The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-08-13
THURSDAY, AUG. Is, 1885.
THIS EVENINGS DOINCS.
LAND AND PEOPLE.

III Is an axiom IN science tnat Il
body consists of the sum total of its
individual parts. no more and no less.
The same principle doubtless obtains
in political and social bodies. The
national virtue will be the virtue of
it's individual citizens. And, in the
same manner, the vitality of the
nation is the aggregate vitality of
the people. Its existence is simply
the existence of its constituent parts.
and these constituent parts are the
various individuals of the human
family collected within its borders.
The country is great or the reverse,
according as its people are great
people or an aggregation of nobodies.
Whatever state policy goes to attract
desirable class of immigrants, or
to provide for the population already
under it, is that which will command
approval ut home and abroad. And
if this Hawaiian nation is to survive
the wear of years, and perpetuate
itself as one of the nations of the
world, it must have population, of
native or foreign birth, or both.
There seems to be a general impress
sion that the native element is dimin-
ishing in numbers, and if such is the
case, depopulation, or national eX-
tinction, must follow, unless vigor-
Gus measures be adopted to prevent
such catastrophe. What the meas
ures urgently and immediatel " need
ed are opens up many questions
which will doubtless be debated
vigorously by all concerned in their
solution. Fortunately for the main
question. it need not be left alto
gether to vague theorizing or to
scientific reasoning to settle. 1t is
question which has been practically
answered in the United States OF
America and the Australian colonies,
and is at the present time in process
of solution by similar methods in
the Dominion of Canada. 1t is sim
ply making provision by statutary
enactments for settling the country
with the largest possible number OF
landed propriators. The homestead
lawslof the United States and the
Australian colonies have turned vast
tracts of bowling wilderness into
comfortable and prosperous homes
Similar laws in the Dominion ot
Canada are also opening up millions
of acres of some of the most fertile
lands on the American Continent
lands until very recently the undis
, turbed haunts of the buffalo. and .
few wild Indian tribes. All these
laws and regulations are formulated
on the automatic principle that popu
lation, and that in families, is wha
makes a country. People are con
sidered of more value than buffa
loes, OF forests primeyal, or prairie
grass. On these islands, there ar
big tracts of land lying in the silenc
of unpeopled desolation, that nigh
be the homes of busy population
1t is true, there are extensive plan
tations and immense cattle ranches
and these roll up no small volum
of trade, yielding handsome profit
to the few who are fortunate enoug
to be shareholders. Under systeI
Of small farms, planting and grazing
and diversified agricultural indus
tries, capitalists whose money is q
present invested in two or thre
enterprises, instead of being con
tracted, would soon find the sphcr
of their operations greatly expand
ed, and instead OF risking all thei
resources on the fluctuations of tn
worlds markets with respect to ON
article of commerce, they woul'