Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 284, 15 August 1893 — Untitled [ARTICLE]

We are not in the habit of discus»»ing aoy c.»9e whieh is sub judice «nd we have as a rule always objecte<1 to that practice of the Honolulu papers. but when the gr»vernment tbrough 5ts Attorny-Gen-eral choses u* appear in the mle of a persecutor rtther than a pn>secator. we have to iguore our ordinnry rule, and openly and publiciy denounce the aelion now t A>cen ag iir si Mr. >Ienry F. P<x*r. Mr. P<*or *vas charged with • ujbezzlementofgovernmeot money while 8uperi.ilendentofthe Postal Savings Bsnk and aft**r a long and tedious delay. hewas finally acquitedby the i most intellig nt jury whieh h.;s ever s**rved wilhin our memory. The chargcs made ngainst him were pr*Terred und'*r five different indictment-», t> it all covered the sime sul>ject aml it wouId have been expected that the government ut*on the acqnittal on tiie first charge woukl have dropped the others and rt-le*ised Mr. P**or from further responsibility. But not so Mr. W. O. Smith our learned Attoray General. Although be must be aware t iat by the f.il!ing through uf the first charge Mr. Posr stnnds exonen»ted <<f all criiuinal iotent or respoiisibility, he j*ersist in co::tinuing wbat now api*ears as an open perseculioa of a polilieil «pponenl. Mr. \V. O. Sm;th —the learned Attorney-Gen- ! era!—;s n t maeh of a :arry -r ur jurist—..oU»dy ever accused him of being lhat —but he migl:t have real»zed tj»at he by his unwarrauUhie aeiion against Mr. Poor places htmse.f and his col!eagues m the g tvernment m a mu«t unenviable light before this comrounity and ihe c>uutry at large. The eomplaiaing witnesses iu the case again8t Mr. Poor have been reimbursed wilh the full am<<uut for whieh they *uade a elaim. We do not pr<*pose t*i look into ihe just;ce of the step laken hy the last l-egisla-ture, but we cannot help reminding Mr. W.O. Smith of the fact that he f*u*nt that elaim of Lhe Ashfords as bitlerlv as it ever was within the nature of the “oily” member from Koloa aud Lihue to do al that time clairoing tbat the Askfords were to blame aod Mr. Poor was beiog persecuted. What a ch*nge

cv»me over tbe ?pint of hi? dreim?! A inry of this ouutry has now acq’iitted Mr. Pi“'r. A jury whieh Mr Smit’n nin?t admit wjaan unu?*i*lly int*-i' g-*nt, h »ne?t and c»nfi ienee-ii spirii>g b dy »*f uien have dtc!:ired tb-it they do not find Mr. P.»**r g’iilty of any crime aud \ve r.*»v a?k why ?hou!d sil f >rrner pructice i:i ur coi*rts be chang?d and Mr. P.*»r br>ugiit up f»nr tīmes mre on f*nr chir2;-s wh>ch virtu-«11 y liive heen deoided on and in h.s f»v >r by .« j iry? H Mr. Poor hid been f *und gui!ly nn »he first ch*rge w » ild the leamed Att'rney C»ener «1 h«ve preferred tiie uther f >ur eh *rg* s? We unhesititing!y - .y, N<>! Mr po**r wouid have b *•:» sentenced nnd the ch;irges drop}*ed. And s * has alwuys heen the cust'm in this and in any otlier c*untry. but Mr Smith is deviating fr<*ni this r»!e, we auppoae partly, b. j csuse Mr. Poor is an Hawaiian and particulariy on aeeounl of b s polilieal 8tanding and viewg. Tue brief aiithority with whieh Mr. Smith at this raoment is clothed o;tnn<*t enahle him to inake new rules and lay down new principles f*r the g iidanee of the e >ming adrainistrations, and Mr S’iiith will find that his latest altempt nt ainng his briel authority wi!l be os futi!e as have been any other of liis eff.*rts in all and every direction since Mr. Stevens nommaleU liimf*rthe Altorney-Gener.ilship. NV e hesitate to bel eve th it the pers cution of Mr. Poor is due t>* the Ashf<*rds. because we remember that while t’ne head of Ihallinn "as \ttorneyG«ueral. he carefuliy f.*llowed the rule to push no prosecution f<*r cmbezzlemei<t whenever theamount alleged to have heen embezzled was raade up. and by so d<»mg iie simply f»llowed the pneliee laid duwn by f*rmer administratioQ9. Mr. iV)r will now have the prospects of being pn*secuted or persec.ited f<r the hilanee of this time f nol f*r one or f.vo n»ore terius. because an acquittal on the second rharge ag,iinsl hiio will if Mr. W. O. the Ieurned AttorneyGeneral is con9:stent, bring up c.iarge No. 3, 4, aiul 5, and we hardly think, that the time will be suflicient to seltle a11 the c«809 at this tenn. In the meanUme a young man fairiv acquitted by a fair and honest jury is put to a great deal of aon *yauce, worrv and cxpeuse. sirapiy, bvciuse he nap[*ens to differ in j*olitical views from Mr. S:nith and his coileigues. Yes. simply because he has found himself unahle to stifle his love for thecountry whieh give him birth, and wiiere he has !ived and worked from ehil )h<H>d to manhood. The infinita lillleneaa of Mr. Smith aud his c*lleigues has been agvin emphasized, and while we sympathiz j with Mr. P<>or, we ean assiire him lhat the causeof the pr<*visional government b:i9 not g.«ined by its cruel, unealied f *r,aud dispicab.e persecution of bim.