The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-24
HOLSTEIN WRITES
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touch with the rank and file of the
party. Whatever may be said as to
the reasons, the fact is one admitted
by all. At a popular election neither
the present governor nor any of his
appointees would receive anything
approaching a majority.
"The reason for this is apparent to
all observers. Governor Frear is a
gentleman of great ability along GER
tain lines. He possesses an analyt-
ical mind, is a deep student and a
fairly good business man. Beyond
this nothing in his favor can be said
He lacks wholly the power of secur-
ing the confidence of any consider
able number of people. His secretive-
ness is a by-word in the Islands, and
his non-committal attitude on many
subjects of public interest breeds dis
content, it, indeed, not suspicion.
attribute this largely to natural dis
position, accentuated and developed
by his association and environment.
However that may be, the result is
disastrous. No matter how Jealous
he may be to act for the best interest
of the people generally, he is abso-
lutely helpless if he endeavors to get
at the real truth. He cannot under
stand the people; the people cannot
understand him. The average voter
in Hawaii breads the thought of an
interview with him, and is thankful
that it is seldom called for.
From this you can readily see why
the rank and file is dissatisfied with
the administration. Were that ALL
however, and should there be no real
complaint save that the governor is
the opposite of magnetic, is person
ally unpopular, perhaps the feeling
would not go so far as to encourage
party dislOyalty. But. either through
| studied Indifference or by affirma-
tive action, the head of the admins
| tration has placed himself in the atti-
tude of opposition to party organiza-
ton. Day after day his newspaper
organ advocates the disruption-not
the reformation, but the disruption
of all political parties in the Islands.
Committees and committeeman;
warm, earnest, honest believers in
parties; people who nave, without
motive other than party loyalty,
worked and labored for our success
year after year; all of these are
sneered at by the organ recognized as
the mouthpiece of the governor. Nat
urally this provokes more than dis
content.
| Again, perhaps without reason,
but none the less surely, the people
are suspicious. Governor Frear's
afIiliation and associations have been
always with corporations and their
officers. He is one of the trustees of
the largest railroad in the Islands.
Practically every one of his associates
is connected in some influential way
with sugar interests, which, you may
understand, means likewise railway
and steamship interests. 1t does not
follow, of course, that he is thereby
disqualified from public service. IN
fortunately, however, unlike men of
the type of Secretary of State Knox
and Attorney General Wickersham, he
seems unable to dispel the idea that
his associations color his official
actions. For instance, whether it be
true or not, the acknowledged failure
to make a success of demonstrating
lands, and the consequent necessity
of continuing the leasing of them to
plantations, is generally attributed 10
the governors affiliations. Even as |
write this letter, there is much tur-
moil in the territory over proposed
privileges to be granted in a public
wharf at Hilo Whatever may be the
outcome of the discussion, belief in