Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 172, 25 July 1894 — W. O. SMITH’S TACTICS. [ARTICLE]

W. O. SMITH’S TACTICS.

Tbe learne<J nttorney ger»eral lms a very pecnliar ma»ner in wiiieh to-gaĪB a point. It wOold of course be nnjust to insinaate tliat tbia trnly Tirtoons t immaeo* l«te and just gentleman should entertain principles becoming an oii8oropulou« Je8nit,but oeeaeionally, tbrougb bis own actions, doubt enter our mind. At tbe jury*term in Hamakua reconlly beld tbe great “I ara met witb several draw backs. but bc evidently bad prepared for tbem iu advauce. No juiy could be p>rocured, tbanks to Mr. H«tcb’s fooli8bness. and a number of cases bud consequently to bo seut over lbe Hilo term. Araong tbe cases whieh could be tried was one against a certain Portuguese. Mr. V. \. Asbford a|>peared in tbo case, and,iusistcd iu going on with it. The prosecution desired to postpone tbe caso. and finally tbe deputy attorney-general, G. K. Wilder, objected to tbe appearance of Mr. V. V. Asbford in conrt beuse hia Uttem of denization hnd }*en eaneelleā under the new eon*titution, and, as Mr. WTlder beld. Mr. Asbford bad no rigbt to use bis license as an attorney. Mr. Wilder stated tbat be made tbe objectiou witb a great deal of regret and reluctance, but lbat be waa instructed (o do so hy W. 0. Smith, the a((orney general of the alltged Hepnhlie. We leave to tbe members of the bar and to auy fair minded gentleman to judge of sucb procedure of Mr. W. O. Smitb. It is distinctlyunprofessional, it is intolerable and it is cowardly. It is pleasant to uote in tbis eonneeiiou tbat Jndge Austin differod frora tbe views of W. O. Smitb as propounded tbrougb bis gnardiau, and claimed tbat the court knew notbing in regnrd to Mr. Asbford’s letters of deni - zation or otber qualification to practise, bnt sitnply knew that tbe Supreme Court at a certain date bad notified bim of Mr. Asbford’s rigbt to practise as ao attomey, aud tbat such notification bad never been oountermanded or witbdrawn. Mr. Asbford was snstained. We do not care at tbis time to enter into «rguraents relating to tbe rigbts of foreigners to praclise law bere witb or withont tbe granting of special privileges. Wo bolieve that all citizens of a country with whieh Hawaii bolds l>erfect treaties, iucluding tbe raost favored natiou clanse. have a right to practise law without Ietters of denization or natural:zation or in fact tbe rigbt to enjoy all tbe privileges accorded to tbe uative subjects of Hawaii. However, it is naeleaa to enter into tbat contest at preseut. A test case will probably be made, aud an iutorpertation of our treaties given bere as well as in tbe courts of the otber contracling parties. We simply meniion tbe matter to sbow the mean spirit. and petty soul of His Excellency—beg pardon—plain Mr. W. O. 8raith, the immaeulate attorney-general of S. B. I>ole. It may be added bere tbat no objections bave been made in any otber courts against the appearauce of attomeys holding īetters of denization. Mr. Smith evideutly only uses bts weapon when cornered throogh his own negligence aud stupidity.