Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 207, 10 September 1894 — WHAT NEXT? [ARTICLE]

WHAT NEXT?

Tbe Advibthkb thig morning mekes a bid (or an increase in tbe aalaries now paid to tbe metnbers of tbe Hawaiian Lega- ' tion at Wa6hington. V\'e are not Borprise<f at this proposition Mr. Tbor«ton is in town and altboogh, aa ntated in the Advebtiskb he will nol «wk for an increase be evideotly is most willing to accept one. Let ns first look at tbe fiuancial side of tbe questioa TbeGovern ment accordiog to statementa made in tbe eooneil by the miniater of fioance is not in a position to iocor any great«r expeoses tban it now bave on its bands. Several conncillor& soggosted to pass appropriations for certain public works and improvements and tbe auswortbey receivedfrom tbe minister was tbat it was ose less to pass sucb appropriations as tbere woold be no money to meet them witb. lfworkswbich are iniportant if not necfssary to tbe couutry at large ean not be provided for, bow ean it be ox(>ecte<l tbat tbe treasory ean pay oxorbitant salaries for an object whieh rnay or may not be of nse to tbe people? And it is a great question if tbe preseut incuiubents buve beeu of any ,earthly nae. Mr. L. A. Thnrston wassentby tbe provisional government to Wasbington in January 1893 His object was to secure closer relations witb tbe Lnited States. Has he socceeded? No, tbe relations to-day betwcen tbe great iepnblic and Hawaii areof a more strained and a more unfrieudly nature ihau ever before has beeu the ca»e. Tbe abrogation of tbe r»ciprocity treaty is an eventuality whieh is apoken openly of to-day. Tbis tr©aty whieh caused tbe prosj>erity of Hawaii whieh belpod to fitl tbe cotfers of tbe Hawaiian gorerument and people and made tbe country neh is now jeopardized lt was tbe duty of Mr. L. A. Tbnrston to devoto bis «lleged diplomatic ekill, bis boasted of iuAuenee and bis great tact to save Hawaii from tbe over-banging disaster. Has be done ao?. No, be has absented bimself from Wasbingtou dnring tbe greater part of bis incumbouoy. Ho bas lowered tbe dignity of bis position by trotting aronud witb a eommon sbow aud be has devoted tbe timo for wnieh tbe taz payers pay bim to furtber bi« private interests and finslly deeerted his post altogetber to take op bis abode in Honolulu wbere he is neitber nsefni or ornamontal. And for sucb a eondnct wbicb uover would be tolerated for ono day in anv : otber country we are asked to pay Mr. L. A. Tburston raore money. Wby doee not tbe Advkbtiskh eome ont o|>enly aml advocate » pension for Mr. L. A. Thnrston? lf bis aemeea dnring tbe Stevens oonspiraoy are o( immenae velae to tbe . repnblio Iet ihem pay for it in a strsight forward menoer onee for all and not obtain monev for tbe ohjeot nnder false pretensee. Ae to tbe otber genileman wbo attends to the Hawaiian Legation few words need to be wasted. He has at least tbe merit tbat be hae ,been at his poet and accordingly visited bie office. He leceivee now a ealary o( $300 or $350 a month besidee incideutals. Anybody koowing Fraok Hastings wiil admit tbat soch an allowanee is more tban he ever hai been or «ill be able to earn. Mr. fiastings has lived in Washingtou in (ormer days as a oierk * in ihe U. S. goverument and < «Ould then get along on mueh 1 Maller «agee wfay ean he not l do it now? i We euppoae the Advebtissb wjH say something abont ihe uignity of (he poaiHon eud tbe D60OMnty oi beeping np appear- i aneo. It wp. ia t>e mUn\tsting if 1 ... fih • v '■ mii ... ‘w

. I i Iist of the aalaries p«id to the re- | presentatives in Wa»hington of i the smail power in Enrope eaeh | ' «*f whieh is greatly anperior to i Ihe Hawaiiao one horse eoneem. i| Tbere U abeoln(ely no rea«on for 1' a HawaiUn minister to eotertaio and do ihe pretty. He is tbere • for businef« and everybody leal- ! i*es the poverty of his govern- j meot snd the limited meana at : his control. To raise Mr. Hastiogs salary j as a reward for services rendered .ia absord. Tbe Advebtiseb eaonot be serioas wbeo it claimstbat tbe BUgar clause in tbe Tariff bill ! was due to Mr. Hastiogs. Heretofore tbe general belief bae been tbat tbe sugar Trust was tbe power bebind Cleveland )and bas been ronndly abnsed, accused and snspected of baving toucbed some of Havemeyer's gold lt is pleasiug to leam that it ail was doe to tbe gigantic brain Of Major Frank Hastings. The proposition to allow Tburston to suck more of tbe govemment pap tban be alre«dy has done, a proposition whieh we bave a strong suspicion emanates from ! him«elf seems to ns to be the apotheosis of impndence. ——————m i i -v