Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 196, 19 May 1891 — WILCOX AND SPENCER. [ARTICLE]

WILCOX AND SPENCER.

: Minister Spencer with the advice I and consent of Oummina fairly and unequivocally promised tc give Robert Wilcax. the engiaeermg work of the new pali road. This is in no sense an office, but only ordinary skilled labor at so mueh per day. Wilcox is undoubtedly a competent engineer. He stood high in the mathematical department of the Italian government military school where he receiyed his educati®n, and where the instruction is known to be most thor- | ough and the requirements of the highest order. But because he was the leader of the p«iiticai ifapyement whieh placed Mr. Spencer in the position he orcupies smd wob coneequently odious to the deī»atēd party, Mr. Spencer began to henitate and temporize when inAlienlial partie« »aid that tHey tohave the reTolutionist employed on pahlie wāyk; of womameh vaciU&tion, dtiring whieh all public w#rk has been in Buspense and the peepW" dispaired of seeing anything done dn the pali road, Spencer broke his premise to Wilcex and gave the job to Mr. Myers. It appears Mr. Myers though prejudiced against native workmen had sense of honor and self-respect enough to resign accdunt of certam remarks ©n the subject published in this paper. t We have had occasion to say some very severe things Mr. Spencer, all of whieh he had fully merited; but uow he hae an opportunity t»in a meas»re redetjm his reputatien and gain the eomnendation of Ka Leo whioh will not bo withheld for anv henest effb'rt to dojustice. His plain duty is to give the work to a competent Hawaiian who is a favorite of the peop!« and who their confidenoe It is true that Wilcox made an ill adviced and unfortunate move in

ISS9. Kut iiM'iui in; lor prōvoca* tion anci'.,pcr.siiasij;)n. tliat tnakc the fau!t wholly othur peoples. No one who has not tried it knows how hard it is to be out of and day after day look for ajob. To carry onē's self around lika a pieee of merbhandise for sale, and to be examined, criticised, rej«cted liko an inanimate object by ignoranl, haughty, insolent upstarts, shop-keepers and agents t is an expcrience to make a proud, sensitive man bitter and desperate. Walking the dusty streets with worn owt clothes and empty stomach, and over fanciful scrolled iron fences, into handsome grounds, close-cut velvet lawits, flowefrs y majestic trees, stately mansions, elaborately ornamented, all the adjuncts of bountiful wealth #and idle luxurv; these things make anarchists, socialists and revolutiohists the world over. It is true that he was offered a position as eountry schcol teacher at $25 a moiith, but that rejected what was leu? Every plaee and evefy positioii werefull bf someone's: 1 avoriteB. At last he fell into the hands of some g'reat people in Hawaii, whō thougbt they niight use him, to wit; our lamented King, oiir present gracious Qūeen and her now MarBhal of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Between them. to use recent English, he fell into the soup. Thc King eivcouraged him because he hoped to re-establish the old coristitution and the anc'ent kingly prerogatives: The Queen urged him on and assisted in the conspiracy heeauee she was ambitious and impatient to be Queen of Plawaii. At the last moment these two royal personages because suspicious of eachother's cross-purposes, prompted by natural cowardice, withdrew from the enterprise after it was too late for the unfortunate leader to reti jat, and Wilson to save himselve betrayed the whole party with whoin he had conspired. Now Liliuokalani sits serenely on the throue and favorite Wilion 18 Marshal of the Kingdom and custodian of the public peaee. While Wilcox is still ignored and contumelidu6ly igp6red notwith* Btanding the fact trhat his action was ina way approved bv the people iiL the last election, who elected enough legislavōra to oust tbe old ministry. New, the whole question is this nnd we appeal to ihe inßuential buflineBß men •£ the co«ntry and to any honefst massionary ifbf aecident tb!fe ihooM reach one, if it were not better to give thiB young man a ehanee to i*ake an honest living and become a useful member of Bociety. The cour»e of the Queen and ministry m pmaricating and deceiving with false proaiises and false hope the persistent boycotting by the business men,areenough todrive any ene to desparation. We learo with regret th«t another rifle as--B©ciation is forming with no very ebvious good purpose. The devil still finds something f#r idle hands to do. We think it would be wiser, more ehfiatian and more profitable to give Wilcox the pali road where he would have aehanee to show his ability in a u«eful way, and give hiqa pt&er empl«yment,. than forning rifie associ&tiohn. Any other eounie 'would k only show a vinctive. spite detertoTfted on wreck and ruin r&ther than due rega:d of what iVright andjust Now» christian frjk»uus, what jou going to do &bput it.