The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-02-05
THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
Clergyman's Observations OF Ch,nges
During the Past twenty-five Years.
Condition Of tho Native Ciassoa.

Condition Of tho Native Ciassos.
Some thirty years ago says the San Francis
CD Bulletin Rev. E. G. Beckwith, now pastor
of the Third Congregational Church of this
city, was a teacher at the Sandwich Islands.
twenty-five years ago he left the islands, and
has not since returned until last juno, when
He *ss intitod to deliver tie anniial address at
Oahu College, Honolulu. Since his return to
this city he has delivered, at the Third Con-
gregational Church, several Sunday evening
addresses upon tbs subject of the changes
which he observed had taken place in the
islands during the twenty-five years Of his
absence. Sunday night he gave the final lecture
Of the course
The Golden Age Of the islands was from the
Year 1910 - 1855, when they were under the
thle Of Kahaehame tit This king; ttnder the
influence of the Christian missionaries, enacted
wise legislation, the object Of which was the
benefit of the native race: He gave the people
constitution. And perhaps the wi est act Of
his reign was the division of all the lands into
small patches, which the natives were allowed
IA purchase in foe simple upon paying merely
the cost Of survey. The effect of this wat
to give the natives homesteads, and devel
op among them the benefcent idea Of homt
life, which before they had almost entirely
lacked
Since the death of that King, and during the
last twenty five years, the changes in the islands
have been most marked, and, 50 far Is the
native race is concerned, painfully disastrous:
And the chief cause has been the increase of
ont ia M n
verslty OF industry now Everything is sugar.
Potatoes or grapes, for instance, are grown
hardly anywhere on the islands. Every one
has rushed into sugar planting with an idee Of
becoming rich Yet hardly any fortunes have
been made, and if the Reciprocity Treaty shoulc
not be renewed and present prices of euga,
should continue, nearly all the planters Of the
islands would be bankrupt
The effects upon the natives of the
growth of tho great plantations and the
vast influx of capital, have been manifold.
The great demand Tor labor has made it more
profitable for them to work for others than TO,
themselves upon their homesteads As re.
suit they are losing their homo ties. Twenty
thousand malo Chinese without families, have
been flooded in upon the population, to wort
on tho plantations. Th se have not only their
evil effect upon the morals of the people, but
are gradually ousting them from their little
land holdings.
The increased distribution of wages amonk
the natives has hastcned their ruin. They
have more money than ever before Being
able to save money and easily led into tcmpta-
lion, their little wealth Injuries them more thar
1t benefits Honolulu il moral perfect maels-
from to them. There the mon 60 to earn the
highest wages, and the young ladies to be in.
troduced into society There they find the
most Turing temptations to vice. To these they
yield Few over escape from Honolulu, and
most of these who do. go away to die.
general attempt is now being made to
teach the natives English This is absolutely
necessary in order to unity the nation in the
And yet even this hastens their ruin. For il
enables them to come into closer relations with
that portion Of the foreign element which are
responsible largely for the increase of vice
among them. They get to know the unscrup.
ulous and vicious foreigners too we'll
The deterioration in the morals OF the poo.
pie has been rapid and appalling. The tenden.
cy Of the race was always towards gross icen-
housness. If the influx of foreigners has moi
increased this, it has at least introduced among
the people attendant diseases which are eating
away the life of the race. Drunkenness hal
made alarming increase.
Twenty five years ago there was . law abso
lutely prohibiting the sale of liquors to the ma
tves. Now there is o license law. Twenty
five years ago Mr. Beckwith rarely saw = ma
uVO uAucI lnuucnCo OI AQuOr. NOW tQ(
streets of Honolulu reel with drunken natives
He saw on this visit of two weeks more drunk
ards than he saw before in eight years.
The present evils are due in Lang measure 4
the utter selishncss of the government. Tn,
interests of the natives are entirely lost sigh
Of. The king, who owes his sovereignty, no
to his lineage, but to political trick, cares onl,
for his own agrandizements. short time ag(
. resolution of lack of confidence in the minis
try was lost by one vote; the minister's al vot
ing for themselves Shortly after the resolu.
ton was actually carried in spite Of tho min
listers, and yet in the face of that defeat the,
have not grace or sense enough to resign. TIL,
natives hate King Kalakuka- But Queen EN-
ma, who is of genuine royal blood, thev love
Not long ago, to propitiats the people, the KIM
conceded large reductions in the expenses O.
certain branches of the government And afte
the people had made great demonstration O
gratitude to him for the act, he then asked u
appropriation for the royal stables, which ex
ceeded the total amount of reduction The M
ton is dying in the hands If bad aud selfsl
men.
In 1868 the American Boards Of Foreign Mis
eions formally withdrew from active work il
the islands, intending a. fast Is practicable 4
place native preachers over the churches Elk
perience has shown that this course was mis-
take. The natives were not then fit to carr
on the work themselves, aud the loss of the re
straining and guiding hand of tho Christia,
! missionary has proved not the least factor il
hAsteping tbe certain doom Of ths native pkaou