The herald., 1893-02-10
HAWAII IN OUR GRASP.

The news has reached us that the
American flag wss raised above the gov
ernment building of Honolulu on the 1st
instant. This was done at the order of
United States Resident Minister Stew
ems and as signal that the government
of the United States had assumed the
protection of the Hawaiian Islands.
These proceedings were backed by q
strong display of force, Commander
Wiltse of the United States war ship
Boston, having sent battalion of sail
ors ashore to oppose any resistance that
might be made.
Mr.. Stevens took this serious step at
the request, as he says, of the provis-
ional government. 1t is asserted and
denied that there was danger of an out
break against the authority of the pro-
visional government, and that we'll
grounded fears were entertained that
counter revolutionary disorders were
about to take place that would imperil
the property of American citizens and
other foreigners. However this might
be, there does not appear to have been
exhibited any overt act that would JUS
tify such fears.
We are now placed face to face with
the fact that the United States, through
it's official representative and the navy,
have practically established protector
ate over the islands. Unless the acts of
NJ Ctavap. ooa Co,or,opda~ yV;Iksa ora
disapproved and repudiated by the gov
ernment, Hawaii is now an outlying
province Of the United States. Our flag
waves over its palaces and public build
ings, and we have taken ar med posses
sion of the country. This solves the
question of annexation. All that the
administration has to do is to accept the
situation and congress to seal the acts
of the minister and navy commander by
determining the kind OF autonomy it
will give to the inhabitants Of the
islands.
But 1t is just here where the trouble
will come in. Everybody has well-de-
fined idea on the subject OF American
control of the islands. There is no di-
vision of opinion about the fact that no
European or other government will be
permitted by US to seize or dominate
the group. But when the question is
presented whether we shall annex the
islands and make them an integral
part of the union, or take them perma-
nently under our protecti on, then q
wide diversity of opinion arises.
The objections to annexation are man
fold. The great interest of the islam DIS
is the sugar industry, and that indus
try has fastened upon the country a sys-
tenn of servile contract labor, altogether
opposed to the principles which govern
industrial pursuits in the United States.
Ii we take the islands into the union,
we take them with some thirty thou
sand coolies from China and contract
laborers from the Antilles. We take
them with system OF semi slavery
that is repugnant to our laws and insti-
tutions, and we add another difficulty
to the problem between capital and
labor which we are all earnestly trying
to solve.
Besides this very serious question, we
are confronted with the fact that If we
make the islands an integral portion of
the union, the planters will be entitled
to receive the same bounty on their
sugar that is now paid by the govern
ment to the planters of Louisiana. This
bounty will reach an enormous figure.
The lowest estimate we have seen is
$l0,000,0 900 per annum, and one statisti.
clan has figured it as high as $2S 900, 900.
AS portion of the United States the
sugar industry would be greatly in
creased, and it is impossible to foretell
what figure the bounty would reach in a
few years unless the law should be
repealed as far as it affects sugar made
from cane. This would very probably
be done, as the bounty was only i'm
posed for the purpose Of encouraging the
production of sugar from beets, sorghum
and the juice of the maple tree.
The objection which we have to the
accession of the servile population which
SO largely constitutes the inhabitants of
the islands is more serious one than
even the stupendous bounty which q
handful of men will receive from our
government. That can be stopped; but
there is no remedy for the other.
Perhaps out of all this perplexity Mr..
Stevens and Commander Wiltse by their
prompt and arbitrary action have shown
us the best way to deal with the subject.
They have practically seized the islands
for us and established the beginning oi
protectorate. Follow this up by max.
ing the protectorate permanent. Let ut
hold Hawaii as the English hold India
Establish military post at Honolulu
30 as to insure protection to the people
Of the islands, and build up and fortify
a formidable naval post at Pearl harbor
to protect them from attack or seizure
by European or other naval powers.
!