The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-01-24

nearly twenty-five years since,
They were written by Mr. Curtis j
Lyons, later of the Government
Survey, who then edited that
magazine:
ANNEXATION.
Responsible writers may we'll pause
before putting i'll the enduring record
of printed pages any careless thoughts
on subject of this nature. Save as q
mere indulgence of day-dreams, we
have no business with careless
thoughts on the matter--much less
words, or record of such words, with
out due deliberations. The interests
involved are too great; too much pre-
judice is TO be encountered, and too
much true and right feeling is to be
set into state of commotiOn; and
too many questions are likely To arise
which the wiSeSt men may not fore
see-to sanction in this ease any style
of discussion such as is usually found
in the columns of partisan news
papers.
This may appear to some very
magnitied view of u very small sub
ject. Scantiness, littleness, iejune-
ness, remOtenesS, thinness of popula-
ton, cOntractedness of area, smallness
of proportion of arabic landau these
are characteristics of our microscopic
world which the stranger is sure-to
notice, and which the returned child
of the soil often feels with painful
vividneSs on his arrival here from the
shores of the bOundless continent.
What are 10000 people in the political
or commercial affairs of this hemis-
phere I'm number less than the
population of some counties in the
older United States. This is, how
ever, even from a materialistie point
of view wrong estimation of the sub
ject. There are times when the safety
of noble ship may be endangered by
the starting of single ring-bolt.
Points almost mathematical serve as
centers for ponderOus movements of
machinery. The tiercest passage of a
great battle sometimes RACES around
some paltry barn or bit of fence. And
when we come to the moral bearings
of the subject, we all know it is COM
paratively unimportant points that
become typical of great questions.
Policy toward an island may become
policy toward half a continent. Cues
lions were discussed in our little in
significant Convention of 1864 that
have shaken kingdoms. And as to
the comparative value of numbers of
men-are not two men in San Fran
cisco worth ten thousand in the center
of China Did you never play chess,
our reader? and bring piece after
piece from the queen down to defend
some Insignificant pawn. Hawaii
may be such pawn.
The time in the worlds history is
past when the calm, quiet discussion
of political changes by thinking men,
and especially by those who put prin-
ciple before self-interest, can be re-
garded as dangerous to the public
peace. Far more, certainly, is the
time past when such discussion shall
be esteemed a crime against either
states or individuals, and punished as
such. Moreover, if any particular
question is an important one, far more
is the need, when all are talking of it
and thinking of it, for those who pro-
fesS to have had certain advantages in
forming and expressing opinions, to
set themselves cOnscientiOusly and
III "OIA " OuI
they themselves think, and the rea-
sons which influence their private if
not their public conduct, and to en-
deavor at least to give others the
opportunity to use the same reasons
as guides to right course.
2. In q previous number of the
Magazine we endeavored to set forth
in as clear and forcible manner as
possible the question of annexation as
viewed from the Hawaiian and anti
annexation standpoint. The prin-
cipaI point urged there was that out
of respect for and sympathy with the
national pride of the Hawaiians,
every true-hearted man of other races
should hesitate before rudely advo-
eating what might needlessly wound
that pride. The grounds for this
pride were also stated and vindicated.
1t is proper to add here that of all
persons, true republican will be the
one most likely to respect this ma
tional feeling. Last of all people
should the Americans be in doing
what might be called taking away
the country of another. Moreover,
y
may become American by the bar
gaining and authority of other
than the inhabitants, this compare
lively enlightened country is ensued
by its progress in intelligence and, we
may add in a certain sense, freedom,
from becoming American save by the
will of its people. THE actions of the
Legislature of 1923 have cast serious
doubts over the truth of this state
ment.-ED.
We have said that the national
pride of the people was against it.
Pride is very good in its place-some-
times very saving element. Some
times, however, it happens that i'm a
practical business point of view some
thing else may be better. Yankee
thrift, few years ago, won the day
against something that opposed it.
Now it might possibly be true that
the individual members of the Ha-
waiian people would have a better
chance without all that national
pride. Mind, we say, it might be. IT
is an open question. Surprising it
were true-would it be unkind to tell
them of it?
Now suppose another thing. Sup
pose Hawaii were a State of the
United States. In that case would
there not be as genuine a pride oil
country as now Has not the Cali
fornian genuine California patriot
ism and pride ? And Massachusetts
man likewise And most especially
a Rhode Islander? If we mistake not
there would be double cause foI
pride; of the United States and CT
Hawaii at the same time.
The true question is however, and q
pulling question it doubtless is
would the people as a whole who in