The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-10-05

No. 5-The Great Question for Hawaii

Other nations nay have a variety Of questions
pressing on their attention. respecting their dones-
tic aud foreign policy but this little nation has
only one, or ought 10 have but the one, 10 engross
the fullest attention Of It's rulers, and call forth their
undivided energies-and that Is population for
these islands.
The Importance Of this question has always been
recognized by the line Of Intellectual Hawaiian
soverrigns. tie successors OF tie COnqueTor. who
united this Archipelago under one political domin-
ion. The words of His late Majesty kamehaneha
" upon this subject in his speech before the Leg
islatuTe OF 1855, are the impassiOned utteTances Of
an agOniZed patriot in contemplating tie decline oi
bis beloved country. In speaking Of the decrease
Of our native population, he said: It's subject
10 comparison with which all others siRk iatO insig-
ui6cance for our lTst and great duty IS that OF self
preservation. Our acts are in vain, unless We can
stay the wasting hand that is destroying our people.
/ feel a heavy and special responsibility resting
upon me in this matter but II II one in winch you
all must shaEe- Nor shall ne be acquittedby man,
or our Maker, Of a neglect Of duty, If we fail 70 act
speedily and efectually in the cause Of those who
are every day dying before our eyes. dis Majesty
did act speedily. efectnally, and almost alone II
we except the enthusiastic cooperation OF his illus
trous Spouse for with note book III hand the hing
personally canvassed this city. procured a fund,
and reared the noble Queens Hospital.
But that thoughtful and patriotic King. though he
labored so hard TO provide means for the cure oil
his people, yet did not rest his hopes upon sanitary
agencies alone. He knew that hospitals, and med
icines. and physicians were not enough to save his
people and upbuild his Kingdom, but liked his
6AN AOP@ 0PNA
race. He had discussed the Chinese, who had been
introduced into the Kingdom. saying IN conelu-
sion: They seem to have no affinItles. attractions
or tendencies to blend with this or any other race
And then he goes on to say 1T becomes a ques-
ton Of moment whether a race OF people more
nearly assimilated with the Hawaiian could not be
induced to settle on our shores" " such
immigrants. besides supplying the present demand
for labor. would pave the way for a future pOpula-
ton of native-born Hawaiians. between whom and
those of aboriginal parents no dlstlnguishabIe di-
ference would exist"
Here was the voice of a patriot and a statesman.
He had no fears. as ONT have urged, about re
placing the Hawaiian" He was not a mere Ha-
waiian chieftain, but a constitutional King, called
to reign over a nation accepted among the family
Of civilized states and he felt that he was King of
the European, Monaghan and Polynesians, as well
as of Hawaiians proper In his dominions and he
did not doubt that as people gradually entered the
country, they would readily assume our political
complexion. and become undistinguishable among
the other subjects of the realm.
His la.e Majesty also considered that the exigen-
cies Of the industrial interests of the country, that
is the question OF labor, might properly precede or
pave the way to the greater national question of
future population. His Majesty as a statesman
knew that all great movements OF material pro-
gress in u state must be operated through the self
interest of individuals. Think you that the great
American rans-cOntinenta railway was taken in
hand by those five merchants Of Sacramento for
any other object than to eli their own pockets or
that Mr.. Webb runs his'great steamships solely with
a view TO make the commerce of America trans
cendent in the Pacific. And hence We may believe
that our men OF enterprise do not work their plant
| ations for the purpose of promoting national pOpu-
lation. But for all that, they are mighty helpers to
this great measure, and the most available ones at
this time. because every organized plantation offers
an immediate home for a portion OF new comers.
and each one becomes the nucleus OF a village. and
a market for the increase of products that will be
coincident with the increase Of people.
/ dare say that . reform sneeded upon our plant
ations.' Ii Is needed in our ships and shops. in
our schools and churches, and by both you and /
but for all that. we must not wait for labor reform
at home before we make a move for more people.
II would be like waiting for the river to run dry.
| America must need reform, because she has her
labor strikes but still she invites more people to
come. Many a state has thousands of idle hands,
and yet it calls for more, hoping to deal better with
q newer hand, to whom the change Is an improve
ment; and every new conner makes a home. and the
multitude of homes make the State.
No, the statesman must not wait for reform. Let
the minister Of religion be busy with that question.
The minister Of State must cot stop even at the pos
sible immigration Of sinners-so that they be healthy
ones. He must get them where he can, so that they
be Of n kind, as the wise King said-to assimilate
with his own people. He must get women and chill
dren Of course along with the laborer, and in bring
: ing the family into the land he ensures the best
guarantee in his power for contributing to the moral
well being of his country.
When we look TO China and Japan, the hope Of
more women is small. Still we may get some, and
we would rejoice in the acquisition of healthy young
Japanese women who were not prostitutes. But l
am afraid that we would hardly get any other class
in company with laboring immigrants, and Of course
such a class would only add to our curses and dis
eases. And now / turn to my favorite field for pro-
curing people for these islands, TO Malaysia, where
the woman invariably accompanies the husband as
emigrant or sailor.
There we have chaste races. See what a prolific
people; what teeming islands. Who that has been in
Batavia, Sourabayah, Maccassar, Palembang, Achin,
Bruno, and other ports of the great Malay Archi-
pelago has not been struck with the ~propriety of
conduct, the sef respect and virtuous demeanor of
the native women of Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes, Java,
! - - ~ er.rrotrndfnn ila nHS And Dau tho nnao-
ton may arise. will the introduction of these people
into our community improve their condition, or are
we seeking our prosperity at the risk of the deteriora-
ton of another race? And furthermore, what are
the inducements that should lead people of Malaysia
to leave their own fruitful and populous islands and
come to a rugged and sparsely peopled home in the
Paci6cH
Among many inducements that occur to my mind
and which might be presented 10 these people, l will
ut this time only dwell upon two; and they are, the
greater emolument and greater political security we
would have to offer. The latter consideration alone
| induced tens of thousands to escape from the petty
tyrannies of their own rich islands and seek a new
/ home under the protection of the British flag in the
I sterile and once uninhabited Island of Singapore.
| And this security of law and order we can offer in
the most interesting form to the mind of the brown
races of Malaysia. We have a King that we can
prove to them is of their lineage, and who has guar
autees for the independence of his sovereignty, cheer
fully conceded by the great powers of Europe and
America, for which Malay princes with ten, nay
twenty times his power in men and means, would
give half their dominion to possess.
But how shall we get at them, and bring them
here. Holland was enquired of by Il former Min
lister of the Crown, and said nay to a request to
permit any of her people of Netherlands India to
expatriate themselves. Now like an ardent lover.
we should not be deferred by a single nay, but
press our diplomacy so wisely and persistently
through various influential channels. as for instance
the British Government, that at last even Holland
may be persuaded to permit our young Kingdom
TO test her needed experiment in population with a
few recruits from the industrious and prolific mil
lions of Java. But let rs not look to Netherlands
! India at present we need not do so, as there are
I many millions outside of her dominion. equally as
we'll suited to our purpose as those under her suze-
rainty.