South Kona, Hawaii
12 of December, 1864.

Rev. L. H. Gulick; Aloha oe:–

At the meeting of church leaders here in South Kona, on the 9th of this month, I was selected as the Committee to write to you about some opinions decided upon by that assembly, pertaining to the newspaper you are thinking to publish. And here are those opinions:

First. They discussed with much consideration words that are appropriate to publish in the Kuokoa Newspaper, and those that are improper. And they believe it is not proper to publish Hawaiian mele in the newspaper. They believe that by publishing mele in the newspaper, it will lead the young ones of the lahui toward its old ways. Being that some mele published in Whitney’s Kuokoa ; the extremities of this nation have much delight in those mele, and they are memorized by the youth; just like this mele:

“O Kilauea no ke aloha,
O ka ihu lolilua i ka ale.”

Kilauea is beloved,
Its prow unstable on the billows.”

And so forth, and there are many mele of that nature.

Second. The Assembly believes it is improper to publish certain local news of Hawaii nei, such at this. People start to hula on Kauai, and someone there sees this and announces it in the newspaper. That announcement to them is something inappropriate to print in the newspaper. It will give people living on the other islands the idea to imitate this behavior.

But they consider it is proper to print in the newspapers should hula practitioners from this location or that location be punished under the law.

Third. The Assembly believes that fighting words and filth should not be constantly printed in the newspaper–That is what they decided to report to you through me.

Aloha olua,
J. W. Kupakee, Committee.

(Kuokoa, 12/24/1864, p. 5)