The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-02-11
THE GENERAL ELECTION OF 1890.


diminished by study OF few facts
revealed by the Great Register. The
total number of voters of all nation
slities in the Hawaiian Kingdom
was, in 1855, 14.59S. OF this num-
Der s, $50, or 1000 more than half, are
Hawaiians, 2,S12 more are Portu-
guese. OF sll other nationaltles
combined there are 2,450, consider
sbly less than one-hfth.
These figures tell their own story.
The so-called Anglo-Saxon civlllza-
ton Of this country, about which so
much has been written and said, can
count st most as about one voter IN
every six to deposit ballot at the
polls. The Hawaiian vote of nearly
two-thirds, the Portuguese vote Of
one-ffth, must inevitably be control
ling features ar every election.
When we come TO consider the
composition of the vote for Mobiles
we find, indeed, that the case stands
somewhat differently. but still not so
differently as to affect materially the
final result. The total vote for
Mobiles was, in 1883, 1897. OF these
1865 were Hawaiians, 143 Portu-
guese and about 1850 of other
nationalities- On the island OF Oahu
there were Lis Noble voters Of
whom COS were Hawalisns, II Portu-
guese and of other nationalities a
little over a thousand.
The foregoing figures show very
clearly that if the Hawaiian vote be-
comes, from any cause, solid, 1t con-
trolls the elections. 1t can determine
the choice of Representatives and
with the aid Of few hundred for
eign votes, that Of Mobiles also. On
the island of Oahu $50 foreign votes,
or less than one-fourth of the total,
added to the native, viii carry the
island From causes which it Is IN
necessary to specify it can never be
difficult TO ALLEVIATE that proportion
OF foreign voters from any govern
ment, no matter how good it may be.
If then anything occurs tending to
solidify the Hawaiian vote, to con-
centrste it thoroughly, it is pretty
sure to succeed Such an occurrence
our late history has supplied in the
shape Of the Wilcox instruction,
which persisted still-born but which
Wilcox was not willing to let die.
Wilcox is a plausible man and
every one who knows anything of
the Hawaiian people finds nothing
strange in the fact that they have
made hero of him. If he had been
q naturally intelligent man and had
been sent to q proper school, he
would have come home prepared
probably to be useful to his country
and race As it IS he returns with
foreign glamor and an empty pate,
head swept and gsrnished and pre-
pared for the occupancy OF the first
evil spirits which see fit to enter and
take possession 1t Is no wonder we
say that he stands to the Hawaiians
as hero They were ready to take
him at his own estimate and it was
high one He represented himself
as the savior, and his mission as the
salvation, Of his race, and they
drank it all IN. This Is nothing new
IN Hawaiian affairs, and kamaainas
viii not soon forget on what q wave
of triumphant popular enthusiasm
Walter Murray Gibson was once
carried into the Legislature, in his
role OF the Moses of this people"
Robert Wilcox however wants the
brilliant talents which made Mr..
Gibson's successes possible and his
triumph Is likely to prove short
one He has bankrupted himself
with promises which he cannot
fulfill, and raised expectations which
he can never realize When the
natives find this out he VIII tumble
from his pedestal
The elements OF the late political
situation are thus sufficiently clear
The opportunity to rouse the Ha-
waiisns against the foreigner, and
play upon the race prejudice and
sntipsthy which are unhappily
everywhere latent III human nature
was al exceptional one. and has
been diligently improved by Bush
and Wilcox. by the EIele, and by