The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-05-31

POLITICAL row
Republican Party in Hilo Dis
trict Now Said to Be
Badly Split.

HlLo, May 90. 49, The Herald saws:
Republican politics on this island. and
particularly in North aud South Hilo,
have at present as little semblance Of
organization as could possibly be inn
agined. In the first place, the fact tina.
campaign manager has been elected
gave good deal Of confidence to the
leaders on both sides, it being felc that
Carl Smith had strong enough per.
sonality and sufficient political sagacitv
90 control the situation. Unfortunately.
ever since his being chosen to this posi.
ton he has been in attendance on JUDGE
Matthewman IS court in Kailua. and has
been too busy TO do much in politics on
this side of the island.
me result of this has been that the
Ielns of control, which had not vet been
hrmly grasped by the campaign man
ager, slipped out of his hand, and two
OF the local leaders have promptly start
ed again an old fight in a way which il
even more bitter than usual and threat
ems TO invade the harmony of the entire
campaign. The recent break was made
by stephen Desha in Honolulu, when he
announced that he was a candidate for
the house, but that if Jim Lewis should
get the nomination foI supervisor he
would fight him, party or no party.
Naturally such an announcement on
the part of Desha was Of interest to
Lewis. He and his friends have been
so much interested, in fact, that thev
have been heard to mention Desha Is
name number of times, and not always
in the most complimentary manner. Up
to the time that Desha made his break
in Honolulu, Lewis was not particularly
anxious for the nomination for super
visor. In fact, he would not have been
a candidate in all probability, but now
things have changed.
The question which the Lewis parti-
sans are talking over, according to their
statements, is whether to beat Desha
before or after the convention. They
state that they can do either, but that
it is simply a question of which will
hurt most, and when the one is decided
on with the biggest sting in it that will
be the plan of campaign. They say that
they have the forces to put either plan
through, but don't want to talk too
much as yet.
The fight is one which virtually runs
back to the election of two years ago
and to which great amount of fuel
was added during the recent visit of
National Committeeman Holstein. The
latter gave out an interview for pub
LEGATION which was strongly against the
Lewis-Lyman faction and which was
considered as very ill-timed by many
Republicans. He did this, it is under
stood, through the remembrance that
Lewis and his friends failed to give
the full support of their votes and in
fiuence to Kuhio two years ago, evil
IDENTIFY thinking that by using whip
early in the game he could bring the
blacksliders into line. Instead of hav-
ing had this effect the two factions are
at still more open war than ever before
and Kuhio seems to be the one who
will suffer. In the meantime the DEM
ocrats and Home Rulers are watching
with broad grins the fighting in the
Republican camp, which seems to make
the way clear for their success.
Two other places where the effect
VIII be seen are in the elections of the
county sheriff and county attorney. In
the first named office, Pua is by no
means as strong as he was two years
ago, while Keolanui has grown in
strength, as candidate who has been
remaining quiet for two years is bound
to. The dissension in the Republican
ranks will aid the Home Ruler, with
out question. The Democrats look for
good things in the county attorney
fight. 1t seems quite certain that the
incumbent, w. H. Beers, will
be the Republican candidate. The
present deputy, W. H. Heen, is slated
for the Home Rule nomination. With
the fight among the Republicans-and
the split which Heen and Beers will
make in the Hawaiian vote, it looks
as though the Democrats, if they chose
strong man, would have a good
chance to win out.
The only salvation for the Repub-.
lican party which can be seen at pres
ent in North and South Hilo at least,
Is for some one to force a withdrawal
of the names of both Lewis and Desha.
This move might bring about peace,
but as long as both are in the field for
Office there is little chance of harmony.