The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-06-06
MR.. NORDHOFF ON THE HA-
WAIIAN MIDDLE.

To the Editor Of the Transcript
A sudden non-organized domestic rev.
olution on the Hawaiian Islands has
brought their annexation to the United
States prominently before the public.
Newspaper men have been sent there
to observe the situation. Not 'bly
among them Mr. Charles Nordhoff,
who goes as a partisan of the New
York Herald to gather facts and argu-
ments to fortify its position already an
nounced of anti-annexation. No cor
respondent better fitted for the work
could have been selected than Mr..
NOrdhoff, who, from his visit to the
islands about 1875 to the present, has
never failed to oppose and scout the
idea of the United States having any
commercial or political relations with
the islands, other than that of "hands
eff" policy, such as might beft the
relations OF the United States to any OF
the tribes in Central Africa.
The Cabinet of General Grant in
1876 and that Of Mr. Cleveland in
1857 differed from Mr. Nordhoff and
adopted a policy of commercial reel,
procity which has bound the Islands
irrevocably to the destinies Of the
United States; this result having been
an understood factor Of the bargain,
so to speak, when made in 1876. 1t
was furesecn that when the reciprocity
treaty should fail, either by abrogation
or by changes in the tariff of the United
States, rendering the treaty valueless to
the Islands, the question of more
intimate connection would Immediately
arise, involving the sequence that, hay
ing through a commercial policy of
fifteen years developed the Islands into
a garden, the United States would be
called upon to decide whether to accept
this garden, or aband IN it to others, or
let it revert again to its original insig-
nifcance.
This is a situation and question,
not sprung upon the islanders, either
native or foreign, but one contemplated
and thought upon for years, with the
accepted conclusion that some day il
would come to the front and was
capable of but one solution, so far as
the native autonomy is concerned.
The decadence and disappearance
of the native race, continuing uninter'
ruptedly for the last fifty years anc
showing no signs of cessation, unit
now they are only one third of the tota
population of the Islands, brings vividly
before the minds of thoughtful men thu
impossiblity of the failing race to retair
the reins of government Rule by
minority in these days is an absurdity
except under unusual circumstances
Hence this, among other causes, ha
produced the island situation of to-day
a situation not to be explained away b.
newspaper correspondents, who seek t,
elucidate it by superficial explanation
of the "mislea ding statements of Minis
ter Stevens" innocence of tn
Queen of all guile or sinister purpose
her facility of repentance, when opposed
by the revolt of those whose materia
interests would be ruined; the absurdi
ties and Inconsistencies of the rank an
file of those who are part Of, or supper
the Provisional Government; the SUP
posed mercenary leanirgs of the suga
planters, and an expose of the dirt
linen inseparable to all political revu
sions and political contests. To sue
exposes Mr.. Nordhoff has devoted HI
attention, ignoring the Logical sequenc
of island history-the philosophy Of tn
situation, by recommending to tn
public of the United States to revers
its past policy towards the Islands f
one of mawkish sentimentalism. q
Am eyiean in Boston Transcript