The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-07-14
HAWAIIAN POLITICS.

talked IN mOSG entertaining manner 10
a News reporter, Friday evening, con-
corning Hawaiian political affairs and the
desirability, as he saw it, of annexation
DR.. Whitney, ''that the provisional gov
ernment' arbitrarily seized the reins of
authority is mistake. l first went to
Honolulu twenty-four years ago, and re-
manned four years. Then returned to
this country and after stay of three
years again went to Honolulu and have
remained there ever since. When | first
went there, the King was Kamehameha,
a stout and robust man of good sense,
under whom there was good govern
ment. He was succeeded by Lunalilo,
who was also good King, but who died
in year and with whom the dynasty
died out. The people then elected Kala-
kaua King. He was of different race,
and had alien blood in his veins, and not
the best of alien blood at that. His
grandfather was, l believe, hanged for
murder. When he came to the throne,
he assumed a different attitude toward
the people than that of any of his prede-
cessors. With his reign began con-
slant battle. The King wanted more
and more prerogatives, which the peo-
pie were less and less willing to grant.
Then came the revolution of 1887, when
the people arose and demanded the res
titution of their prerogatives and more
liberty. We thought the King would
not grant it but he did, and so remained
King. At his death he was succeeded by
Liluokalni, his sister, who early proved
herself quite as despOtic as her brother
and much more self-willed. She was
not satisfied with the results of the rev.
Il, e cot nh 20 in,
fluence the Hawaiian Legislature i'll her
favor. In a legislative of 4S members
only two of the thirty-four or thirty-five
Hawailans remained unintluenced by
her. A great deal was done that we did
not like but we submitted to it, The
Louisiana lottery bill passed unexpect-
eddy in the last day of the session. That
and the opium license enactment we felt
were bad laws, but we submitted, think
ing that the consequences must be
abided. The Queen had a Cabinet
called the Wilcox and Jones Cabinet, in
which the people had great confidence,
but on the day before adjournment, by
the change of one vote in the Legislature
to the side of the Queen, the Wilcox and
Jones Cabinet was thrown out and
Cabinet constituted in which no conf
dence was felt-the Parker Cornwell-
Colburn- Peterson Cabinet. Great in
dignation was felt at the overthrow of
the old cabinet, which increased when
the propagation of the Legislature fol
lowed. Immediately afterwards the
Queen sent word to the ministers and
judges of the Supreme Court to go to
the palace. When they arrived she told
them that she had new constitution
which she wished to promulgate, and
she desired the signatures of her minis
tiers. Parker and Cornwell were willing
to sign, but the Others objected and
would not until the Queen told them
that unless they did So she would step
ont upon the palace steps and tell the
Hawaiian people who surrounded the
palace that she wanted to give them
new constitution and was prevented by
her ministers Fearful of the carrying
out of this threat the ministers signed
and then asked leave to withdraw.
They repaired to the government build
ing, and sent for the foreign ministers
and other prominent people with whom
they thought they ought to take counsel.
The result of this and subsequent con-
situations was that on Monday, January
II, 1893, large mass meeting was held
at which nine-tenths of the owners of
real estate on the islands were present
and at which the committee of safety of
thirteen was appointed by set of reso-
lutions unanimously adopted. Four of
the thirteen act as executive officers of
the provisional government, the rest are
really a sort of legislature So you see
that they are an authorized government
and did not simply seize the reins.
"The government steadily grew in fa-
vor up to the time / left Honolulu five
or six weeks ago. The reason why it
is deemed necessary to be annexed to
some powerful country is because the
present Hawaiian government is auto
cratic. 1t may last two or three years,
but it cannot be permanency.
1.-THE franchise must ultimately be
given to all who have hitherto enjoyed
it. That will embrace the native Ha-
waiians who constitute three-fourths of
the population. Were they given the
franchise they would be subjected to
the influence of the Queen the same as
before. With strong foreign govern
ment interested this could not be done.
But then the question arises, why
American England would probably do
as well, but the American sentiment per-
vades the islands. Honolulu is like an
American city, save the dark faces.
There has been talk of waiting three or
four years in case of a refusal now, to
see if the administration does not
change in 1896, and then with Ha-
waiian annexation feature of the plat
form perhaps we may receive favorable
consideration. If not, we must apply to
England. Again we feel that the United
States should have Hawaii in the inter
ests of her commerce. England has
been actively getting the other islands,
and if the United States fails to get Ha-
wall, England's supremacy in the Pacific
will be complete.
THE argument is used that the Uni
ted States ought not to force the natives,
who are the many, to annexation, be-
cause the land owners and present gov
eminent, who are the few, desire it.
The men who are at the head of the
provisional government are friendly to
the natives and desire their advance
ment. The influence of adherence to
the Queen is to heathenize them. An
nexation would morally and religiously
elevate the people.
81 have been told, since my arrival in
the United States, that a son of Claus
Spreckles has said that the Hawaiian |
government is bankrupt. l do not be-
lieve it. The day before came away / |
talked with the president, and he told |
me that the government was being run |