Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 265, 25 August 1891 — Discontent. [ARTICLE]

Discontent.

111. The Ph?mier t 'when he assunied office lull of promises to thej naūonal party to respuct their policy as the predominant polilieal partv. but.he has ignored his promises, neglected his office, spent his tini'e in eamal pleasures., and now finally announces that he does not care for the Hawaiians and will not give them any shqw ,for ofHee; he openly deserts the National Par- j ty and declares that he relies on the peon driver H. P. Baldwin and'the sugar nng for his Bupport. The rest of the cabinet, faithful only to themselves and their own little cliques, ignore all parties, all legislation, are devoid of any policy except that of daily dishonoring their promises, and have accompliihed Dothipg beyond drawing tftwr monthly salaries while important raatters of state go by default. With the exception of the removal of one notorieus political reprobate, and the placing in position of a few of the Queen's particular pets, there have heen none of the political changes demanded by the party: Insolence and ineomjpetence still have their sway in every department and on every island.

The Custom House and Poliee I)epartment are notoriously rotten with corrupt opium smuggling officials, but the government winks its eye and some of tlie cabinet are said to be on terms of intimacy with the well-known leaders of the opīum ring. The Tax Assessors and Collectors, who have necessarily a great intercourse with the peōple, and who ought to be chosen among aympathetic men, are without one exception creatures or /riends of the old Beform and sugar - missionarv party. Moreover, in all branches of the goveminent, the fact of belonging the National and popular party haB been a reason for being ousted of situations or for not being ap{x>int ed. Thus, not on3y the cnanges desired by the people have not been made, but young Hawaiians with family have without just eauee been wrongfully dismissed from oifice to make room for foreigners, and as the' native Hawaiian justly notices it — all new appointments are boMiy madeuntOj aliena, foreigners who do not even fcake the oath of allegiance; more | than that. the Premier haff been I heard to remark that he wouW not | give any office to a Hawaiian or half-caste as long as he remained in power, so that already several promising young Hattaiians have obliged to emigrate to try and find in foreign countries what v is refused to them in own land, and many others will follow ere long, driven to exile by thc present cause of dieeontent. In fact the cabiuet have played * the devll with the civil service and

-rendered it a reproach rather than ari honor to serve th*i government. On the land question the government has gone utterly adverse to the policy of the Xational Party; large tracts of land are repeatedly put up for sale or lease in such conditions and 3izes that they ean be obtained only by the rich planter, aiul if it is not purposely done, it looks mueh like it. Moreover, home;stead settlers and snmll farm industries are not enconraged, and no attention is given .to Diany indispensable puhlie improvements.

j Thus far it has been seen that | the causes of discontent, the seed of whieh was sown in 1887, have been fostered by the hot-bed of blunders and the ungainly attitude of the Queen and of her cabinet; now, their sliding into the arms ofthe party whieh the people, natives and foreign working-men consider as inimieal to her interests only adds fuel to the fire. But it must also be added that the attitude of -the sygar barons hae had its share of producing alarm and discontent. Struggling hard to regain their monstrous dividends, whieh have been seriously impaired by the "McKinley Bili." they threaten to attack the minor industries, and even to annihilate the rice production for their selfish benefit, and intend to displace skilled labor with trained peons, so that the dividends may be swollen by means of savings on well earned salaries; thev wotild have the country owned by a handful of rich planters—-j millionaries ready to spend t,heir j monev abroad and populated with asiatic slaves; and to that effect they are ever on the look out for grabbing government or Crown Lands, whieh the cabinet are ready to !et them have at noniinal upset prices. Thus, in every one of the moves of the planter faction, tiie rights of the natives, small farmers and mechanics are disregarded by them; and since the moment that they have been boasting of having captured the Queen's sympathies and aid by their sumptuous luaus, a fact that the Queen herself does also acknowledge, the masses are alarmed and fine new and urgent causes of discontent. IV. These are some of the principaT grievances that have given rise to the feeling of discontent so prevalent among the masses, and many others will make the subject of further elucidation. Therefore, discontent is rife in every district and it is aggravated by the fact than twice the people had been fooled by a cabinet. and made to feel that thp,ir constitutional franchise was a delusion and a fraud, and that when they asa sovereign people v sent representatives to the Legislature. with a well defined policv of government, tbe Crown and the Cabinet could succeesfully pose as imperialists and utterly ignore, the sovereign rights of the Deople, and repudiate their policy and their le|gislation. The principles of the j Natrdnal Pa'rtv whieh represented the natives and the working classes in 1890 are the same now and will be the same in 1892 with some dical additions. The constitutu n mnst. ■ bo amended to hvel the f{ancl)ise. and give the people a rwte ot liberty a»d • equality. The 'CivTl Kervlce must he puriiled nnd placcd on an honorable basis; the

working c]asses and the smaller mdustries must be agaiost the selfishness and rapacity of the sugar magnates; the present unjust system of Taxation must be rendered so far as to make every 'man really pay in proportion of what he owns; an administration ofjustice ntust be obtamed. less subject ,to sectarian spirit or partizan inAuenee. The cabinet must be selected from and represent the predominarvt party, and while we do not expect to produce a Gladstone, Bismark. Blains, we do except our minister to posses at least some degree of statemanship. busincss capacity, honor and intelligent eoneeplion of the duties of government. This can-.! not be said of the present or last j cabinet, and until these results are j obtained the feeling of discontent | will remain and grow stronger un- j til the voice of the people is heard j and obeyed. i ; So Mr. I, U. S. S. Charleston," while we and our daughiers will be pleased to see you and your gallant officers, we deny your rightofinter- j ference in any of our domestic affairs, except it be 111 the eamp of cupid. There is no need for your presence here, for thereas no inten- | tion to imitate the example of the missionary revolutioiiists of '87 with display of arms and bloody threats. But reforms the people will have in a lawful manner; and if you wisli to observe, a peaceful and dignifie<rillustrat]on of one of the grand principles of constitutipnal, popular government f eome again next JFebruary, when you willsee the native Hawaiians and the working classes marching in solemn procession to the ballot boxes in every district of the group, and depositing an overwhelming niajoritv of votes for their chosen leaders, with a determihation to secure a cabinet selected from their leader and pledged to represent them and their policy, and to administer the government in their interests: Loyal to the CroWn while it maintains its dignity r and bows to thb will o( the people; but determined to have a pf the people, for the people and by the people," even if ,the apex of such a form should require radical modification.