Tuesday, February 7, 2017

MR. BLOUNT'S REPORT


James H. Blount.

John L. Stevens.
Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, November 21, 1893.

MR. BLOUNT'S REPORT.
SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST EX-MINISTER STEVENS.
Accuses Him of Collusion in the Overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani—Details of the Revolution and Seizure of the Government—No Recommendations Offered— Mr. Stevens Interviewed—Declares It is a Perversion of Facts.
   WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.—Secretary Gresham has decided to make public all the correspondence and the report of James H. Blount, the special commissioner sent to Hawaii by President Cleveland to investigate the revolution which dethroned Queen Liliuokalani and the establishment of the provisional government.
   Mr. Blount arrived at Honolulu, March 20, 1893. In his report he calls attention to his reception by Minister Stevens, who, "accompanied by a committee from the Annexation club, came on board the vessel which had brought me. He informed me that this club had rented an elegant house, well furnished and provided with servants and a carriage and horses for my use; that I could pay for this accommodation just what I chose, from nothing up. He urged me very earnestly to accept the offer. I declined it, and informed him that I should go to a hotel." A committee renewed the offer, which was declined. He also refused to accept proffered favors from the ex-queen.
   Concerning the position of the United States in the islands, he says: "The troops from the Boston were doing military duty for the provisional government. The American flag was floating over the government building. Within the provisional government conducted its business under an American protectorate, to be continued according to the avowed purpose of the American minister, during negotiations with the United States for annexation. My instructions directed me to make inquiries which in the interest of candor and truth could not be done when the minds of thousands of Hawaiian citizens were full of uncertainty as to what the presence of American troops, the American flag, and the American protectorate implied.
   "It seemed necessary that all these influences must be withdrawn before those inquiries could be prosecuted in a manner befitting the dignity and power of the United States. Inspired with such feelings, and confident no disorder would ensue. I directed the removal of the flag of the United States from the government building and the return of the American troops to their vessels. This was accomplished without any demonstration of joy or grief on the part of the populace. The afternoon before in an interview with President Dole, in response to my inquiries, he said that the provisional government was now able to preserve order, although it could not have done so for several weeks after the proclamation establishing it."
   Commissioner Blount says that "the causes of the dethronement of the queen and the establishment of the provisional government are both remote and proximate."
   He then reviews the history of the islands and the political intrigues at some length. His description of the revolution is as follows: "Nearly all of the arms on the island of Oahu, in which Honolulu is situated, were in the possession of the queen's government. A military force organized and drilled, occupied the stationhouse, the barracks and the palace, the only points of strategic significance in the event of a conflict.
   "The great body of the people moved on their usual course. Women and children passed to and fro through the streets, seemingly unconcerned of any impending danger, and yet there were secret conferences held by a small body of men some of whom were Germans, some Americans and some native born subjects of foreign origin.
   "On Saturday evening, Jan. 14, they took up the subject of dethroning the queen and proclaimed a new government with a view to annexation to the United States. The first and most momentous question with them was to devise some plan to have the United States troops landed. Mr. Thurston, who appears to have been the leading spirit, on Sunday sought two members of the queen's cabinet and urged them to head a movement against the queen, and to ask Mr. Stevens to land the troops, assuring them that in such an event Mr. Stevens would do so. Failing to enlist any of the queen's cabinet in the cause it was necessary to devise some other mode to accomplish this purpose. A committee of safety, consisting of 13 members, had been formed from a little body of men assembled in one of W. O. Smith's offices and a deputation of these informed Mr. Stevens of their plans and arranged with him to land the troops if they would ask it, 'for the purpose of protecting life and property.'
   "It was agreed between him and them that in the event they should occupy the government building and proclaim a new government he would recognize it. The two leading members of the committee, Messrs. Thurston and Smith, growing uneasy as to the safety of their persons, went to him to know if he would protect them in the event of their arrest by the authorities, to which he gave his assent. At the mass meeting called by the committee of safety on Jan. 16 there was no communication to the crowd of any purpose to dethrone the queen or to change the form of government but only to authorize the committee, to take steps to prevent a consummation of the queen's purposes and to have guarantees of public safety.
   "The committee on public safety had kept their purpose from the public view at this mass meeting and their small gatherings for fear of proceedings against them by the government by the queen. After the mass meeting had closed, a call on the American minister for troops was made and signed indiscriminately by Germans, Americans and by Hawaiian subjects of foreign extraction."
   The commissioner says the response to that call does not appear on the files of the legation.
   "That very night the committee on public safety assembled in a house next to Minister Stevens' residence.
   "J. H. Soper, an American, was elected to command the military forces.
