The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-09-30
SIGNS OF PUBLIC OPINION
HAWAIIAN MATTERS ABLY DIS
CUSSED.
Letters Of Messrs. alexander and
Comfy to the New York Sun
Anne xstion the Thing.

dates
To the Editor Of the Sm-SlR
Your very vigorous and able insistment
that the only proper thing for US to do
with the Sandwich Islands is to annex
them is sustained by right, reason, and
pubic policy 1t is not necessary,
however, to justify annexation by pre-
cedent. 1t is sufficient that annexation
will be a good thing for us and will be
good thing for the people of those
Islands, and that there is no foreign
power willing and able to prevent it.
JERSEY CRY, Sept 8. ]. NJ. n.
To the Editor of the Sun: - SIR !:
The talk of Charles Nordhoff derogato-
ny to the "children of the missionsries"
in the Sandwich Islands is the common
cant of all the disreputable element in
the Hawaiian Islands To the natives
themselves the word mikdnele has
come to be term of opprobrium and
lreproach, much as young men of sport
ing proclivities and gay humor stig
Matte one who is not, a milksop; or as
gay circle of students at a college or
university look askance at the one they
call dig" The wives of the first
missionaries persuaded the native wo-
men to hide their nakedness with the
nightgowns they presented TO them-a
form of garment perpetuated in the
flowing holokn of to-day, The mission
aries gained sufficient influence over
some Of the kings to secure the restric.
ton of the licentious excuses and in
descrbable orgies that used to accom-
pany the funeral of chiefs. The race
has never ceased to resent prudish
scrupes thus indicated They fume
and fret under moral restriction; for
the restraints they have been under in
these respects were not legal. 1t was
thus that the term mikanele was evolv.
ed in its general application to all who
frown upon unrestrained drunkenness
and RIGHTEOUSNESS among the natives.
| The late Kalakaua once had it in mind
to buy sumptuous pleasure yacht for
himself and steam about the world
with his women and his boon compan-
ions in splendid luxury. Those of his
advisers who expressed their scrupes
about bonding the kingdom for such a
purpose were denounced as mikanele.
There has not been a political adven-
turer in the islands for fifty years who
has not used this catchword to arouse
discomfort with the existing order in
the minds of the sovereign and the
natives. Thirteen years ago disre.
putable Italian adventurer induced the
King to turn out his Cabinet in the
dead of night and to make him his
Premier. The whole material of his
Campaign was the cry mikanele. Seven
years aiterwsrd Walter Murray Gibson,
a renegade Mormon, repeated the same
performance by hattering Kalakaua
with hopes of the barb,ric splendor
and license with which they would
spend the substance Of the kingdom if
they could subjugate of the mikanele.
This is the course of development
Of the cant Nordhoff has picked up to
seek to dscredit the elements of social
order and stable government in the
Hawaiian Islands. They realize that
they are naked and defenceless against
the powers Of the world, and they have
Loyalty sought to preserve the rights
and interests Of the United States
against those powers, knowing well
that their only chance for permanent
prosperity is in the dominance of tine
| United states in the Islands
Guy S. Comfy
Washington, September 9TH.
THE HAWAIIAN QUESTION.
To the Editor of the Snn-SIR 4:
see that the New York Herald Of
the cd inst. contains another letter by
Mr.. Charles Nordhof, written at the
Coronado residence, which he holds in
fef of its owner, his Saccharinity,
Claus Spreckels. This article is dis
tinguished by its authors usual malice
and mendacity, as well as his adrolt-
ness in garbling facts and raising side,
issues
1t is gross and false assumption
that all persons on the Islands who
have not signed the roll OF the Annexl-
ton Club are opposed to annexation,
and it is perfectly abSuri to. talk about
a severe pressure being put on the
poor natives" to compel them to sign
it. All residents on these Islands know
that, as far as the natives are con-
cerned, the intimidation is all on the
other side, and that It is only the most
independent, intelligent and patriotic
natives that dare to openly wear the
American colors and to face the threat,
and abuse Of the Royalists. When we
consider the ignorance Of the natives,
the specious appeals to race hatred and
suspicion and the confident assertions
of the antl-American party, backtd by
Spreckels and his British allies, that
the ex-Queen will be soon restored, the
only wonder is that SO many Of them
have come out openly in favor Of an
neXatlon. For every native that has
signed, there are others who would
Igladly do SO, if assured of immunity in
the future, while large number re-
main indifferent, awaiting results. Be
fore the end Of July there were over SIX
thousand names of adult males on the
annexation rolls, and the numb1r was