Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 311, 28 October 1891 — Page 4

KA LEO O KA LAHUI.

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

 

KA LEO O KA LAHUI.

John E. Bush.

Luna Hooponopono a me Puuku.

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 1891

Elder Geo. B. Starr, at Y.M.C.A. Hall, continue his readings on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

 

Freaks of Taxation.

A certain property was valued at five thousand dollars, when a slice had to come of to widen a street. After this was done, and the property reduced in size, with no special benefit added to it by the widening of the street, at present, the tax assessor raised its value to six thousand dollars. This was done in the pure administration of the past.  We know of an instance, the opposite of this. A merchant had a strip taken off from his property of the same street, and was paid seven thousand dollars for it, and in other ways favored.  Such is the manner in which the government is being administered, and will be until the honest-hearted have weeded out the selfish and dishonest, whom it is easy enough for anyone discover.  When this is done, and an united effort is put forward for a thorough cleansing of our government we then may see a change for the better.

 

How it is Done.

Any one who knows how, can get rich, but it is not every one who knows how. The way is easy enough, if you will only sear your conscience with a hot-iron, after which any one of the processes practiced in Owhyhee, may be selected, and a fortune is assured.  There are several ways to attain this:  one is to join the church, and learn to prey in secret, and your reward will come openly; but never mind that the object is to attain the mighty dollar.  Some practiced the borrowing and lending of money; this also must be started from among the chosen ones, beginning with an alliance with the church, not a poor one, but a rich one, one which has a larger sprinkling of the mam@nocracy of the country.  Once you are grafted into the olive-tree, you naturally will be nourished from the parent stem.  Cheap money is advanced you to speculate on the gentile, without any limit of conscience as to percentage.

In sugar ulture, cas a means of accumulating and multiplying riches numerous and ingenious ways are practiced.  One of the modus operandi is quite characteristic of plantation life:  Saturday evenings the hands are gathered at the office, and with a flourish the Manager call out each man by turn, who turns them over to the Book-keeper.  The book-keeper, proceeds with Billy who is a teamster, and says, “No money for you this week.  Your mule team went to fast

down the hill. Next”  “Ah there, Jim, the Manager says, “your team went too slow up the hill. No money for you this week.”  And so it goes on. 

To keep the matter among the initiated or brotherhood in the fold, the processes have been always kept in the shade.  The Secretary, Mr. W.O. Smythe, and the Auctieneer, Mr. O. Morganus, who sells the stock, is forbidden under the pain of being ostracised, not to divulge the two and three hundred per cent dividends per annum realized as profits on the stock, that being private and only made known to Cousin John Thomas, but never to the uncircumcised Mr. Ragged William.

We close here, opening up a new chapter at some other time, on the same subject, which we will endeavor to season with a little salt to give it savor.

 

Readings from the Epistle to the Romans.

As given out by notice in the English dailies of the city, Elder George B. Starr, of Chicago, gave his readings on the Epistle of Paul to the Romans.  This very interesting and instructive epistle as explained scripturally and spiritually as far as he went by Elder Starr, in a non sectarian spirit, was highly interesting to his hearers.  Starting from the first verse, the speaker, who seemed to be imbued with the same spirit that inspired Paul, said that Paul was called of God, and set apart as a Servant of the Lord, to preach the Gospel, concerning the Messiah, who had been promised as man’s Redeemer soon after the Commandments of God were disobeyed and death by sin entered the world.  The whole theme of the Gospel, was grace, faith in Jesus the Son, who declared who God was and the object of his mission from Him, and obedience to his commandments.  This gospel, the speaker continued, was the power of God, unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  In the gospel which Paul was called to preach, is the righteousness of God, revealed from faith to faith.

In this strain the speaker, proceeded to explain the first, second and part of the third chapters.  Many new points were brought forth and made clear by the comparison of other texts applying to the same subject from the Bible.  These lessons, which will be continued until the end of the epistle, we feel assured will be highly instructive, and will give light upon points of vital importance to the seeker after knowledge.  As the speaker said, all knowledge and wisdom is from God, and whatever we have of either is from Him.  To obtain more of that supreme knowledge and wisdom of God, and not from man, whose wisdom before God was foolishness.

We were highly interested with the lesson of the evening, and yearned for the presence of some of our city editors, who we are assured are sadly in need of a better knowledge of wisdom and truth to enable them to speak words of instruction that will elevate and enlighten their readers to a higher plane of usefulness to themselves and their neighbors.

