He was an avid proponent of the United States annexation of the Hawaiian Islands, and aligned himself with the political faction who overthrew the monarchy under Liliuokalani.

His social ties to the family of Lorrin A. Thurston, who would be a key player in removing Liliuokalani from power, dated back to when Bishop became principal of Lahainaluna High School in 1865.

News of the incident created a controversy in Hawaii, not the least of which was a letter Bishop wrote to the Pacific Commercial Advertiser, taking his fellow Christians to task for their seemingly lack of reactions, "Where is your public sentiment, your indignation meetings?

As part of the Ministry of the Interior, he was presented to Liliuokalani, at that time Princess Regent, at Iolani Palace on the occasion of her September 2, 1881 birthday celebration.

He began to politically align himself with his old friend Lorrin A. Thurston, who would eventually form the Committee of Safety that overthrew the monarchy in January 1893.

At the time Bishop resigned from the Government Survey Department, Thurston was making a successful run for Representative in the legislature of the Kingdom.

S. E. Bishop than to find him lending his name to the campaign lies which Mr. L. A. Thurston and his political partners put forward to influence votes.

[9] He was a leader of the push towards Hawaii's annexation by the United States; at the same time, he was also steadfast in his opinion of the white man's superiority to the Hawaiian race.

"[10] In both Hawaii's newspapers and in The Washington Evening Star under his Kamehameha alias, he targeted Liliuokalani's friend and personal assistant Julius A. Palmer Jr.[11][12] He testified for James H. Blount for the 1893 Blount Report, expressing superiority of the white race, citing Hawaiians in all levels of government as "notoriously incompetent" and was opposed to voting enfranchisement for the Hawaiian race.

[15] He was a regular contributor to The Hawaiian Star newspaper on scientific subjects, from debating specific points of a Charles Henry Hitchcock publication on the origin of volcanoes, to offering explanations of sun spots.

His continuous contributions on the subjects of earth sciences and the solar system were indicative of his primary fields of scientific interest.

[18] While still living on Maui, Bishop was a member of the Hawaii Evangelical Association, and was elected as vice president of the Haiku Sugar Company.

[20] Sereno and Cornelia celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1902 with a party that provided entertainment by Henri Berger conducting the Royal Hawaiian Band.