The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-01-03

Our ESTEEMED cotemporary the Friend, devotes
considerably space in its current number to the
" Domestic Chinese Question, meaning thereby
the Chinese in Hawaii mel, and quotes from a
letter by the Hon. Mr.. Whitney, formerly editor
of the ADVERTISER and subsequently OF the Ga
zene, but now a sugar planter on the Island of
Hawaii. MIR. Whitney says he gathers from the
words of the editor of the Friend, as contained in
his recent Thanksgiving sermon, that he is in
favor of unrestricted Chinese immigration into
Hawaii nei, which Mr.. Whitney says he himself
formerly favored but his present view is that
'' if we must have Chinese, let their numbers be
restricted to those who are willing to bring their
families, their wives and children, to remain and
become permanent settlers among u.s." What
has led Mr.. Whitney to change his views as to
the desirability Of Chinese male immigration, is
his personal observation, since be removed from
the city and became q resident of remote dis
trict, Of " their 1.-THE Chinesel corrupting Inlu-
ence on the native female population" And
herein the one fearful fact is stated briefly which
is either unknown or ignored by those who have
advocated or excused the unrestricted ~immigra-
ton OF Chinese. As has repeatedly been de-
clared in these columns, the future introduction
of Chinese into these Islands at the rate at which
they have come in the past, and -unaccOmpanied
by females. means nothing more nor less than the
Y rapid extinction of the Hawaiian people.
In regard to the inference drawn by Mr.. Whit
from the reading Of The Pcy- Or: Damon's
neyA
Thanksgiving discourse that the latter gentleman
az advocated unrestricted Chinese immigration"
in the present issue Of the Friend such a conclu-
= - H. oI.Ro- a,-o 50 NVn
hardly think the reader would be justified in
drawing the inference from that discourse, or
any other writings Of ours" $50 far is this
from being true, that privately and publicly
we have urged the point, that not only Chinese
immigrants should bring their wives, but also
immigrants from Europe and America We
cheerfully credit our respected friend with this
d~isavowel of views which we had certainly sup
posed he entertained, and also, like our other
friend, the Quondam editor, after reading that
portion Of the. Thanksgiving discourse which
treats of the Chinese, and their unquestionable
right to go wherever they may choose. Nothing
was said in that discourse about their taking
their wives with them. That immigrants from
Europe and America are more likely to bring
wives with them than Chinese, is too well known
to be denied.
We also chee1fully credit the Friend with hay
ing suggested in July last that the time had
I" About come for the Hawaiian Government to
take decided action about the introduction of so
many Chinese immigrants, unaccomp 'nied by
their wives. Would it not be we'll to convene
the leading and prominent Chinese merchants of
Honolulu, and let the subject be fairly discussed?
Does not the magnitude Of the subject demand
E..sz DIo,;,0NanNfor.
who shall visit China and confer with the au-
thorities? If the Hawaiian Government sup
ports a Minister at Washington, ought it not
also to support a Minister or Consul-General at
Pekia P Hawaiian affairs are as deeply involved
in what passes in China as what passes in
America. The California watchword may be,
: The Chinese must CO. but that OF Hawaii Is,
{ The Chinese must come, to work our cane
| and rice fields. Now let US treat them fairly,
and do all in our power TO Introduce Chinese
families and drffuse among them Christianity.
But it may well be doubted if q Hawaiian Min
lister Plenipotentiary in China would succeed IN
getting the women to emigrate IN anything like
the same numbers as the men. 1t is something
tantamount to losing caste for a Chinese woman
to leave China, and generally speaking, none but
the lowest classes will do so. But we must en-
phatically disagree with the statement that we in
Hawaii are " as deeply interested in what passes
in China, as what passes in America" or that
any more Chinese must come here. We have
quite enough of them now and We shall look, in
the future, to South Sea Islanders to work our
cane and rice fields. In the meantime we hearth
" bid God speed to all efforts that may be made
for the Outstanding of the heather Chinese
that we already have among us, to the number
of some 1900: though with the Rev. MIR. Hap
per, who writes from China to the Friend, we
think the danger is that they will paganize our
own people. And the same evidently well-in-
formed writer frankly says, There is a want OF
integrity even amongst Chinese Christians which
you will have to guard against"
The doctrine that all man have a God-giTen
right to invade-peaceably, let us say-any
country they may choose, and therein take up
their abode without the consent ofthe original
occupants, is one that will not stand the test Of
a fair discussion. A mans house is his castle,
saws the time-honored English proverb; why
should not his native land, inherited from his
ancestors, be equally sacred2 Japan and China
undoubtedly had the ~right-learned theorists to
the contrary notwithstanding-to endeayor to