   "It was on Monday evening, Jan. 16, at 5 o'clock that United States troops were landed.
   "Not much time elapsed before it was given out by members of the committee of safety that they were designed to support them.
   "At the palace, with the cabinet, amongst the leaders of the queen's military forces and the great body of the people who were loyal to the queen, the apprehension came that it was a movement hostile to the existing government. Protests were filed by the minister of foreign affairs and by the government of the island against the landing of troops. Parker and Peterson testify that on Tuesday at 1 o'clock they called on Mr. Stevens and by him were informed that in the event the queen's forces assailed the insurrectionary forces he would intervene. At 2:30 o'clock of the same day the members of the provisional government proceeded to the government building in squads and read their proclamation. They had separated in their march to the government building for fear of observation and arrest."
   Mr. Blount describes the location of the troops, showing that the American troops controlled the position of the queen's forces, and continues: "They were doubtless so located as to suggest to the queen and her counselors that they were in [cooperation] with the insurrectionary movement and would, when the emergency arose, manifest it by active support. It did doubtless suggest to the men who read the proclamation that they were having the support of the American minister and naval commander and were safe from personal harm. Why had the American minister located the troops in such a situation and then assured the members of the committee of safety that on their occupation of the government building he would recognize it as a de facto, and as such give it support? Why was the government building designated to them as the place which, when their proclamation was announced, they would be followed by his recognition?
   "It was not a point of any strategic consequence. It did not involve the employment of a single soldier. A building was chosen where there were no troops stationed, where there was no struggle to be made to obtain access with an American force immediately contiguous, with the mass of the population impressed with its unfriendly attitude. More than this, before any demand for surrender had ever been made from the queen or from the commander or any officer of any of her military forces at any of the points where her troops were located, the American minister had recognized the provisional government, and was ready to give it the support of the United States troops."
   He shows the position which the queen occupied, her protest and describes the relationship of men concerned in the revolution. The various commissioners of the provisional government and Minister Stevens are quoted and commented upon. Mr. Blount shows that it was a collusion on the part of the minister and the revolutionists. He goes into the details of the matter and points out by time and place the haste with which Mr. Stevens acted and by quoting from Stevens' report and the papers on file at the legation, declares that the minister misrepresented the revolution to the United States government. He points the lack of harmony in the statements and criticizes Mr. Stevens, saying: "Mr. Stevens consulted freely with the leaders of the revolutionary movement from the evening of the 14th. They disclosed to him all their plans. They feared arrest and punishment. He promised them protection. They needed the troops on shore to overawe the queen's supporters and government. This he agreed to and did furnish.
   "They had few arms and no trained soldiers. They did not mean to fight. It was arranged between them and the American minister that the proclamation dethroning the queen and organizing a provisional government should be read from the government building, and he would follow it with a speedy recognition. All this was to be done with American troops, provided with small arms and artillery across a narrow stream within a stone's throw. This was done. The leaders of the revolutionary movement would not have undertaken it but for Mr. Stevens' promise to protect them against any danger from the government. But for this their mass meeting would not have been held. But for this no request to land troops would have been made."
   "Had the troops not been [there,] no measures for the organization of a new government would have been taken. The American minister and the revolutionary leaders had determined on a new addition to the United States, and had agreed on the part each was to act to the very end."
   Mr. Blount says that the native race feel that great wrong has been done them and their queen, when she resigned under protest, and did not believe that the action of Stevens would be indorsed, and he adds: "Indeed, who could have supposed that the circumstances surrounding her could have been foreseen and sanctioned deliberately by the president of the United States. Her uniform conduct and one prevailing sentiment amongst the natives, point to her belief as well as their own, that the spirit of justice on the part of the president would restore her crown."
   That is the only thing in the nature of a recommendation made.
   The special commissioner closes with a description of the industries of the islands, statistics, comparison of the races, changes in the conditions of the natives and information to show that they have been badly treated.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
Political Splinters.
   "I do not believe a material reduction can be made in the tariff without creating a deficit."—Congressman Bryan, Democrat of Nebraska.
   President Eliot of Harvard college dropped into the Democratic party just in time to impart an air of respectability to the funeral.—New York Commercial Advertiser.
   It will be a novelty for the people of New York not to have to ask D. B. Hill or Boss Croker whether a bill can pass the legislature of the state.—Chicago Inter-Ocean.
   Four thousand people in Hartford, Conn., or one-tenth of the population, are out of work. And yet the city continues to go Democratic. Some pupils learn very slowly even in the school where political object lessons are taught.

