Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 324, 16 November 1891 — Page 4

KA LEO O KA LAHUI.

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

 

John E. Bush.

I una Hooponopono a me Puuku.

MONDAY, Nov. 16, 1891.

 

HAWAII.

        These lines were suggested at the time of the death of His Majesty King Kalakaua, at San Francisco. His death was a sad one--he wished to reach his native home--the Paradise in Peaceful Ocean; but death came upon him, and his Spirit took flight to a more beautiful Paradise beyond the skies. His Majesty was respected by all Americans, and he was deeply loved by those who were intimately acquainted with him--

        Not because He was a King--

        But--one of Nature's Noble Men!

J. O.  Sullivan.

Los Angeles, Cal. Sept 26, 1891.

Beautiful Region, land of sweet flowers,

Nature adorned thee in bounteous hours;

        Queen of the Ocean,

                Pride of the Sea,

        Thy Home is Elysian--

                Land of the Free;

Like Venus arising from the Sea foam,

You @rose from the Ocean a Goddess unknown.

 

Unknown to the World, secluded by waters,

Lived your brave Sons and beautiful Daughters;

        At last the World

                Discovered thy Home,

        And worshiped thee

                Lovely Goddess, unknown;

Thy Shrine enchanted the mortals of Earth--

Enraptured they gazed on the Home of thy birth.

 

Nature hath made thee Goddess of clime,

She nursed thee with sweets from Her Bosom sublime:

        No Land can compare

                To yours of sweet rest--

        The Haven of Beauty,

        The "Isles of the Blessed;"

The Gods seek repose in your Fragrant Bowers--

The Mortals of Earth sleep 'midst your Flowers.

 

And yet with this wealth that Nature hath given,

You weep bitter tears, you gaze up to Heaven--

        You weep for your son-

                Kalakaua you love.

        Whose Spirit has gone

                To Bright Realms above,

He died far away from His dear native Shore--

He longed to embrace thee. He saw you no more!

 

Dear Hawaii, He's noble and true--

He loved thee with love beyond power of view;

        His soul was imbued

                With love for his race,

        To led them aright

                Cold death He'd embrace;

Loved Hawaii gave up to the sky--

Your Son Kalakaua smiles from on high!

 

Sweet Hawaii smile now as of yore--

Queen Liliuokalani reigns o'er you shore,

        She'll soothe thee with love,

                She'll nurse thee with care--

        The good Ship of State

                She'll guide without fear;

She'll stand by the helm 'though sea-may roll high,

And steer her proud bark to safe haven or die.

 

Adieu Hawaii, may your future be bright,

May no clouds observe thee from God's holy light;

        May your children be happy

                And peace reign supreme

        O'er your fair land of Beauty,

                'Mid Ocean's great stream:

May @ailas Crown thee with Bright G@tos of Thought.

More precious than all that Gold ever bought.

The First and Third Estates

        While the third estate is endeavoring to crush out smuggling and gambling, we are sorry to say, that all the evidences are against the executive department of our government and that of the Judiciary is alone, wkth KA LEO as the only newspaper in its support, to expose the corruption that stalks unabashed in broad daylight here.

A Fizzle.

        That Mr. P. O'Sullivan at the Kalihi meeting, denounced the authors of the meeting, Mr. O'S. calling upon Mr. Kenyon, one of the promoters to explain himself. Mr. K. finding it up hill work closed his post-office, after instructing the natives what to. The meeting was adjourned at the request of Mr. Wilcox.

        The candidates were to have been, Messrs C. T. Gulick, L. Wilcox, J K. Kaulia and Nathiniel Holohope. There were four people from Moanalua and about as many from Kalihi proper, who said they did not know the object of the meeting, except that it was promoted by two office holders in the interest of the government.

The Sugar Barons.

