Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-03-18

the world a weil-nigh lifeless babe, he
was destined to achieve for his peo-
pie more than all the monarchs OF
Hawaii. -. ....... .#-... ..
Thus he was permitted by the
sanction of his brother, the king, to
sit down in his Kona home and to eat
with his mother, thus doing forbid
den thing; and by that act though he
was mere child, he dealt the. death
blow TO the tabu system that was al
ready tottering under the weight of its
cruel expressions. = ..~...-
Accustomed TO dissolute associa-
tions, and apparently hopelessly
entangled with reactionaries. he sur
prised the whole nation when, at the
carly age of 20, In assuming full SOW
ereignty. he placed himself squarely
before his people on the side of right
eoEsness by the choice of the Chris
tian princess, Kinau, as his premier
King John of England granted
Magma Charta to his rebelIious bar
tons under the stress OF armed con-
straint. But Kauikeaouli, when only
% years OF age, without constraint
and of his own free will. proclaimed
a bill of rights such as nc. other SOW
ereign probably has ever accorded his
people voluntarily That bill of
rights emancipated the common peo-
pie from serfGom, and conferred on
them the privilege of owning their
own lands, and of enjoying unhinder-
ed the labor of their hands.
at does not detract anything from
IL, Il - Of hr-ab
Lincoln to recall that however much
he desired the emancipation of the
negro, he was not able 10 effect it
until political and military necessity
compelled It. Kauikeaouli emanci-
pated his people from their irksome
bondage not through compulsion, or
the force of circumstances, but by
reason CT his own generous regard for
the happiness of his people.
Later on he made the enlancipa-
tion Of his people effective by setting
apart one-third of the land so that
every Hawaiian might become land
owner. This was known as the great
mahele, and this act of Kauikeaouli's
Will always stand out in the history
.of Hawaii as the noblest effort of a
generous monarch TO promote the
progress and prosperity of his people.
Gave People Constitution.
"Most nations have arrived at con-
sstitutional government through the
grudging concessions of rulers ana
the slow processes of agitation and
civil conflict. But Kauikeaouli con-
ferred constitutional government on
\ h., a1i1 ~
what he had undertaken in their be-
half And so he gave them first the
constitution of 1910. and finally the
ampler constitution Of 1852. admitting
the common people to a share in the
enactment and execution Of laws for
the common good
Fer % years Kauikeaouli was the
Of his peoDle. And he was such in
the face of great crises and changes
in the national history. Two great
epidemics decline ted his people. Re-
peatedIy the independence CT Hawaii
was menaced by the unjust encroach-
ment Of foreign nations. The great
awakening created conditions that ne
cessitated schools. and courts, and land
commissions. ana systems of taxa
ton. and all the paEaphernalia Of a
civilized community. The doctrine of
religious liberation had to be estab-
lished. Protection for his people from
the ravages of strong drink. was a
commanding issue. So was the neces-
sity Of shielding his people from the
1nstful assaults incidental to the pres
ence here of as many as 500 whaling
vessels in single year.
Ambition to Serve People.
He was a wise ruler. who kept