The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-07-15
AN AMERICAN ASPECT OF
HAWAIIAN ANNEXATION.

Inc many advantages possessed by
the Sandwich Islands, their commercial
possibilities and importance, their
strategic necessity to us, their own de
sire and need, create sufficient reason
for close political connection with
the United States; but it is true thai
they do not furnish an argument fol
annex ton alone. The question is
pertinent, Why not let them remain
under some form Of native govern
mentp A chief reason for annexation
lies deeper than any surface advantage
to them or to US, and in this view oil
the case our own political heath-per
haps our political safety-depends upon
the principles underlying this question
We are met here to-day with the prob.
lem of our whole future policy as a
nation. 1t may be that we should
prefer to postpone the settlement oil
that policy, but for coed or for i'll it has
appeared at our door and must be met.
The size of the nation, the Importance
or advantage of its acquisition, are
minor questions compared to that
which lies behind them, Can zee gro7Oi
Whether we will or not, we must settle
that question now and here.
Heretofore it has been the happy lot
of the United States to deal with in
ternal affairs only, and along the lines
of our first procedures. Awful and
unexpected strains have fallen upon us,
it is true, new interpretations amount
ing in fact to new articles of our politi.
cal character have been drawn from
new conditions, new exigencies have
been met with new ideas but never
yet have we been obliged to depart
from our original idea, from the plan
Of government under which the nation
was born but the question now arises
and must be faced-lndeed, it has long
been waiting around the corner, and
has even peered into the window now
and again. Can we adapt representa-
tive government to large areas and dis,
tant localities, or must it be always a
form of government restricted to a
locality, confined in some fashion with.
in local bounds? We have already
met the cognate question whether 1t
must be confined to a homogeneous
population. With the largest courage
we have said that representative gov
ernment is large enough and free
enough and infinitely adaptable enough
to meet the strain put upon it by the
vast and ill.conditioned multitudes that
daily fling themselves against it from
all the corners of the globe. And we
have tried to say to the immigrant that,
come how or whence he should, come
he might, if only he came to be part
and parcel of our representative system,
but come he should not in any other
form. 1t is along these lines, if we
would but see it, that immigration can
safely be restricted or encouraged, not
along any arbitrary distinction of color
or race or personal condition. But
already entangled by false steps and
demagogic blindness over the problem
of the size and nature of our popula,
ton, we are met by the further question,
Can we grow2 1t is truism to say
that we could rot live a decade if we
did not 1rnu 10, Gonna fashion INIT IL &c
possible TO confine ourselves to our
present area, and for some time to
come, at least, to grow from the inside.
The problem is no easy one to be met
with snap judgment. If we are to
continue strictly and purely repre-
sentative government, we must contlne
ourselves both to our present area and
to slow, natural growth. The size Of
a future Congress, when the great
western States shall be inhabited like
Massachusetts, is an absolute bar tc
such a government. And certainly i
we are to have any due representation
at all, 10000 is quite small enough
for a single district. Moreover, if the
basis of representation becomes much
larger the great interior basin-Illinois
Alabama, Ohio, to say nothing Of New
England and the smaller eastern States
will suffer seriously in all their nationa
interests. 1t is one of the chief value
of our system that the interests OF on
section shall check and control the in
terests of every other, thus leading u
along that via media which is the wa
of safety for States. If we lose tn
considerable representation of the Eas
we have lost what is Of inestimabl
value to our whole people
The difficulties, practical, Theoretical
even geographical, of governing to-
large a territory upon strictly represer
tative principles, are too obvious t
require anything more than suggestion
But, meanwhile, we talk of "manifes
destiny" and dream of Canada Their
are few of US that do not think in on
heart of hearts that Mexico will dro
into our lap some day, Just now W
think it not worth having, and do nc
care to have il But once let it bt
come great and powerful nation bs
tween rs and the commerce OF tn
paci6c crowdino through the comm