Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 266, 26 August 1891 — Page 4

KA LEO O KA LAHUI.

"E Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono."

 

 

KA LEO.

 

John E. Bush.

 

Luna Hooponopono a me Puuku.

 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1891.

 

(Written for KA LEO).

 

HEREDITY RIGHT.

 

            Modern statesmanship as practised by civilized nations, consists chiefly in passing on the responsibility. The aim of every government is to get through as best it can and bequeath all its difficulties to the government that comes after it, and the object of every generation of humanity is to dodge immediate calamity, and to pass the cataclysm on to the generation which is to follow. Politics in general is simply the science of not caring a straw for posterity, and the world has practiced this art so long that posterity as a rule has had a bad time of it.

            Everything that is movable or negotiable has been traded off at some time or other in the world's history, with a joyous disregard for the fact that the people who are to come have had no voice in the disposal of their birth-right, and but for the fact that the planet itself is, in a great measure a fixture, it would most likely have been sold out of its orbit, and the men of future ages would have been left with no solid resting place or permanent habitation.

           

            As it is, the landlord owns the earth, and reluctantly allows the rest of humanity to walk on it because there is no other place to put them. Their presence is unmistakable objectionable and leads to the undue wear and tear of a sphere which is private property, and if they could be thrown into the upper air and prevented from coming down again the advantages would be manifest. When@the statesmen of past sold or gave away the earth, they were doubtless aware that posterity would want some solid substance to sit down upon, but, as usual they passed on the responsibility. The purchasers of the planet being unable to lift their property and carry it away with them, and deposit it in a safe place, their position never became absolutely secure; but they and their descendants camped on top of their goods ever since, and warned off the rest of humanity.

 

            These latter are of course intruders with no legal right or license to be there at all, for the world was practically all sold before they came, and no man has any business on a globe which belongs to some one else; but, as they cannot be got rid of, the landlord puts up with their presence and charges them standing room. The arrangement is an eminently cumbersome one, but the man who invented it -- whoever he might be--passed it on as a temporary expedient, and it has been passed on persistently ever since.

 

            The ingenious speculator who first sold the earth and the daring financier who first brought it, are both dead, but their evil deeds live after them. They were mere temporary animals--two common place constructions of dust, with no more claim to immortality than the rest of their kind, but because they were allowed for a brief space to crawl upon the surface of this planet they conceived the brilliant idea of claiming it to all eternity, and trading off the rights of all succeeding generations. Their title was precisely the same as that of the fly which because it was allowed to walk for a minute, on the bald head of an emperor, assumes the sight to sell that potentate and all his descendants to another insect of its own rave.

 

            But somehow the human family failed to realise the absurdity of transient man trading off the infinite. It allows itself to read "keep off my land," and to be fined and imprisoned and assessed in damages for standing on its own earth, because some nameless heap of dust which was buried centuries ago left behind it a document declaring that it should be so to the end of the time. It grovels to the dead monopolist as well as to the one who is in the flesh, and it seems incapable of realising that the earth belongs only to its living inhabitants, and that the dead proprietor has no more claim upon it, and no more voice in its disposal than the ass that was buried yesterday. The human race is merely a tenant for life. Its control over the earth ends in the grave, and the deceased landlord, whatever authority he was allowed to claim during his life, can leave none behind him, for being dead he owns nothing, and owning nothing he can transmit nothing.

 

            But by the insane principle of hereditary right, the man who has fooled away his own claim to the free use of the planet which is the common property of all its inhabitants, is also allowed to fool away the claim of his descendants, and the man who has usurped the earth is allowed not only to enjoy the fruits of his own brigandage, but to perpetuate the injustice to his posterity. The dust of the dead landholder and the dead cow are undistinguishable, but the one pile of ashes is nothing, while the other is permitted even in its grave to steal the common heritage of humanity through the succeeding ages.

            When the world had one accepted the principles that man could put futurity up to auction, and could lawfully buy and sell and barter and mortgage not only his own right to live on GOD'S earth but that of all his posterity, it was soon found that the principle was capable of indefinite expansion. The grand axion on which our national credit is based is, that it is honorable and lawful for an insane generation to have a high old time utterly regardless of consequences, and leave its successor to pay the Bill. England fooled away some $3,500,000,000 in the attempt to crush the new-found liberties of France, and though 80 years have passed since then it is paying the bill yet and will be probably paying it in the last days of the British empire. According to the drivel of "hereditary right" the honor of the nation is pledged to the liquidation of that stupendous invoice for old-time bigotry, and on this principle every government, as well s every individual, is allowed to hand down the consequences of its own unfathomable greed and folly to all time.

