Home Rula Repubalika, Volume I, Number 2, 6 November 1901 — BEWARE OF THE HYPOCRITES. [ARTICLE]

BEWARE OF THE HYPOCRITES.

In the Lahui of Nov i Hawaiians are warned in a series of inspired articles against giving their confidence to newcomers like Judge Humphreys, F. E. Thompson, W. G. Robinson and others, but to take into their innermost consciousness the fact that only the old friends, who directed the overthrow of the monarchy; who promulgated the restricted franchise, wherein a man lost his eternal birthright if he did forms of government in which he believed and loved; who packed every available office or niche in the public servi e with their relatives, friends or prospective sons-in-law and kin; who made use of Hawaiians only so long as they served as stepping stones to some position of honor or emolument, and then kicked them aside as useless truck to be got rid of in the enclosures of the Leper 1 Settlement, or in any other way, as speed-! ily as possible. Thfe not very novel argument is used that the kamaaina haoles are rich, and therefore more worthy of our confidence, as he has less desire to work for positions of emolument, while the new-comers are poor and only pretending friendship for the natives to secure their votes to enable them to get the said positions of emolument, despised by the kamaaina, which means the Hawaiian-born or old resident haole. That sounds very plausible, and funny, too; especially to a race taught from early childhood by very good Christian teachers not to set their hearts on the acquisition of filthy lucre or worldly honors, but to "lay up treasures in heaven." One is surprised, in view of such reasoning, at the tenacity with which some of the same kamaainas. ding to their positions of emolument and honor. Our venerable Governor, Sanford B. Dole, for instance, shows very commendable staying qualities in the gubernatorial position, .notwithstanding the fact that he must be quite rich by this time. If he is not, then he certainly has departed from the principles and thrift of his class, considering the many opportunities he has had to accumulate the pelf that only kanakas were taught to despise. Why, he has had all the opportunities of a Tammany stal-

wart, anil, apparently, right nobly did he utilize them "from the time his friend, the late Chief Justice, trusted them into his hands. Rvery possible trustee or administratorship, giving and making liim a judge of the Supreme Court, until he finally landed in the Presidency of our late lanjented Republic, with its munificent salary and generous perquisites. Even his charitable donations were paid out of the public treasury. Still, he does not seem, and, in fact, has denied emphatically that he has any intentions of stepping down or out of the fat office now held by him, notwithstanding the fact that nine-tenths of the populace don't want him there, holding that he is mentally incapable of fulfilling the duties of the position. Mr. T. G. Thrum, Registrar of Conveyances, is another sample of the old kamaainas who are so rich that tliey don't care for positions of emolument, but exhibit the same admirable staying qualities of his friend and patron, our great and good Governor. In his case, he showed his gratitude to the young kanaka who had been patiently and faithfully performing the said Thrum's official duties as well as his own, for more than ten years, by firing him without a moment's notice two hours after the Legislature adjourned sine die, to get "square" with a Representative, a relative of the kanaka in question, who had dared to denounce him before the Legislature for official malpractice in withholding part pf the salaries voted by the Legislature to employes_of his office, and other irregularities of a like nature. We would suggest to the kanaka members of the next that it would be an act of justice to those of their race to inquire into the pay rolls of the Registrar of Conveyances since the appointment of Mr. Thrum, to ascertain if there is on record one instance in which he has not drawn his full pay as given by the Legislature, by reason of absence from work, or nonperformance of official duties, by being engaged on his own private work, etc. It would be interesting, really, to come across even a solitary instance of such a voluntary decrease of pay, notwithstanding the many, many times a strict regard for honesty called for such action.