 

A Good Man.

“There, “said a neighbor, pointing to a village carpenter, “there is a man who has done more good, I really believe in this community than any other person who ever lived in it.  He cannot talk very much in public, and he does not try.  He is not worth much, and it is very little he can put down on subscription papers.  But a new family never moves into the village that he does not find it out and give them a neighborly welcome and offer them some service.  He is on the lookout to give strangers a seat in his pew at church.  He is always ready to watch with a sick neighbor and look after his affairs for him.  I believe he and his wife keep house plants in winter mainly that they may be able to send little bouquets to friends and invalids.  He finds time for a pleasant word to every child he meet, and you’ll always see them climbing into his one-horse wagon when he has no other load.  He has a genius for helping folks, and it does me good to meet him on the street.

-Selected.

 

Foreign Notes.

RAILROAD ON TREE TOPS- In Sonoma County, California, may be seen a peculiar piece of engineering, namely, an actual railway-bed on the treetops.  Between the Clipper Mills and Stuart Point, where the road crosses a deep ravine, the trees are sawn off on a level with the surrounding hills, and the timbers and ties laid on the stumps.  In the center of the ravine two huge redwood trees, side by side form a substantial support.  These giants have been lopped off 72 feet above the bed of the creek.  This natural tree bridge is considered one of the wonders of the Golden State, and for safety and security is stated to far exceed a bridge built on the most scientific principals. – Ex.

 

ON DIT.

That KA LEO’S issue of yesterday was exhausted.

 

That the political “simmering” had begun to boil.

 

That this time last year, free rifles, ammunition, war paint, &c-,  were offered by a certain plantation Agent.

 

That if our Political opponents think that they have captured the Mechanics Union, let them understand that they have the rind only and not the juice of the orange.

 

That a new Hawaiian political organization is to be started under the assistance and leadership of  Hons. Wilcox, Nawahi, and Bush, in the interest of the National Party.

 

That official leprosy has innoculated the Japanese, who are under government employ, in addition to the baneful influence of our slave drivers who must have cheaper labor.

 

That the Marshal and the Attorney General, (excuse the transposition) are out junketing, and studying the strategic points of the country, with the view of being prepared against any invasion, and to strengthen the government’s position to preserve our neutrality in case of a general war in Europe.

 

That our Minister of Foreign Affairs is a Member, with a Deacon of the Reorganized Church of Latter day Saints, in the Beef Trust.  A mixture of Jew and the Gentile in the monopoly business.

 

That it is a mistake to suppose that matches will not strike in the rain.  The other evening a gay and gallant youth offered the use of his umbrella to a charmer after stepping off the tram-car.  Love at first sight, a match is the outcome.

 

That DanL walked right into the den of lions, and upset a car load of tigers, as he beat a retreat, and nearly fell down the Monowais’ hole.  The presence of mind of the little major however, tamed the lions, cooled down the tigers, and saved little Daniel.

 

That one of the Ministers, on his way home on King Street, in passing by a castle lately building and nearly completed, said to a friend, that the proper name of the place, should be the “Boodle House.”  Those hearing the Minister, agreed in the appropriateness of the name.

 

That an enthusiastic and overflowing meeting of natives was held, at the Rooms of the International League last evening, at the call of some of their leaders, for the purpose of organizing a purely Hawaiian Political Association.  We wish the organization Godspeed, knowing before hand its motives and work will be to further the cause of freedom and justice.

 

Platform of Principle

of the

HAWAIIAN NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY

PRINCIPLE OF GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION.

1. We deem that all Government should be founded on the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity; we hold that all men are born free and equal before the law and are endowed with inalienable rights to life, to liberty, to propertp, to the pursuit of happiness and to self-protection against arbitrary concentration of the power, irresponsible wealth, and unfair competition.  We believe that just government exists only by the consent of the People, and that, when it becomes necessary for the public welfare, they may abolish existing forms and establish more advantageous and equitable system; and, as the present Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom had had the approval of the People, but was established by intimidation and fraud for the benefit of a certain class, therefore, we favor the adoption of a new and more liberal Constitution, to truly secure a Government of the People, by the People and for the People.

 

INEDPENDENCE OF THE COUNTRY.