        In order that they be no misapprehension as to our attitude on the labor question, which is of such serious importance to our saccharine aristocracy, we will clearly enumerate our views thereon. It is not the wish or purpose of the National Party to take advantage of their political majority to imperial the vested millions of capital which have been placed here in the sugar industry. But if in the course of this campaign it becomes necessary to deal some severe blows against the barons it will be because they have only themselves to blame. It a misfortune that so much money was invested in one industry that has now received an irrecoverable blow, and our sympathies are with those of our fellow citizens whose fortune are at stake. But these men are only a class, and we object that every interest of this nation and this people should be prostituted to the selfish and grasping needs of the class of men who have not become politically known as the "sugar barons."

        The National Party has for one of its principles, and is strongly advocating the importance of diversified industries@ the raising of other products for which our soils is adopted and that have active value in the markets of the world, particularly in the United States. For, as it is now demonstrated, it is unsafe and unsound to have our whole commercial fabric raise upon the fluctuations of but one staple industry. But it will require eight to ten years to build up these other industries, therefore in the meanwhile the sugar planters are entitled to some assistance.

        But before conceding the claim advanced by the barons for cheaper labor under present conditions as a temporary relief, let us dissect the fact concerning sugar, and I think we will find that the barons are very disingenuous in their proposed economy.

        It is claimed we believe, that the average cost of production of sugar at present averages about $50, and the net returns to the planter about $40. Undoubtedly at this rate the planter will lose about $10 on every ton he produces. At that rate he had better shut down.

        But between the price realized in the foreign markets (about $65 @ $70) and the agents returns to the planter (about $40 @ $45), there is a heavy margin upon which many leeches are fastened, and it is there where the planter should look for economy and for his profits.

        Why strike at the poor toiling human labor upon whom the production depends, and try to keep him down in the loweth depths of degradation, to be fed, herded and worked like cattle. Why not strike at the very top of your extravagances. Why not cut down the extravagant salaries of your managers and other officers. In these days of competition in the trades and professions you may find many competent men to do the work who would be content with a good living salary, and not require a mansion to live in, fine equipages and a body guard of servants; besides means for unbounded hospitality and occasional trip to Europe. And why should you and your toiling slaves support in luxurious ease, merchant and corporations and their sleek clerks in Honolulu, You must admit that the interest and commissions that these gentry charge you are an outrageous tax upon your produce. It is an excessive and unnecessary incubus upon your industry and is the chief causes of your present misfortunes and disabilities. Your bankers an agents are simply leeches, who absorb the cream of your profits without performing adequate labor therefor. Here is where you want to strike for retrenchment. Your business can be handled at 75 per cent less cost than at present which will more than doubly cover the loss you now suffer, without any necessity to interfere with your present labor or to have any further anxiety on the labor question. The planters of Manritius have one central depot in which they are all stockholders, and to which all the sugars are sent, and all supplies obtained from. The cost to the planters is but a trifle.

        Again you are charged too high freight rates to get your sugars to Honolulu and you ought to strike out for economy in this direction. Two steamboat companies whose stock is quoted at least 25 per cent above par, and are paying handsome dividends are levying a heavy tax on you that ought to be reduced. Three dollars a ton is too much. It is the same as the sailing rates between here and San Francisco and nearly twice as much as the rates between New York and Liverpool. The stock quotations and the dividends of the steam-boat companies prove that a large reduction of the planters expense ought to be obtained there.

        Barons, your case is not a hopeless one, and even with the present low price of sugar you can still maintain your plantations and make a profit if you will only grapple with the big leeches who are absorbing the profits that should go into your pockets, and not try to create a political conflict on the labor question which as we have said above is disingenuous, unworthy of you as men and citizens; and threatens disaster to all other industrial interests. There are some of you planters who have been toiling for years producing good crops of sugar but you are now on the verge of bankruptcy, while the agents who handled your sugar and furnished your supplies, charging you 2 1/2 per cent commission on both sides of the ledger, compounding high interest, and claiming all freight rebates, @ c., are rolling in luxury upon the profits between production and market should have been mainly yours. Cheap labor is not absolutely necessary to make a plantation profitable, but to maintain in comparatively idle luxury the monied aristocracy who are a selfish and grasping class.

