The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-02-11
SUGAR sPEou1AToRs
Brought About the Hawaiian Revolution
It Is Claimed.

IL Is Claimed.
CHICAGO, Feb 2.-In published in-
terview Thomas Il. Evans, commits
stoned officer of Queen Liliuokalani, OF
Hawaii, who is visiting relatives here,
is quoted as follows:
"The causes leading to the revolution
are to be looked for considerably below
the surface of what has been published
in the dispatches from San Francisco.
1t should be borne in mind that the
source of information given to the
press is from the committee of revolu-
tionists now on its way to Washington
to present their side of the case to the
national government, and to asks its
interference in their behalf This COM
mission did not wait for the regular
mail steamer, which is due to arrive in
San Francisco February 8, but char
tered a special steamer so as to have its
ex parte statements and views laid be-
fore the American people before the
other side had u similar opportunity.
That there is another side goes without
saying, or such haste would not have
been made in putting their case. 1t
would be well, therefore, to suspend
Judgment until we are in possession of
more and fuller information as to what
the people of Hawaii want, and to what
extent this commission represents their
wishes
'"rhis revolution has been brought
about by interested parties with the
view of improving their financial con-
ditions by inducing the United States
to restore to them the advantages they
received under the reciprocity previous
to the passage of the Mckinley bill.
Under this treaty Hawaiian sugar was
admitted into the United States
free of duty, and the planters
were making rs to 100 per cent.
on their plantation investments.
This remission of duty on the
part of the United States has amounted
to something like Sc, 100000 a year,
which has gone into the pockets of
thirty or forty men. Now that not
more than 10 per cent. can be made on
sugar cultivation, the planter is unable
to reconcile himself to the existing or
der of things He sees in annexation
the advantage of the two cents per
pound bonus, and to get this he is ready
to sacrifice the Hawaiian queen, the
Hawaiian people and everything and
everybody else
1.-THE cause of the revolution is
ascribed to the so-callcd new constitu-
ton to be proclaimed by the queen. 1t
would be well, perhaps, to wait for
further advices before we accept this
statement. This so-called new consti-
tuition was simply a restoration of the
constitution under which the Hawaiian
people were governed by King Kalakaua
until the interests that are now repre-
sented in the 'On to Washington COM
mittee and led by the same l.. A. Thurs
ton, forced another one which has been
Objectionable, both to the queen and
the majority of her subjects. 1t was in
compliance with the almost unanimous
demand of the natives both in and out
of parliament, and of over two-thirds
of the voters, in the kingdom, that the
queen intended to return to the original
constitution, which restored to the ma
tives the franchise taken away by the
last one.
"The obstacles in the way of annexa-
tion are many. There is the Chinese
question. How can the United States
admit the 10000 Chinese residents of
Hawaii to citizenship?
Most of these are coolies of the very
lowest type, brought from China under
contract to work on the plantations at
S15 per month. How can we extend the
invitation to these people to come into
our fold, while our present laws remain
in the statute books?
1.-THE debt of Hawaii is little less
than sS,OOO,oOO, mostly held in Eng
land.
There are other interests in Hawaii
to protect besides the American plant
ers. There are the interests of the ma
tlves which can not be overlooked.
A little over 100 years ago these num-
bered 100000. Through the intro
duction of civilization, with it's cloth
ing and whisky, there remain now
scarcely so, 600, and instead of the mag
nificent physical specimens of manhood
of yore, with their large tracts of valu-
able land, we have scarcely a moderately
wealthy native left. Their lands have
been gobbled up by the missionary, the
adventurer and speculator TO crown
all, the committee comes now with the
proposition to contiscate the entire
kingdom, lands, natives and all"