 

A Good Reason.

 

            There is a reason that governs the action of individuals as well as of States. A case in point was the action of the United States towards us. She has by certain acts, for which she had good reasons, done away with favors she gave Hawaii. For many reasons we doubt whether she will ever restore them. She never will give those favors to be misapplied as they have been heretofore, for the benefit of a few ingrates, and insolent sugar planters--some of whom were foreign firms like T. H. Davies & Co., and individuals like Mr. Isenberg, and Mr. Davies,--men who were receiving a princely fortune from the people of the United States, and at the same time, were doing all they could to divert the reciprocal trade that should have existed between the two countries. If any one will reason and use a little common sense, they can readily understand at a glance that Uncle Sam has had many good and sufficient reasons for withdrawing the bonus given Hawaii. To think of a number of mendicants asking alms with one hand, and with the other trying to injure the friendly hand that serves them, is something that is purely the offspring of sudden wealth heaped upon a week and gluttonous mind.

            The people of the United States have watched to see what use would be made of her goodness to her little protege, and being satisfied, after a time, that the whole affair was a farce, and that those she were really and directly benefitting, were actually laughing in their sleeves for what she was generously doing for the good of the country, and for the purpose of maintaining the country independent. had no good reason for acting as a provider for a lot of commercial missionaries and European dry oods peddlars.

 

"DOCTOR" HAMMOND.

 

            About two months ago a gentleman named Hammond with the prefix of "Dr." alighted on these shores, whose mission was heralded as that of an Evangelist. We have listened to the broad west of Ireland brogue of the "Dr." on Hotel Street, as he urged his audience of three men and a boy, to flee from the wrath to come.

            The "Dr." has a penchant for posing as a converted Roman Catholic and says he studied for the priesthood at Maynooth College Ireland. W don't know for the moment whether to congratulate the "Dr." or the unversity from which he claims to have divorced himself. It is said that the "Dr." has brought $7,000 worth of land at Palama on which to erect houses to rent or sell on time, and that the "sack" is still capable of raking in lots more. We hope so, as enterprising men with shekels are in demand just now, and we don't care whether they are ex-Romans or Greeks from Connamarra provided they have less than the average Irish landlords thirst for big interest.

            The "Dr's." frequent references to that "mother of harlots" from which he escaped, prompts the suggestion that if indeed nature and his new found grace, had designed him for a Landlord or a hoarder of shekels, he did well to quit Maynooth where every clerical student has to take a vow of poverty.

            By the way, does the degree of "Doctor" which Mr. Hammond assumes relate to medicine or theology and if so where did he get them. There is only one source in his native land through which either could be conferred; the University of Ireland.

 

IN DEATH'S DOMAIN.

 

(Concluded.)

            The Board of Health has been controlled by missionaries and local practitioners, and its action in regard to the treatment of lepers and leprosy have been determined by a variety of considerations, among which the welfare of the patient or the advancement of science have but rarely figured. There is much interesting matter to be found in the old reports of the Board, nevertheless. It only requires a little knowledge of Hawaiian political methods to read between the lines of these stiff and dessicated transactions of the history of many a job and many a quarrel wherein doctors disagreed, and outlines of tragedies awful and heartrending.

            Several times the Legislature has appropriated money to secure the services of a specialist to study and treat the disease; but in every instance the attempt has been frustrated by the Board. Dr. Arning was brought here, and set about the study of the matter in the most scientific and fearless way, doing work that no man could be hired to do who was not inspired with true devotion to the cause of science. He made a most valuable interesting report to the Legislature. The Board demanded the transfer to them of his specimens and apparatus, and to give a more complete account of his experiments. On his refusal to comply with their request he was dismissed and his work left unfinished to this day. Dr. Lutz was later called for the same purpose. How he was hampered and harassed and finally forced to resign is still fresh in the minds of the people.

            We are not likely to have a government expert that can harmonize with the Board till some missionary son takes a course of lectures and comes home to draw his salary, and render reports that it is a visitation of Providence mentioned in the Bible; that the lepers have so many churches and schools; that they are a great expense to the government; (missionaries' "salaries,") that they are well provided for, cheerful and contented; together with other complaisant und antique falsehoods. Such is the missionary manner of treating the matter.

