Jere Krischel at 15:06, 6 January 2006

2006-01-06T15:06:43Z

Jere Krischel at 15:06, 6 January 2006

2006-01-06T15:06:27Z

Jere Krischel at 05:00, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T05:00:27Z

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966 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
Mr. MCCANDLESS. SO soon as she came on the throne, or so soon as
the remains of Kalakua came back (of course that was the first information
that we had of his death), rumors were circulated that she did not
intend to, or would not, take the oath under the constitution of 1887.
We had information that she hesitated, and that the chief justice
urged her, and the friends urged her, to sign the constitution, and she
did so with hesitancy. Then, probably in the fall of 1892, my brother
came to me with the information that the Queen had a programme. This
information came to him, I think, from Mr. Peterson, but I am not sure
on that point—that is, her late attorney-general—that the programme
was to give the opium to the Chinese, which would win the Chinese;
to give the lottery to the gamblers, which would win the gamblers, and
to grant a new constitution to the Hawaiiaus. All that was then left
were the missionaries, who could go to Hades. That was the programme
that was given to me in the fall of 1892. But we did not believe it.
There were rumors of that kind constantly through the Legislature
during the term of the Legislature of 1892. But anything aside from
that—it came to me about half past 1 on Saturday afternoon, the 14th
of January.
The CHAIRMAN. DO you recollect the mouth in which the Legislature
met?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. On the 30th day of May.
The CHAIRMAN. And continued in session without interruption?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Without interruption; yes.
The CHAIRMAN. Was that an exciting term of the Legislature?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Very much.
The CHAIRMAN. And the public attention was brought to its proceedings?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Constantly.
The CHAIRMAN. And it was during this session of the Legislature
that you heard this rumor, that it was suggested that Liliuokalani
intended to overthrow the constitution?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. And you stated the information to be that she had
in fact attempted or intended to make the attempt to overthrow the
constitution?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Yes; on the 14th of January I was walking up
Fort street and I met Mr. Hopper, a gentleman who has a large rice
mill in the Hawaiian Islands and lives just adjoining the palace
grounds. He said, "The Queen is up there attempting to promulgate
a new constitution." I laughed at it, because she had won everything,
and had appointed her own ministers and had control of everything for
a year and a half.
The CHAIRMAN. And had passed the opium bill?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Had passed the opium and lottery bills, and the
ministry would do her bidding.
The CHAIRMAN. And you thought that was all she would do ?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. I thought that was enough for her to do. He said,
"You go into Spreckels' bank, and you will find out." 1 went into Mr.
Spreckels' bank, to Mr. Spalding, and I said, "I understand that the
Queen is giving us a new constitution." He said, " I t is so; I have just
come from there." I walked up to the corner of Fort and Merchant
streets—that is probably the business center of Honolulu—and the
people began to congregate immediately. In a little while the information
began to come down from the palace, which was about three
blocks from there, of how matters were progressing there. Finally
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 967
the crowd grew to several hundred—of course this was all white people's
business—and probably about 2 o'clock, or half past 2 o'clock, the
information came down from the ministers to know what support they
could get as against the Queen.
The CHAIRMAN. Who brought that information ?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. I could not say; It was sent down by messenger.
The CHAIRMAN. Sent to whom?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Just down town. They knew who the business
men were and where they would be likely to be.
The CHAIRMAN. What did you say was the nature of the message
which had been sent?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. TO know what support the ministers could get
from the white people as against the Queen. They went into the
office
The CHAIRMAN. Let me understand whether it was the common
understanding of the crowd there that the ministers had made such a
suggestion or such a request?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. Then they went into the office?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Went into the office of W. O. Smith. Someone
took a piece of office paper, brown paper such as lawyers use, the size
of a sheet of legal cap, and then wrote a heading in lead pencil stating
that, " We hereby agree to stand by the ministers against the encroachments
of the Queen"—something to that effect. It was only a line or
two, and the people as they came in signed that.
The CHAIRMAN. About how many?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. There may not have been more than a hundred.
That included most of the lawyers there. Paul Neumann
The CHAIRMAN. Paul Neumann?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Yes; and Mr. Cecil Brown, an Englishman, who
was very much wrought up over the matter. There was scarcely anyone
who entered the office, and whom I knew, but signed the paper.
The CHAIRMAN. HO you remember any person who refused to sign it?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. I do not.
The CHAIRMAN. DO you think there were as many as a hundred signatures
to the paper?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. I should judge so.
The CHAIRMAN. What was done with that paper?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. I do not know.
The CHAIRMAN. DO you know who took charge of it?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. It was left on that desk. It was certainly there
the next day. In fact, it was there Monday. Of course, the information
kept coming down right along, and finally some of the ministers
came down.
The CHAIRMAN. AS I understand you, that was an enrollment of the
citizens who were with these ministers in their antagonism to the
Queen?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. Well ?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. About 2 o'clock in the afternoon two of the ministers
came down.
The CHAIRMAN. What day?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. The same day, within an hour.
The CHAIRMAN. DO you mean Saturday or Monday?
Mr. MCCANDLESS. Saturday.
Senator GRAY. Name the ministers.

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 Mr. {{sc|McCandless.}} So soon as she came on the throne, or so soon as
 the remains of Kalakua came back (of course that was the first information

Template:966-967 - Revision history

Jere Krischel at 15:06, 6 January 2006

Jere Krischel at 15:06, 6 January 2006

Jere Krischel at 05:00, 12 December 2005