The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-11-04
WHY ARE WE
. CALLED RIFFRAFF 7.
Question Asked by Portuguese
and Democratic Meeting Is
Thrown Into Confusion.

How the Democrats did squirm at
their Punchbowl meeting last night in
attempting to square their party with
voters who wanted to know why their
own people had been designated as
''riffrH''l
At no time during the present cam
paign have speakers been so searching
ly gilled That the Portuguese voters
are highly inconsed was very evident
aud excitement was at high tide when
+. c, Benevedes was on tho stand trying
to quell the indignation of tho voters
who insisted on knowing why they and
their people should be cassed as hood
lums.
4 He had commenced his speech with
an attack on Kuhio's attitude on the
land question. He did not get very
far before he met with opposition. A
voter came frankly to the front and
stated that the speaker was entirely
wrong, that Kuhio meant to do what
was right and that the Portuguese on
Pmchbowl would get the fairest of
treatment.
This had depressing influence on
the speaker, but he became excited and
entered into war of words which left
him rather weakened in voice for the
encounter still to come. Copius and
frequent draughts from tin bucket
were necessary before he caught up the
thread of his remarks. And in tho
Of ha
question from voter right in front
OF the stand:
"Why are the Portuguese called
riffrafff"
If the big guns had commenced q
fusillade at the Diamond Head fortified
tions, the Democrats could not have
been more astonished. Entirely at vari-
ance with The go.to.sleep programs of
the usual Democratic meetings camo
this awful question. That anyone should
dare to make them face an issue square
ly was entirely unlocked for
SO disconnected was the Democratic
campaigner that the qnestioDer, waiting
patiently, standing his ground firmly,
had to repeat his question. In loud,
clear voice he again asked;
why are the Portuguese. called
riffraff9"
The situation was dramatic. The
meeting was hushed to silence, everyone
waiting for the answer. But did it
comet Not much
In roundabout way, weaving q
denial with painful endeavors, the aw-
full question was handled gingerly by
the speaker who was almost too fluster.
ed to put into words his agitated
thought on the subject so inopportune-
ly thrust upon him.
Finally he did convey an impression
that he knew of no such statement hay
ing been made by his party directly
against the Portuguese race, but
"That's not satisfactory by any
MEANS" retorted his questioner, "and
you haven't answered my question.
Tell me, why should the Portuguese inn
migrants from Europe be called riff
raff9''
Again the disconnected speaker sought
to placate and smoothe down the rufhed
crowd, making denial of any personal
knowledge of such insulting reference
to the Portuguese race.
But by no means was the denial sat
isfyIng to the man who wanted to
know. He said so, too. Still insisting
that "That'is not satisfactory" he
left the meeting in disgust
After this intense excitement there
was not much chance to he heard when
w. s. Edings took the stand. About
the only ones who heard what he was
saying were the singers who sat direct
ly in front of the stand. The meeting
was still in n turmoil, so Edings wisely
cut his remarks short, indicating that
he would give way to the imported
cheap Jack, the soapbox megaphone,
whose voice was enough TO quiet any
assemblage.
Barron had boy to hold a big torch
aside of him on the stand as he spoke
and once the boy got the light 80 close
to the speakers face that it almost
scorched his features. He, thereupon,
gracefully removed the boy to n safe
distance from his presence and renewed
his vigorous attack on everything that
he could think of as being sufficiently
hard for the opposition party to bear.
From the ridiculous to the more ridi-
culOus were his arguments in behalf of
the Democratic ticket. AS for instance
his advice TO the young ladies in the
audience "never to kiss any Republican
young fellows"
He seemed to be considerably peeved
because of the presence of Stephen
Desha in the present campaign. In sar.
castle tones he remarked this and thai
of 'Reyerend Father Desha," giving
the impression that Desha. was looked
upon by him as quite formidable OBJ
ponont on the "soapbox."
NJ, G. Pacheco and II. III. II. WOlter
made their usual addresses, the latter
disclniming any particular credit being
due to anyone locally for the big ap-
preparations made by the United States
government for the Notifications in Ha.
wall. lie said that If England, France
or Germany owned these Islands they
would do practically as much for the
Islands, and no one man should have
the cf dit for doing that which the
government would do anyway. He sug.
gested, however, that McCandless would
be just the right man to send to con
gress.
lester Petrie admitted that the cam.
paign was not 50 roseate as some
might suppose, "You may not realize
how hard the fight Is before u.s." he
con6dod The voters were asked TO vote
the Democratic ticket aRd they would
"make good