The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-04-18

President Cleveland has withdrawn
The Hawaiian Treaty. Whether that
means that he is opposed to annexa'
ton, or merely to some of the terms
Of the treaty is yet to be ascertained.
4 Tribune representative called
upon Rev. w. c. Merritt, pastor OF
the Congregational Church of this
city, and a gentleman well posted on
Hawaiian affairs, he having been for
seven years President of Oahu College
at Honolulu, TO get his views of the
matter. Mr.. Merritt was in his study
in the church, and he has evidently
been refreshing his memory of late in
regard to the Sandwich Islands, as a
large map of the Islands was hanging
on the wall and Hawaiian literature
of various kinds, including copies of
the HAWAIIAN GAZETTE, was to be
seen in every direction. The reporter
found him very willing to talk, and
his long residence on the Islands and
intimate acquaintance with the situa-
Iion makes his remarks of much more
than ordinary interest just now. In
answer to the question as to what he
thought of President Cleveland's ac-
ton in withdrawing the Hawaiian
Treaty, he said:
aft President Cleveland has with
drawn the treaty for the purpose of
amending it to meet his personal
views, there is probably no wrong
done to either party. If the with
drawal should prove an unfriendly act
toward the treaty, President Cleveland
is assuming a very grave response
bility.
"That there are very great difficult
ties concerning the question of annex
alton, no thoughtful man will deny.
The labor question is especially sug-
gestive of difficulty, under American
laws. The work of the plantations
cannot be carried on with native la
Dor, and the importation of labor I'M
der contract is contrary to American
principles. There are, probably, on
the islands to-day $1,000 laborers who
are imported under contract, and who
are still under contract. Moreover,
Ihe ignorant class of men imported
for labor, including-say, in round
thunderstorm Chinese and $1,000
Japanese. makes it impossible to think
of comforting upon them the elective
franchise. Also, the unstable and
tropical character of the Hawaiians,
now in the third generation from saw
aCery, scarcely fits them for full cfti-
zenship. Another difficulty is the
great distance of this territory from
the United States.
But these difficulties, all of which
may be adjusted, seem to me of very
slight weight compared with the adj
vantages to this country.
"The Hawaiian nation and country
have been made what they are through
the influence of American agencies.
In 1920, the first missionaries of the
American board landed on the islands.
They found simply a spoken language
with no written records. Their first
work was to reduce the language to
writing, publish school and religious
literature and establish schools every
where throughout the group. Be-
tween the years 1920 and 1919, the
American board sent total of ia
men and women as missionaries to
abe islands. They not only carried the
lrospel and teachers for the schools, but |
instructors in carpentering, printing,
farming and other useful arts. They I!
not only Christianized, but to a re-
degree, civilized, the nation.
And out of the stimulous and intiu- |
ence of the new life the king, Kane
hameha Ill, within quarter of a |
century voluntarily surrendered his !
despotic powers and gave the people |
established Judiciary |
with a supreme court, gave each of |
the common people little homestead |
of land, and gave to his chiefs and
councillors larger tracts, all held in |
fee simple and protected by wise land
legislation.
ITO the sons of these American |
born upon the islands, |
the nation is indebted, more than to
any other class, for the wonderful
and industrial develop
ments. This was their native land;
they were identified with it as with
no other, and gave themselves to its
internal development with all the en-
terprise and energy of aggressive
young Americans. The great planta-
tons that have been developed have
been, for the most part, hOnOrably
purchased and adequate compensation
given for the land. They hold these
titles in fee simple under the law of
the land, and have put into the plan
tatiOns millions OF dollars in the best
and high grade ma
;Hinery."
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