River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-05-28
THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
Something of Their Government. People
and Customs.


and Customs.
In recent years Hawaii has become
a subject of special and increasing in
terest to both Europeans and Ameri-
cans. 1t has been felt to be important,
by Englishmen, Germans and Ameri-
cans, to obtain a controlling influence
over, if not actual possession of, the
government of the island realm
The recent death of Kalakaua, the
king who had reigned over the islands
for nearly seventeen years, and the ac-
cession to the throne of his sister, Lii
uol1alani, has notably increased inter
est felt in the kingdom By foreign ma
tions. and has made yet more promi-
nent the problem of its future destiny.
The natives of Hawaii, a gentle,
cheerful, indolent, pleasure-loving race,
have steadily dwindled in numbers for
a long period; so that the present popu-
lation, from having been two hundred
thousand rather more than a century
ago, has sunk to probably somewhat
less than forty thousand.
The foreign population of the islands,
on the other hand, has as steadily in
creased as the natives have diminished
1t is stated that of the foreigners, there
are resident in Hawaii twenty thousand
Chinese, nine thousand Japanese, three
thousand Americans, and thirteen or
fourteen thousand Europeans, including
Portuguese, English, German, French
and Spanish.
The important fact about Hawaii is
that the foreigners not only control its
business interests, but take an impor-
tant part in the governing of the is
lands. Englishmen, Americans and
Italians have held high offices under
the king; and about four years ago the
foreigners achieved a successful revolu-
ton, by which the king was shorn of
a large share of the royal power which
he and his predecessors had exercised.
The new sovereign, Queen Liliuoka-
lani, is dies ribed by one very familiar
with Hawaiian affairs as "a bright.
clever, brilliant woman, possessing the
finest judgment and tact, who will make
an admirable ruler"
But she is credited with leaning rath-
err toward the English than toward the
Americans; and it seems certain that
with several great powers likely to con-
tend for the controlling influence over
Hawaii, her reign is not destined to be a
very quiet one.
The Importance of Hawaii is both a
military and commercial one. The
ituation of the islands in the midst of
the Pacific, makes them valuable as a
avail as well as commercial station,
and therefore they are coveted by mari
time pow s-s like England and Germany.
Their resources, moreover. have nota-
bly, increased, i'm recent years. Former
ly the chief business of Hawai-: consist
ed in the whaling industry. But with
he decline of whaling. the natural fer
tility and favorable climate of the
stands have prompted the cultivation
of sugar, coffee and rice: and consid-
cradle trade has grown up between
Hawaii and the nearest Asiatic and
merican coasts.
The United States has already a
reciprocity treaty with Hawaii, by the
terms of which certain articles. pro-
duced from the soil or manufactures of
each. are exchanged between them free
of duty.
But. in view of the encroachments of
European powers especially of England
and Germany, upon the various groups
of islands scattered over the Pacific,
and their annexation of many of these
groups to their own dominions, Amer
lean statesmen will doubtless gra vely
consider whether the ties between
Hawaii and this country shall not be
more closely drawn. and whether their
possession, by any European power,
shall not, at least be prevented -
Youths Companion.