go into particulars as to where
he should OF could draw the line be-
tween conduct that was forgivable and
what was past forgiveness. tThis is
not question of forgiveness" he said.
"We all know that in every man IS
life there are things he would hate
most strongly to be confronted with, -
said Mr.. Kinney, summing up. In a
further discussion of the case, when
considering the resolution to be passed,
he stated: "Acting on the strength
of what we believed to be the with.
drawal of Mr.. Woodruff, we urged Mr..
Robertson to take this position, posi-,
tion he had not sought. Finally he
agreed with our wishes, only to be fore
ed into one of the most humiliatlng
positions possible to man.
The resolution, given above, the
result of number of suggestions, was
presented by Mr.. Ballou, and pas ed.