        We cannot admit that the sugar barons as a class have a right to a domination in the political affairs of this kingdon. They are out numbered, out voted and out weighed by a majority of our native and naturalized population whose personal and public interests clearly lie in an opposite direction. The area of land suitable for sugar culture is about one tenth of our arable land. Therefore we claim that the National Party as a political factor is entitled to the greatest consideration, since it is the party purpose to represent the needs of the other nine-tenths of our land and the necessity of allotting it to an agricultural population for the development of other productive industries besides sugar. A policy which if pursued intelligently will soon put sugar in the rear rank of our industries, and bring general prosperity to the nation, in many other lines.

Superintendent Staples.

        The Seamen's Landlords. Protective Association, which has been in existence for over thirty years, has gone to pieces. The cause of the disruption is the so-called Sailors, Home.

        Ever since Swannack's time the "home" has been a member of the association, but since the advent of Superintendant Staples there has been a great amount of grumbling. As members of the association put it this morning. "Staples wanted to hog everything in sight and we simply would not stand it."

        "The Sailors' Home has been posing as a Christian institution for years back," said Thomas Murray of the Golden Gate Sailors' boarding-house this morning, "but the fact of the matter us is that it is worse than the worst boarding house on the water front. The superintedant of the home poses as a Christian philantrophist, while at the same time he has been a member of our association and taken more blood money out of the combine than any three of us put together. The management are all up to so many tricks that it takes a couple of us all the time watching them. Why, it is only a month ago 'Little Johnny,' who is Captain Staples, partner, was caught shanghaing two men on board an American ship." The men who have joined them are W. L. Thompson, Alexander Jackson, George Webb, Jack Ashton, Harry Lewis, Billy Shaw, and John Curtin. If they do not make it lively for any sailors that get into their hands then my name is not Murray.

        "Now let us see how the sailor gets on with the home when he comes to ship. The captain or owner of the ship pays over $86--shipping master's fee $5; boat hire $1; blood money, $40, and advance, $40. Of this sum the home takes $70 and $10 goes to the captain or some one else. Out of that $70 the sailor has been known to get $15, but never more. The remainder goes into the superintendent's pocket and pay for Jack's board and a kit that is sold at over 200 per cent advance on cost. During the present administration of the home the association shipped 435 sailors, and these Staples received the blood money for 112.

S.F. Reporter.

ON DIT.

        That monopolies will catch sheol in the next Legislature.

        That a certain Brown is being banked up by a banking corperation for Minister of Finance. It's a paty if it is so.

        That two Bohemian vases, bought here in a vessel under a cloud, was accepted by her Majesty a few weeks ago, from utter strangers, and presented through a party who has been suspected for years as an opium boodler.

        That one of the lessons to make good citizens is temperance, so the "Doctor" recommends, and so we agree, and for that reason published a true story on that subject that may help the young and old

        That because George Wilson drove a cab once, he receives no credit at all for the work done by him @@ Tantalus Hill while his two superiors, who have scarcely seen the work, receive more than their share of the public prints. While rendering to Coesar, let us not not forget Coesar's man.

        That a certain Honolulu lawyer will take gold only for fee; the other day the legal luminary was out, and upon his return noticed some filthy silver lucre in the till, and railed at the clerk, who responded, "Well sir, I took all the money the client had." "Oh, then, ah, that will do," smiling as he hung his hat.

        That Tax Assessor C. A. Brown is a candidate for Minister of Finance in the event of a change, by death or otherwise, so mote it be. The people have nothing in common with a government of monopolists; but vox populi will see them later.

        That some would-be politicians would do better if they got off the rail, and show themselves as rail-splitters instead of rail-sitters, otherwise they will die hung on a rail instead of with an honored name to hand down to posterity.

        That the temporary depression in trade is bound to develop other resources that will revive trade, which we hope will be built on something healthier than Asiatic labor. Free labor is what we want.

        That some people on Kauai are afraid that D. M. C. will give away the land crab system practiced on Kauai, and the thumb-screw exercise with which the landlords tune up the tenants to the right pitch