2. Out of consideration for the inherent rights and present opinions of the native population, we desire to retain the independence if the Country and defend its autonomy, under a liberal and popular form of government; but our Treaties with Foreign Powers, and especially with the United States of America, should be revised, so as to better meet present necessities and to obtain more equitable advantages in exchange of those granted by us.

JUICIARY REFORMS

3. Our Judiciary system and Code of Procedures must be submitted to a thorough revision, so as to secure a cheap and prompt administration of Justice, free of all sectarian or partisan spirit, and to @ the @ more directly responsible to the People; and we are in favor of a more liberal interpretation of Constitutional guarantees of the freedom of speech and the press.

TAXATION

4. A more just and perfect system of Taxation must be inaugurated, to abolish the present inequalities, by which the property of the poor is excessively taxed, while much of the rich man’s goods are under valued for the assessment or entirely escape taxation; we shall therefore demand the passage of laws that will more effectually subject the property of the corporations and rich citizens to their just proportion of public burdens, while granting more liberal exemptions to the poor; and as a means of discouraging the locking up of large tracts of uncultivated lands, a differential tax should be levied in addition to the usual assessment on valuation, which should be in proportion to the fertility of the soil.  We shall also favor the establishment of a graduated income tax, and thus expect to obtain ample funds for conducting the government and attending to all necessary public improvements without any further calls on the masses.

MONOPOLIES

5. We shall use our efforts to obtain laws by which all favoritism in the government and all  monopolies, trusts and privlileges to special classes shall be rendered impossible, by full, definite and mandatory statutes.
6. Better laws should regulate the Civil Service.  The principle of the election of officers of the government by the people should be established, and no man should be allowed to hold more than one office of profit, whilst salaries should be adaquate compensation for the salaries rendered.  All excessive salaries should be reduced and all sinecures or superfluous offices abolished.

 PROTECTION TO HOME INDUSTRIES

7. We are in favor of encouraging all home agriculture and industries, and all our native products, like rice, coffee, wool, tabacco, etc., should be protected and fostered by the proper tariff regulation; and also it must be the duty of the Government, in its contracts and other operations, to give preference to national products over imported ones.

PUBLIC SERVANTS LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

8. We desire a more liberal policy towards the different Islands of the Kingdom, outside of Oahu; they should receive a fairer proportion of the public moneys for the development of their resources and the satisfaction of their wants.  In fact, the principle of local Self-government should be extended, whereby giving localities may choose the most important of their local executive officers, and levy taxes for the purpose local improvements of a public nature.

PROTECTION TO THE LABORING CLASSES

9. We shall endorse all measure tending to improve the condition of the working classes, and consequently, without injuring any vested rights, we will advocate laws to prevent all further importation or employment of contract-labor of any kind, upon conditions which will bring it into a ruinous and degrading competition with free Hawaiian or white labor.  We shall also, in the interest of the better protection of the poor, ask for more liberal exemptions of their property from forced sale on execution, and from seizure in bankruptcy proceedings.

SMALL FARMING AND HOMESTEADS.

10. The wealthy fraction of our population have hitherto prevented the development of an independent class of citizens; the public lands have been acquired and have been tied  up in a few hands or parcelled to suit favorites, and small farmers and planters have been driven out by corporations or combinations of capitalists; but as small farming is conductive to the stability of the State, it should be encouraged by a new and more liberal Homestead act, by which the ownership of small tracts of land and the settlement thereon of families of our present population, -and especially of the native Hawaiians who have been left almost homeless in there country, - should be rendered possible.  To that end, the Government and Crown lands, ( in so far as can be done without invading vested rights) should be devoted as soon as possible to homesteads, and conferred upon bona-fide settlers free of taxes for a limited period.

It should be the further aim of government to, at once, so far improve the means of transportation, - local, national and international, - as to provide, in all the districts, cheap means of conveying the product of the soil to market.

ELECTORAL RIHGT.

11. We hold that upright and honest manhood, and not the possession of wealth, arbitrarily fixed, should construe the right to vote for nobles as well as representatives, and no more power should be accorded to the ballot of the rich man than to the ballot of the poor man.  The discrimination in favor of wealth now made in our Constitution is contrary to all the eternal principles of right and justice, and must be abolished.  To this end, we will favor a leveling of the present distinction of wealth and classes which blemish our laws with support of the right to vote for the nobles, thereby restoring to the native Hawaiians privileges which pertain to them in their own country, and of which they have been majorly deprived.