Ron Williams Jr
Hoihoi nō hoʻi (Interesting indeed)
On 14 November 1893, Sprecklesville police officer H. H. Plemmer received the below attached letter from Maui Sheriff Samuel...
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Ron Williams Jr
Today—4 May—in Hawaiian History [1893]: Rev. Sereno Bishop, an ardent annexationist and prolific writer of material claiming white superiority in Hawaiʻi, writes to his friend Gorham Gilman in New York relaying that things look good on the annexation front and that the man leading the investigation of the overthrow, US Commissioner James Bount, seems to be fair and on their side.
When released, Blount's report actually eviscerated the Committee of 13 and the so-called Provisional Government.
One can expect the losing party in a decision to claim bias on the part of the "judge." With research, it is possible to go back and possibly find if that claim is deceptive/purely defensive.
After the late-1893 release of the 1400+ page Blount Report that laid bare the treasonous acts of the Committee of 13 and the illegal support of the US troops in overthrowing the Hawaiian Monarchy—an act the US president declared "An Act of War"—supporters of the Provisional Government tried to claim that Special Commissioner Blount was biased in his investigation despite the fact that he interview hundreds of those involved on every "side" and gathered documents from the PG.
Yet, in this 4 May 1893 letter of Rev. Sereno Bishop, one of the most vociferous annexationists, he writes:
"Mr. Blount continues to inspire confidence in himself and the result of his work, although occasionally a circumstance [ ] a doubt. Professor Alexander [strong annexationist] is much pleased with him, and is preparing for him a concise history of the inside of politics during the late years. Blount evidently discerns we are reliable sources of information."
[Sereno Bishop Letters, Hawaiian Mission Houses]
Ron Williams Jr
an original 1 February 1893 broadside announcing the US Protectorate over Hawai'i declared by US Minister to Hawai'i, John Levitt Stevens
[FOEX Broadsides, Hawai'i State Archives}
Ron Williams Jr
Today—27 April—in Hawaiian History [1901]: The Native-led political party, ʻAoʻao Kūʻokoʻa Home Rula (Independent Home Rule Party), passed the first "County Bill" during Hawaiʻi's first territorial legislature. The party saw this as a crucial step in decentralizing the tremendous governing power that had been given to the territory's governor—an appointed position. As part of the 1901 County Bill, these Native patriots named the created counties after their Aliʻi Nui. The Maui News carried the news to the people of Maui that the name of their island had been changed to Lili'uokalani.
The Maui News was a bit premature, however, with the news. Governor Sanford Dole had a final power play and vetoed the County Bill as the legislative session came to an end. The Native-led ʻAoʻao Kūʻoko Home Rula demanded a special summer session of the legislature to override the veto and with their majority in the legislature were able to cause this extra session to convene. During the session, however, they fell just short of gaining the votes to override Governor Doleʻs veto.
The story of this incredible legislative session is the topic of an article I wrote that was published in volume 49 of the Hawaiian Journal of History titled "Race, Power, and the Dilemma of Democracy: Hawaiʻi's First Territorial Legislature, 1901." You can access this article here: https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/47329
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