The Portland daily press., 1893-04-12
HAWAII AND THE UNITED STATES.
Reason for the Annexation Iof the Pacific
Islands.-Speech of w. u. oleson on An
nexation in Honolulu.

| published at Honolulu, of March ~ con-
| tains an account of an enthusiastic meet.
| ing in favor of annexation that was held
there the day before. Among the other
addresses was one delivered by Mr.. w.
| B. Oleson who once lived in Portland,
and was connected with the firm of Co
nant and Rand, as follows:
| We ale here tonight. not as Hawaii
ans, nor as Americans, nor as represen-
| tatiyes of any other nationality, but as
| the representatives of the dominant
| forces in modern civilization. We should
be false to the spirit and meaning Of the
| great forces which have given birth to
| our civilization, were we to fail to assert,
at this critical juncture in this nations
| affairs, our determined purpose that
those forces shall abide and continue
their sway in this land. AS representa-
tives of the civilization that has every
where borne in its wake, enterprise, and
thrift, and liberty and moral uplifting,
we know our rights, and we dare main
tain them; we recognize our RESPONSE
bilities, and we mean to be true to them !;
we know what we want, and what this
land must have, to secure for it the
blessings of civilized society, and the
privileges of political liberty, and we
propose to stand together, shoulder to
shoulder, until we secure them. Any
other Interpretation of this movement
into which the logic OF events has forced
the citizens of Honolulu, is false to the
spirit and purpose of the men whose an
cestry fought the battles of civil and re-
ligious liberty and whose heritage is the
right to live anywhere on Gods earth,
secure and unmolested, in the enjoyment
of the the privileges of civilized society.
We do not take away the rights of others
when we get our own; but we do secure
for others rights they never could gain
for themselves. The political advance
ment of the Hawaiian people has been
due not to their own efforts after civil
rights, but to the persistent insistence of
Anglo-Saxons to the guarantees of civil
freedom The foreign element in this
land, when it sought these shores, was
welcomed and encouraged to remain. 1t
was not until it had become established
in costly and extensive enterprises that 1T
began to experience the burden OF per-
nicious legislation, and under the lead of
foreign adventures, of corrupt admins
tration, and finally, out of sheer necessity
it was compelled to secure for itself
through the ballot box the same rights
been freely accorded. But when itsecured
those rights for itself, it likewise Sc
cured for all the people in the land a dis
tinct advance in constitutional privileges
1t is one of the unfortunate incidents of
this advance, however,, that the native
Hawaiians have, to such large degree,
failed to recognize the obligations they
are under to the foreign population for
the political progress of the last fifteen
years. Led by men, recreant to the spirit
of modern institutions, ssHawaiians have
disregarded their obligation to join
heartily in the movement for progressive
constitutional development, land have
cast their influence in favor of retroactive
and vicious legislation. We would be
glad to have them go along with us, for
we are going along. The forces of civil
lied society and of political freedom are
not going to be snuffed out in this land
by any ones whim. or by clustering
menace. The whole civilized world is
vitality concerned in the perpetuation of
the civilizing forces at work in this land
today. The commerce of the world de-
mands that this land be controlled in the
interests of industry and social develop
ment The United States as the nation
most intimately concerned, has duty to
itself and no less duty to the world at
large to sustain and to reinforce the civil
lization of this land. The civilized ma
lions expect this of the United States.
She will not be worthy of her Declare
ton of Independence, or of her Procla-
nation of Emancipation, or of her long
and ample record of treaties and adjust
ments in the interests of civilization the
world around, if she does not accept her
obligation to provide for this country
ample guarantees that the progressive
forces here shall prevail. I believe that
she will. looked forward confidently
to the annexation of these Islands to the
United States, The naval argument,
that the United States needs to possess
these islands because of their command
ing stategic importance, may not avail to
secure annexation. The commercial ar
gument. that the unique position of Ha-
wall in the highway of sthe Pacific,
necessary link in any Pacific cable line,
and an important adjunct to the!canal at
Nicaragua, makes it essential for the
United States to possess these CONNER
cial advantages, may likewise not avail
to secure annexation. The argument of
self-interest, which would seem to make
it necessary for the United States to pro-
tect it's citizens from an unprlnclpled
and unstable government in close prox-
imidity to its shores, danger that has
only too recently been manifest in this
land, may also fail to persuade the au
thorities lat Washington to ratify the
treaty of annexation.
But do not believe that the argument
of civilization will fail. America will
not desert the cause of civilization in Ha-
wall. The very spirit of her institutions
will compel her to make her forces reg
nant here in the interests of progress and
political freedom. Forty years ago ship.
wrecked American sailors, cast ashore
on the coasts of Japan, were treated as
trespassers and shut up in prison. In
one instance they were exhibited in
cages. 1.-THE western coast of America
faced the eastern coast of Asia, and there
must be commerce between them. Japan
lay in the path to China, and 1T was inev-
table that there must be peaceful inter-
course or there would be armed collision.
There are certain rights which belong to
all nations, and which must be claimed
in the interest of humanity. AS English
ships had broken down the wall of China
so did an American fleet open the door
of Japan, simply by an attitude of firm