 

            That an old obese Hawaiian gentleman went to a very noble lady, @ately retired from society, asking money and influence to start a che fa bank, saying he knew of several banks run under noble patronage. one of which had gathered in $11,000 net from her Majesty's poor subjects, in three months time. That the lady, thank God, was honest and sufficiently meek not to be lured by the glittering offer; told the man to get himself away. That he hied to another lady. who was receiving a larger income, and very naturally accepted the offer. The old man drives to his bank and home with two sacks full of small change, which no doubt has largely reduced the drippings into the missionary box for the maintenance of Paul among the heathens.

 

            That on account of the extensive scenery to fully represent the several exploits of "Barefooted Bill," the entertainment promised for last Monday eve. at the International Hall, has been put off until Monday next.

 

ON DIT.

 

            That the government broom, which was handled with a grand flourish, at the inception of her Majesty's reign, has grown old and threadbare, and is beginning to leave signs of filth and corruption behind, that shows a "gangrenous" spot worse than ever was known to exist before in the administration of this country.

 

That there are no less than fourteen lotteries or gambling banks now conducted by Chinese and Hawaiians, under the cover and patronage of those whose station among the people should be to discourage than to encourage vice. Oh, filthy @, thou seemest to find devotees to thy shrine among the highest in the land.

 

            That the only person who seemed to be at leisure to smile and doff the chapeau to the Queen as she swept by in the state chariot, was the Post Master General: and that this recognition was as refreshing to her Majesty as an oasis is to a thirsty traveler in the desert, there cannot be the least doubt. It was refreshing to us to behold from another corner, the smirk, which was an ovation in itself.

 

            That the hyphen-ated little Yankee professor was imported into the country and Cabinet, that he might extract the fangs of the political opposition. That he has not yet found the Opposition in a sufficient state of coma to allow him to adjust his forceps. That he may as well discard the contract as@it will require a bigger and a stronger "Yank," than our hyphen-ated friend, to carry off our political incisors.

 

            That the overgrown and overfed boy who wears the title and draws the salary of Minister of Foreign Affairs, indulged in some voluble profanity of late when interviewed on matters political by a fellow countryman. That the profanity was inspired by his reading of KA LEO, and was levelled against our supposed contributors. That we and our contributors. That we and our contributors were sufficiently worldly not to be frightened by profanity, when couched in his alleged Excellency's bad English. That the Minister must not excite our derision, or we may revive a phase of the past, and refer to him as the Fat Boy of the Foreign Office.

 

            That a Hawaiian this time, eased a Celestial of 3,000 shekels to permit him to go on his way rejoicing: that no sooner was Mr. John unloading the boodle when curly Boby put in a claim as agent for a firm of pearl monopolists, who suspected from the odor about the boodle that it is beohe le mer, on which the firm had placed an embargo. That the result was another 3,000 shekels. The sugar barons are not the only ones that are benefitted by John. @iter all.

 

            That somebody is having a monopoly of the hellish business of opium, pakapio and che @a; that the business is under a trust, which takes in Hawaiian ladies among the shareholders. '@ Hawaiian people are only now learning that it is wise and quite the proper thing as a missionary to have plenty of money in order to be respected here and in the world to come and that the Master's only mistake for which the world refused to accept him was his poverty. So the New England Bible peddlars have always kept their weather eye peeled and kept the Hawaiian disciple in darkness as regarded the one error which they felt the Lord had made until the pupil was properly peeled: now the disciple has discovered his error and is trying to imitate his teacher in some of his peculiar ways to become respectable-thus the master has to tolerate a little filthy work among whom they have labored so assiduously to elevate and to start in life as they did by peeling other. The pupil has got started and there is no knowing how well he may do under the spirit of tolerance allowed him. The race will be permitted for a while to be riotous but never anything that reflects on the sanctity of his teacher for that is--@!

 

H. P. K. Malulani.

            HE LOIO a he hookapeke olelo ma ke Kanawai. E loaa no au mai ke kai hawanawana o Kawaihae e hoene @ me ipo la, a Hamakua au i ka la'i o Kukaiau ma ke alo o na pali. E ohiia no hoi na aie me ke ku i ka eleu a me ka pouahi@hi@                                       Nov 8 '90, d-ly.