The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-04-08
The Annexation Problem.
EDITOR BULLLTIN:-

EDITOR BrLLLTlN:--
1t is Il fortunate thing that Presi-
dent Cleveland withdrew the annex
alton treaty. and sent the Hon.
James II. Bl0unt as special commits
sioncr to these islands 10 investigate
the facts relating to the late rcvolu
ton, because it eases to some extent
The terrible pressure of martial law,
and permits men to call their souls
their own without fear of prosecu-
ton for treason, or "atlmonition" by
the President of the Provisional
Government.
With freedom to think and breath
should also come freedom Of pub
iicaticn and discussion. And this
freedom should nct be confined to
the foreign population alone, or
rather to that small section OF the
population who are avowed auneXa-
tionists. Tho native people have
s0mo rights in the promises. as woll
as those foreigners who do not think
that the independence of the coun
try should be signed away by the
Provisional Government without
giving the natives and foreigners
alike the right to vote for or against
the proposition.
The treaty which Mr.. Thurston
and his associates negotiated with
Secretary Foster, and which would
have been ratified by Mr.. Dole and
his cabinet without reference to the
people. deprived the Hawaiians of
| their country and their civil rights.
1t is no answer to this to say that
| the Thurston-Dole treaty was not
ratified. Ii was withdrawn from the
United States Senate despite the
protests of the Hawaiian Commits
sioners and the Hawaiian Minister,
and against the wishes of all those
who were influenced by their repre-
sentations.
Thanks are due to President Cleve-
land for the hope of fair play and
Justice which this withdrawal and
Mr.. Blount's mission have raised in
the breast of every honest and fair,
minded man.
1t has been said that all the plan,
tcrs favor annexation. This is doubt.
full, but even if they do ii is not tC
the point. If the people as a whole
want annexation, let them say SO by
their votes at an election TO be
specially called for that purpose
and let every man of voting age il
the country, who by race is entitle,
to vote, cast his ballot for or agains
it. A property qualification cuts Ii,
figure in this case. 1t is un-Amer
lean, to say the least; and Mr.. Bloun
is too good an American, imagine
to sanction any appeal to the people
except on the basis of manhood sui
frage, which is the foundation of tn,
American political system. Proper
ty owners have not an eXclusiv,
monopoly OF patriotism in any coun
try. The American Union was no
saved on the battle field by Tia
monied class, while no-property me-
, stayed at home to care for the VIC
t men and children. Nor does tn
Provisional Government of Hawa
rely upon the property owners q
Honolulu to carry arms for its dC
fence, while moneyless foreigners 81
p quiet Y looking on at the imposin
spectacle. think the "provisionals
armed the 'irresponsibles," and the
called upon Mr., Stevens to protoC
them from their "Swiss guards" j
= short order
But doubt if all sugar planter
would deny the native populatio
the right to be consulted on a pro
position to deprive them Of the
5 country. There is one planter-tt
man who has made all other Hawa
ian sugar planters rich-who, if /
, were here, / am certain would NJ
lend himself To such an unfair PR
+ cecding. | refer to Claus Spreckel
. Just what he thinks about annex
A tion | do not know, but venture
predict that if he were here |
would insist upon giving the natiy,
y fair play, / say this because we Il
g know on the islands that he Civ
70 fair play to everybody, aud AT crit
cal time saved the mercantile col
munity from the worst kind of o
preston in the rates of eXchang
g His relations with the Hawaiians /
4 Uays have been Dlpasant, He ueV