The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-09-17
WOMEN WHO LEAD THE WAY
Mrs. Lydia Dominis-"Queen Lii" of
the Sandwich Islands.
(By Marie Dille.)

Although nearly a quarter of a cen
fury has passed since Liliuokalani en-
loyed her hreif reign as Queen of the
Sandwich Islands, she steadfastly re-
fuses to relinquiSh her royal title. On
her humble $4,000 a year little Queen
Lii still continues to live in semi
regal manner and royalists often
visit at her abode.
The stout and duSky queen of the
tiny mid-Pacihc monarchy has been
the butt OF cartoOniSts and writer's, but
her life has played an important part
IN the history of Hawaii and of Amer
lca. While of late years she has
grown more passive in the defense of
her regal pose she has never abandon
ed it, and her early struggles have
been written in the history of the
United States.
During the Administrations of
Cleveland and Mckinley, Queen Liz
spent almost as much time in America
as in her own country and She became
a familiar figure at Washington. She
persistently besieged the Presidents
with protests against what she termed
the THEFT, by Americans, Of her peo-
pies independence
Liliuokalani experienced her brief
sovereignty in 1891 when she sue
ceeded her brother to the throne. She
had scarcely declared herself queen
when she became the center of a revo-
luton. She at once tried to make
new constitution for her country,
which the foreign element of the
country declared meant an effort to
establish a monarchy. The queen de-
clared that her petition was backed
by the majority of her subjects, and
that she was being conspired against
by an unfriendly foreign population
that was endeavoring to regain con-
troll Of affairs.
Whatever the truth of the situation
may have been there was a general
revolt. Men from the United States
steamship Boston arrived to protect
the property of Americans. A treaty
for annexation was negotiated, but
was withdrawn by President Cleve-
land and republic grew up in Haw-
waii. Queen Liz was accused of
treason and held prisoner for nine
months in the palace where she had
reigned, She signed a formal abb
diction of the throne in 1895.
From the time she relinquished her
claim to the throne Liliuokailani be-
sieged Washington with notes and
petitions. For IS years she kept up this
protest until those who recognized in
the deposed queen woman of super
ior intellect were forced to smile at
the futility of her efforts. At last she
recognized the disappearance of her
dream of once more becoming queen
of the Sandwich Islands. She then
pleaded for the 100000 acres of land
that had been taken over by the gov
eminent, and which she declared were
in reality private property. She was
refused and at length she quietly
withdrew to Honolulu leaving her
stormy career behind her.
Her home has become the resort of
nobility who still continue to call her
Queen Liliuokalani To Americans she
is Mrs. Lydia Dominis or Queen
Lii" Since Withdrawing from politi-
cal life she has again proved her abb
lily in grasping the true significance
of international relationships, in the
publication of book telling the story
of Hawaii. She has composed hun
dreds Of songs for her own people.
Many of them have become popular
in America
Queen Liz was born in 1898 near
the volcanic crater called the Punch
Bowl" She is the descendant of a
long line of chiefs, who controlled
the Sandwich Islands for centuries. In
infancy she was given to the chieftan
of another tribe This custom was OBJ
served to insure friendliness among
different tribes. She was educated in
a royal missionary school and here
she met and fell in love with John
Dominis, the son of an American sea
captain. They were later married.
Her brother, Kalakaua, became king
in 1874 and named her heir apparent.
She Immediately assumed her royal
position, touring the island and an
nouncing herself to her people. She
twice became regent during the alb
scene of the king and was recognized
by Queen Victoria, who kissed and
embraced her.
Her brother died suddenly in San
Francisco in 1891, and it was then
that Queen Lii" began her vivid
career