Hawaii Holomua, Volume I, Number 70, 9 December 1893 — WHY THE MISSIONARIES WANT US TO BECOME AMERICAN. [ARTICLE]

WHY THE MISSIONARIES WANT US TO BECOME AMERICAN.

The Style Whieh Would suit Them. (From tbe Ausfrala>ian.) Carter Henry Harrison. tbe Mayor of Cbicago wlio was shot tbe otber day by a disappointed bille£ —bunter, rose to power and autbority by sheer push and unscrupulons determinatiou. There is a craving in Araerica munieipal and political office, whieh is uot easy to understand in Australia. wbere plaee yields very little, but erapty show. Tbe Mayor of an Ameiiean city has tbe opportunity of wielding, and does wield, a great deal of power, for his own advantage and his party’s advantage, if not at all for the public good. Henee, when the office is vacant there is something to tigbt for, and any means of securing \otes is fair. It was Mr. Harrison’s creed to take votes from tbe devil if they were to be had from that quarter. Having first made a fortune, he then songht pnhlie distinction — He prepared the way to the ra*jyoralfy by preventing the aholilion of “the marine band.” 1 l:s ?peech “made him famous.” When in 1870. he resolved to heeoee mayor. the pnsition was one the Republicans had carried for years. and the Deraocrat? had given up hope. Mr Harnson the democrat, not only astonisbed the big city by winning in 1873, but by winning also in 1881^ 1883, and 1885. in spite n»t only of the hostility of tbe Republicans, but of tbe reluctance ol' Democrats, 1 who, as is usual in America.dislike lhird or fonrth t«rms as !eading to fixity, whieh is abhorred by sll parties. Ke declined to be nominated iu 1887, but in 1891 on his return from & tour of the worid, he * «•

said the position during Ihe f>eriod ol'the \Vorld‘s Fair should be his. and baving called himself indepen- ! dent. he beat the IX’mocratic cacdidate who tilled tbe otfice ftx>m 1S , '9 to ‘ 891 and eiptcted re-election. A j st*» r y characteristic of the man is ; told in a Sew Ycrh Herald sketch j pnblisheti only a few montbs ago. ! Harrison in accordanee with his declared policy of accepting votes , from any qnarter, accepted the I vote of the gambling interest in Cbicago, but in 18S4. a n<>ted ; gambler uumed MoDonaId stootl in the way of his obtaiuing tbe noraination to tbe Democratic 1 Conveution. Thus runs the ! • stury: “Harrison sent for ‘Mike’ and . asked him if he wouhl jmll otf tbe track. MeOonakl said he wuuld not,/and said it in a j»rofa<ie aml emphirtic way. That uight the gambling honses were ! rafded, McDouald’s ‘over the : store' on Clark street near Mon roe, receiving particularly rongh trsatment at the hands of the j)olice, the furuiture beiugsmashed and all the implements carrie«.l away. McDonald put in a uew supply of fnrniture and the game wi»s resumed. Again was the plaee raided and everything in sight smashed by the clnbs of the poliee. This sort of thing occurred several tiraes, and McDonald got very tired. It was too costly and tht>rt3 was no remedy in sight. The raayor had the right to order a raid on the gamblers whenever he felt like it, and the public backed him np in it. So ‘Mike' called upon bis honour at the City Hall aud was nicely received. Kothing ever rnfflesthe Harrisonian temper. ‘Howdy, Mike?’ inquired the mayor with his sweetest smile. But Mike was not in a g«xxl hnmor, and didn’t smile. It was not his tirae to be jocular. Harrisou didnt uotice his ill-huraor but blaudly iuquired, ‘Do you or I go to the convention, Miko?’ ” ‘ I guess you do, Curter” was the answer. There were no more raids after that and* Harrison went to the convention. We may cougratulate ourselves in this young eommunity that circumstances have not yet developed men of ihe Carter Harrison type among English speaking people south of the line.