The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-04-13
THE QUESTION.
Shall We Annex Hawaii? By
Frank McC0ppiu.

In considering the question of an
nexing the Hawaiian Islands or of
extending to them protection in some
other form, there are two things to be
considered: First, the domestic aspect
of the case, and second, the import
ance to this nation of acquiring those
islands.
Unfortunately the sugar planters,
stimulated by the enormous profits
they were making under the Recipro-
city treaty, prior to the passage of the
Mckinley bill, flooded the islands with
contract labor of the very lowest or
der. These laborers were drawn most
~ from China and Japan, but good
many were also brought from the
South Sea Islands and the Madeiras.
This degraded mass of animated ma
ture now outnumbers the natives, and
in case of annexation would have to
be cared for by our Government.
The native blood and here we touch
upon matter that ought to be treated
with both tenderness and pity-is
deeply tainted with the virus of an in
durable disease. About a thousand of
these wretched incurables are now
imprisoned upon the island of Molo-
kai, and from that Imprisonment
death alone can release them. The
most heroic sacrifices have been made
by Christian men and women, who
faced and suffered death in it's most
loathsome form in the hope of ameli-
Grating the condition of those unhappy
people.
The story of Father Damien has
gone over the world, and touched
every heart not of stone. But the
Government of Hawaii, naturally
tender of its people, and knowing
their very strong aversion to being
taken to MOlokai, has thus far over
looked all but the most fragrant cases,
and therefore the islands are con-
sidered by many an unsafe place of
residence. Parents especially regard
them as very dangerous place in
which to bring up children. These are
facts which cannot be ignored, and in
case of annexation our Government
would have to deal with the unfortu-
mates more vigorously than they are
dealt with now.
The natives are controlled largely
by traditions and race sympathies--
they cling with passionate fondness
to the idea that Hawaii should be
for the Hawaiians, and were the
question of annexation submitted to
popular vote, if left to themselves they
would vote unanimously against it.
To them therefore annexation would
amount to coercion. But however
disagreeable it might be to the feel
I'M of tn Nj 0x~ln 70 l1n1
with the things here mentioned, soon
| or late, now or hereafter, the Govern
ment of the United States will be un.
der the necessity of dealing with
them.
Whenever the Hawaiian flag is
hauled down the stars and stripes
must go up and remain up over these
islands. "The morning drum beat of
England, following the sun and keep
ing company with the hours as it cir
cles the earth,p must not be heard
there-the United States must, when
necessary, take and hold them even at
the risk of war with that powerful
nation. ] am well aware that the
United States is not strong enough
upon the sea at present to hold the
islands by force against England,
but within sixty days from the
time of firing the first shot or
| delivering the first broadside by
British into an American ship in
the waters of Hawaii half million
| men would be marching into Cam
ada, and as q result the British
flag would disappear from the conti-
| nent of North America forever and
the prophecy of John Bright would in
part be fulfilled. Speaking of the
Tnff 1,tr +En 10 IL
days of the civil war, in great
speech delivered at Rochdale-I think
| it was-he said, in substance, the
time would come when from the
| frozen north to the glowing south
| there would be but one government
and one flag and one code of laws
| upon the American continent.
But whenever q question of this
| character arises-whether it be at
| Samoa, Chile or the Sandwich ISL
ands-the people of this country real
| iZe that the navy is not what it ought
to be, and not what they are willing
to make it. A country that can pay
$4,000, 900 a year to its pensioners
| ought to have navy of sufficient
| power to protect the honor of its flag
| wherever it floats. If the members
of the Senate and House of Repre-
seDtatives could be put on board one
| world it would do them and the
country infinite good. They would
not see the flag of their own country
except at rare intervals, but they
would see the flag of their great rival,
England, in every harbor and upon
| every sea the world round. They
would see, if they would but look, in
the fortified harbor of Esquimalt, in
the Behring Sea, in the waters of
Japan, in the China Sea, and in the
South Pacific-everywhere within
striking distance of this coast--power-
full engines of destruction, held as it
were in leash and ready to be slipped
AS veritable dogs of war. At the very
next session of Congress after their
return all the FORCES in the land would
be ablaze, and within q reasonable
time the country would have navy
commensurate with its position
| among the nations.-S. F. Examiner