The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-10-07
n. Chin..e Question.


Enron GAZETTE The great attention bestowed
in Honolulu on letter written by me on this sub
iect and published in the Daily Bulletin, ana ne
numerous marks of appreciation have received
thereon. make me feel that my views on the quee-
ton are at least worthy OF discussion, ann .nal y
NAV be we'll for all of concerned, If the discus,
sion be not limited to Honolulu, but submitted
Ilso 70 the numerous and special class Of readers
cached by the HAvAuAS GAZETTE
This much said as an apology for intruding on
vonr valuable space shall lay down my premises
bv saying that there is not any one Dissenting
opinion-eIcept perhaps amongst the Government
reople-as TO the importance OF the Cninese Sues-
ton: no sensible man now hesitates 70 acknoNfeoge
that things are come to this point that we are
assisting 10 and taking part IN the very events
from which it will be decided whether, IN yey
near future, these Islands arc TO be dominated py
Western or by Asiatic influence And mere, a lev
statistical figures in all their brutality viii recall
the rate at which things are going.
The census of 1866 with total population N
the Kingdom, of 62,O59 inhabitants, OF Nnlcn iion
foreigners, only found here 2O6 Chinese. But
how fast these figures have changed!
1872 gave out Of sss9 3lss foreigner iSss Chinese
10 10 So :. :, SIS siisS s 80 "1fss5
Since the last census, the Custom Offices figures
show an excess of Chinese arrivals on departures
of zoos making at the present date total OF lS'-
9i5 Thus twelve years ago we counted one
Chinaman for every % individuals OF otner races,
now We find-oHc Cinnamon toeyery four!
But the simple fact of the Chinese having be
come go numerous IS not what constitutes the i'm
pending danger. II all the Chinese here were Ia
borers and if our local agriculture and Industries
demanded as many or more laborers, 1t would DC
ali RIGHT enough The danger lies in the GrsspinR
tendencies Of the Monaghan and his rapidly super
sedinp all the other races. The cause OF TINS Is
that the Chinese flow into the country, not 70 act
as laborers, but TO metamorphose themselves INTO
traders and as have said elsewhere, II We 30 want
and would not object TO Chinese 1dboTere, the
country cannot Withstand Chinese traders. Yet
there Is no country IN the worl9 IKE hn my ~
where so much facility is afforded 70 ooolie TO
become a merchant After few months OF WORK OF
pretended work in the fields, our Monaghan inVad-
ers transform themselves into mechanics COOKS
and laUndry-men IN which capacities tney prepare
their next change, and after year or so, We nnd
them starting small or large store N which they
keepas principal stock nd.sell-not Chinese goods
but American and English goods, in which they
can afford TO undersell any other merchant.
In this way, we now have here an immense trad
ing population Of Chinese, true loafers and drones
who have deserted the agricultural fields for which
they apparently came here and who lost to the
productive laboring forces of the country. In
Honolulu according to the last census out OF 4Il2
Cinnamon, only 1850 agriculturists and 80 Ia
borers { p But store-keepers numbered ll46 ana
365 are mechanics.
Now from this state of things the immediate re-
suits are that every coolie who turns out me-
chauic drives away one or more white mechanics
viz Just the very element which would make the
force and wealth of the country, and every ooolie
who crops out a peulaT, trader OF mercnaIlf taxes
the place of a white or native trader. Up to the
present time they are thus only running our small
white native retailer, but If allowed to continue
it will only be matter of time before they inter
fere with our large wholesale firms, whose humble
clients they apparently are at present. Further
more the Chinese traders are the worst enemies OF
our currency.
The kew 10 the Chinese trouble is therefore to
prevent the coolies or agricultural laborers from
deserving that kind OF work for which alone they
are wanted here; and even then, for them not TO
become too numerous, any further Introduction OF
Chinese must be prevented.
This last requisite is easily Obtainable, provided
the Government are willing. II will sufhoe to
enforce the laws already existing and not allow
any more green Moncolians TO land, by making
the passport law absolutely stringent. Every one
knows how at present new corners are allowed 70
land with the passport or certificates OF departed
residents, bat II has been my luck TO meet several
Chinese ont of that lot of 200 landed by the last
Alameda all with certificates" as the Government
claims. ! discovered that they talked remarka-
bly, good English and enquired where they had
learned II: 'ln California, where we have resided
many years" was the answer obtained.-"Then
how is it that you obtained TO be landed hereln-
VERY easily, for We bought our certificates $50
apiece in San Francisco This shows what
regular trade is made in these celebrated certih-
Gates which nevertheless, to be what they ought TO
be. only require 10 be certified" by an accompany
ing photograph and thumb-mark for the proper
Identification of the returning owner.
In what concerns the trading question, 1t has
been suggested that very high licenses ought to b.
charged for all business concerns, and that very
heavy duties be levied on all Chinese goods These
pseudo protective propositions are perfectly ridi
culous," because a high license would surely kill
all our remaining white and native retailers,
whilst the Chinese would laugh at II, in the same
way as they club twenty for buying 800 vegetA-
bic garden lease, which white gardeners would
find too heavy; and also because Chinese pedlers,
traders OF store keepers generally do not deal 10
any great extent, sometimes not at all. in Chinese
goods. But they all do the bulk of their trade in
western goods, which they sell cheap and SO often
pay by a convenient bankruptcy.
No, something more practical must be suggested.
Some 60 so far as to ask for complete expulsion
Of all Cinnamon. think that if it is not absolutely
too late, things could be remedied by less rsdi-
CAL special legislation, and although feel sorry
as / said in my other communication, for any 500
tartan dispositions, applicable to zone race and
not to another-as some do exist in all countries,
and specially against Cinnamon, l consider that
things stand al the present state of discussion,
the only solution of tho problem is what rug-
Gested IN the Bulletin, viz: to ask the next legisla
ture for law to be enacted: "lst, that no new Ii
censes outside of those already in existence be is
sued to Cinnamon, for any kind of commerce or
trade; 2nd, that the licenses now existing be can
celled or not renewed, whenever the present own
ers by death, failure, departure otherwise, put
a stop to the business; 3rd, that the present Ii
censes be made not transferable except TO lawful
heirs in case of death"
This would be effective legal, mild and gradual,
and would involve a minimum of hardship on the
class against which we need to be protected. And
though something better still may be discovered it
will not be done by simply pooh-poohing the idea,
but by sitting down to a Close earnest and thought
full study of the problem. A MARQUEE