Dr. Bruno Terne's idea for disposing of city garbage and sewage is the best one yet. He would have all garbage and sewage treated in vast laboratories. This could be done without any offensive odor being attached. The material would be separated into fat and fertilizer. The grease could be used for soap-making and for lubricating oil. The residue, after drying, constitutes an admirable fertilizer, which is 17 per cent of the weight of the original material. It contains ammonia and phosphoric acid, exactly the substances which agriculturists bring at large expense from Florida, South America and elsewhere. Heat kills all the microbes that would be dangerous to health in this way of treating the city refuse. Leibig calculated that in a city of 1,000,000 every year 45,000,000 pounds of fertilizing material are produced and mostly go to waste.
  
Why woman suffrage carried so triumphantly in Colorado is explained by a dispatch that followed close on the heels of the one announcing the women's victory. It is that the honest miners of Colorado who form a large proportion of its citizens want in their home women, refinement, civilization and family life, without which no state, however rich, can be prosperous. Therefore they offer suffrage as an inducement to ladies to come to their commonwealth.

Board of Trustees.
   The adjourned regular meeting of the board of trustees was held last evening in the office of the clerk.
   The following bills were allowed and ordered paid:
   Street commissioner's pay roll, $90.45
   Electric Supply Co. of Syracuse,  $93.04
   Frank M. Samson, salary, $11.62
   F. A. Bickford, salary, $15.51
   Buck & Lane, $13.83
   D. F. Wallace & Co., $82.19
   Police force, 98.00
   James E. Saner, taking prisoner to State Industrial school
at Rochester, $8.32
   Cortland & Homer Electric Light Co., $372.45
   A new fire pot was ordered to be put in the furnace at the engine house.
   It was decided to order six tons of coal each for the Emerald and Hitchcock Hose Co.'s buildings.
   The meeting was then adjourned till Dec. 4.

SUPERVISORS' PROCEEDINGS.
Seventh Day, MONDAY, Nov. 20.
   The board was called to order by the chairman at 10:30 A. M. Upon the calling of the roll every member responded to his name. The journal of Saturday as read was approved.
   Petitions from the assessors of the towns of Cuyler and Scott were read, but owing to the fact that the matter in question had not been brought before the board during the first three days of its session, Mr. Bourne's resolution to refer the same to committee was lost.
   A petition of the same nature from the town of Truxton which had been brought before the board through affidavits on Tuesday last, was, on motion of Mr. Nelson, referred to committee on erroneous assessments.
   Mr. Miner presented his report as supervisor of the town of Taylor.
   The clerk read an invitation from the superintendent of the poor asking the board or its representatives to visit the county farm on Thursday, Nov. 23.
   Mr. Bingham, the supervisor of Solon, presented his annual report, as well as the report of the railroad commissioner of his town.
   On motion of Mr. Holton, the report of the committee on miscellaneous bills was adopted, and referred to the committee on appropriations.
   Mr. Brown was authorized to add to his town abstract the bill of R. J. Perry.
   On motion of Mr. Nelson,
   Resolved, That the claims of the pensioners, Evart McChesny, Alvarado Lansing, Mrs. Mary Haly of the town of Truxton, to exemption on their assessments to the amount of money paid on said property out of pension funds as related in their affidavits be granted, said affidavits having been submitted on or before the third day of the session.
   Mr. Bourne's resolution relative to the hour of opening and closing the county clerk's office was by his request set down as a special order for the first day of the adjourned session.
   The balance of the morning session was taken up with committee work and at 12 M. the board took the usual recess.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
   The board resumed its labors at 1 P. M., engaging in committee work until 3:15, when, on motion of Mr. Kinyon, the rules were suspended for the transaction of general business.
   Mr. Kinyon presented the report of the committee on coroner's bills amounting t o $322. The same was referred to the committee on appropriations.
   Mr. Hunt presented the report of the committee on justices' bills amounting to $92.77 and the same was referred to the committee on appropriations.
   The reports of the railroad commissioners of the towns of Scott and Solon were read and placed on file as well as the reports of the supervisors of the towns of Solon and Cincinnatus.
   W. H. Foster, the county treasurer-elect, presented his bond, and the same was accepted and approved by the board.
   The clerk read a communication from the Democratic members of the board designating The Cortland Democrat as being the paper that fairly represents their party to publish the session laws.
   At 4 P. M. the board adjourned for the day.

