The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-12-11

edness of our legislators that has
yet been published was contained in
the ''list of arrivals" the same day
with the above mentioned depart
ures. IL read Us follows: ARRIVED
per Darkroom Hongkong, ninety
Chinese males" just think Of it.
AS to Mr.. KS comments on the
attitude Of the Minister of Interior
during or since the legislative ses-
sion, can only speak for myself
when L say, were every member of
the present civil service as much
identified with the country, equally
imbued with as sincere desire for its
welfare and for the welfare collective
ly of all those having rights under
the Constitution as His Ex. l.. A.
Thurston seems to be, then we
would have far less cause for agita-
ton than there is at present.
Now as to Mr.. Hartwell's reply,
l must say, with due respect, that
he falls into an error in saying that
Mr.. X. attacks the wealth.produc-
ing interests of this country. The
error is pardonable, inasmuch as
others commenting from a similar
standpoint have done worse. L
have heard Mr.. Kinney time and
again, while taking evidence before
the committee on Chinese restriction
and elsewhere, emphasize the fact
that all the demands. of the Anti
Chinese element summed up were
about as follows: TO restrict Chi
nese immigration to the actual
wants of the planters, cease licens-
ing any more tradesmen, to grad
ually force the withdrawal of Chi
nese merchants and traders by MAX
ing the licenses all eady granted for
feitable on the death or bankruptcy
of the licensee etc. l fail to see
wherein these views, as 1 know them
to be held by Mr.. X, could anto-
gonize the interests mentioned.
Four lines after the paragraph
just commented on. Mr.. Hartwell
says, "There are enough Chinese
here now who are engaged in mer-
camille pursuits and as skilled
laborers, to do large part of the
retail trade and to furnish large
part of the mechanical labor of the
country, if the white population see
fit to employ them" On this point
we cheerfully acknowledge our be-
lief in the sincerity which he claims
for his utterances. Why that is
just what we are kicking about. 1
myself have been under the humili-
ating necessity in times gone by, in
order to retain custom, TO work
with Chinese of other trades on the
same job. L say ''humiliating,"
not because l would think the Chi
nese degraded, but because 1 knew
those same white people would have
hired a Chinaman in my place could
they have found one to do the neces-
sary work. This is not an isolated
case, all tradesmen and mechanics
are more or less subjected to similar
indignitles. We are willing to meet
the competition of any nationality
claiming our civilization, no matter
how frugal their mode of life, and
as to the Hawaiians, / wish that we
could see them everyone following
some mechanical pursuit instead of
the listless lounging about so OBJ
servable among them of late.
Again, if we go so far as to place
the Chinese on plane with the
rest of the community in all other
matters, why debar them the privi-
iege of voting. BY what means
could we prevent them doing 50
when once they stood in the same
relation to the state as the rest of us
in all but this?
Furthermore Mr.. Hartwell asks,
"Remove hope of advancement, the
possibility of getting on in life from
man and what in the name of sense,
ETC., would be the result?" If the
advocacy of Chinese advancement
in these islands is not removing
from us the, hope of attaining to
those ends which our education and
civilization give us n desire for, |
would ask what else can it be?
On the other hand what would be
the result had the Legislature enact
ed the law proposed. AS to the
Chinese, such as had no business in
terests to keep them would withdraw
and return to China, those doing
business would do likewise as soon
as they had sufficient means to al
low them to follow their own inclina-
lions, and the laboring classes would
grayitate as they now do between
here and China, with gradual less
ening of their numbers, as from
natural causes under such condi-
ton of things there would be an in
fux of other nationalities.
AS to the effect of such legisla-
ton on the social and moral condi-
ton of the community at large, il
would be simply impossible to esti'
mate the same. L venture the
opinion, however, that we would
have a far healthier moral atmos
phere than at present.
Many ways could be suggested
for meeting the requirements OF
ordinary mortaIs in connection with
L. H. IL 81