FOR REPAIRS IN TAYLOR HALL.
The Owners of the Block Sued to Recover the Sum of $62.74.
   A civil case was running in Justice Dorr C. Smith's court yesterday which is quite peculiar. It is a mechanic's lien against the proprietors of the Taylor Hall block, Messrs. Horace P. Goodrich, E. DePuy Mallery, William E. Taylor, Audley W. Reynolds and Mary E. T. Smith.
   John Maher brings action against the owners to recover $62.74 for extra material, work and services he performed in building and repairing the block outside of the contract. Mr. Reynolds denies that he or the co-defendants are indebted to the plaintiff in any matters in the complaint and that he fully and more than paid the plaintiff for the material, work or services he performed in building or repairing the block and that they had fully paid him a long time before the lien was filed. The defendants deny each and every allegation not expressly admitted except the service and filing notice of the lien and claim to have paid him May 1, 1893. They demanded that the complaint be dismissed and judgment rendered against the complaint and for costs.
   Issue was joined yesterday, a jury was drawn and the case was adjourned till November 29 at 10 A. M.

BREVITIES.
   No, it was not the railroad wreck
   That made him blind and lame;
   He lost his eyes, his leg and nose
   In a college football game.
   —Football caused twenty-two deaths in England last year.
   —Norwich is to have a gold cure. It will be started this week,
   —Mr. C. H. V. Elliott has just put in a new Kelsey furnace at his home on Greenbush-st.
   —Buck & Lane's men are at Whitney's Point slating a large roof and also doing a job of plumbing.
   —The Sons of Veterans will hold a sociable at the residence of Mr. H. M. Kellogg next Monday evening.
   —"The Horse Traders'" convention on Thanksgiving day give a fox chase at the Park Hotel, opposite the fair grounds.
   —The Ladies' Aid society of the Universalist church will meet to-morrow afternoon at Mrs. Marble's, 17 Charles-st. All are requested to be present.
   —Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Fletcher very pleasantly entertained Saturday evening about fifteen members of Cortlandville grange at their pleasant home at 115 Clinton-ave.
   —Professor Elihu Thomson says that an umbrella with brass chains hanging from the ends of the ribs makes a complete protection when held over the head during a thunder storm.
   —The graduating class of the Normal have selected their class colors. They are crushed strawberry and ashes of pearl. The combination is very pretty and something entirely different from anything that has been used before.
   —The ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare,) so plentiful in the East, is said to have been originally brought to this country by the Hessians during the revolution. The seeds at that time were unintentionally imported in the bedding of the soldiers.
   —The breach of promise suit of Bessie Singleheart vs. J. Walston Do-em-up will occur at Normal hall on Friday evening at 8 o'clock under the auspices of the Gamma Sigma fraternity. The entertainment will be given for the benefit of the football association. The admission will be fifteen cents.
   —Evidences of the recent Republican victory begin to appear in Cortland. The wagon trade has been practically dead here for the last five months, but the Cortland Wagon Co. has just closed a contract with a party in Kansas City for one thousand wagons, and orders have been received for the immediate shipment of one; hundreds of jobs on that contract.

Pickerel of the Tioughnioga.
   The Forest and Stream publishes the following as a dispatch from Cortland:
   The pickerel fishing along the Tioughnioga and East rivers has been a surprise even to the oldest of the local anglers. Everybody has been taking pickerel during the last month or two. Bert Hartranft and W. A. Baker caught eight large ones one forenoon recently. Messrs. White, Edwards, Fuller, Hillick and Lockhart have all taken nice catches from the East river and within three miles of Cortland. The largest catch is credited to Edwards, who in one afternoon caught an even dozen ranging from ¾ to 2 lbs in weight. The heaviest one I know of was taken by W. A. Baker. It weighed 2 3/4 lbs. A few local fishermen have lately tried Locke Pond, Crooked lake, Otisco lake, Little York lake and Dryden lake for pickerel, but report discouraging luck.
 

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