The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-08-02
THE oLEsoN INTERVIEW.
Reasons Why the United States Ought
to Annex This Group.

The Boston Herald Of July nth has
the following:
A Herald man enjoyed Yesterday a
very interesting chat with Mr.. William
Brewster Oleson, resident of Homo
lulu, who is now on visit to this
country, and is spending some days in
Boston. Mr.. Oleson is the principal of
the Kamehameha manual training
school, has 200 pupils under his care,
is in sympathy with the best elements
of the native population of his adopted
country, and may be said to represent
the views of nearly $1,000 Hawaiians.
He began what he had to say by
sketching the present condition Of
affairs on the Islands. "The Pro-
visional Government at Hawaii" he
said, sis in a stable financial condition.
All the departments are moving along
with great efficiency. But there is an
air of expectancy in the community
with reference to the action which the
United States is going to take. That
is one element which creates unCer-
tainty in business and in other matters.
Any assurance of stable government
there for the future, under the direction
of the United States, would be received
by nine.tenths of the people with the
utmost satisfaction. That does not
mean that all those people now favor
annexation, but it does mean that, if
the administration should intimate what
its probable policy is to be, and that
were to be in the direction either of
strong
PRorEcToRATE OR OF ANNEXATION,
the great mass of the people would be
relieved and satisfied.
"The people who are opposed to
annexation in the Islands are men who,
if annexation we're to take place, would
be hearty supporters Of it. The reason
they do not favor it now is very largely
their ignorance, or, so far as the Ha-
waiian population is concerned, rea-
sons of politics. So far as the foreign
element is concerned, such Govern
ment as that offers large opportunities
for political corruption, and that has
been the record of the administration
of the Islands since Kalakaua came
upon the throne in 1875. You will
remember that in 1857 the Govern
ment had become so corrupt and the
King so despotic in interfering with
the Legislature and in domineering
over the electorate that the people rose
en- n1dsSe and secured a constitution
which, it was hoped at that time,
would preserve the independence of
the Hawaiian Government and yet
afford to the property and industrial
interests of the country the stability
and support that were necessary. But,
although the people secured new
constitution, they did not get new
Kalakaua, and he confined to the end
of his reign to intrigue and conspire to
avoid his obligations under that consti-
tuition, and to interfere with the func-
tons of the Legislature, After his
death and the accession of Liliuokalani,
the same course was pursued by her,
eliminating in her efforts to carry
things back to where they were before
Kalakaua had granted the new consti
tuition of 1887.
"The majority of the people in thu
Islands had been favorable to the indie
pendence of the country, and haC
wanted it to preserve its autonomy, blu
when Liliuokaloni attempted to abro
gate the constitution of 1887
AND PROCLAIM NEW ONE,
taking away from the people many o
the rights they had previously acquired
this appeared to the people like tota
failure of the independent nationa
existence of the Islands. 1t seemed t.
show that they were incapable, withop
outside help, of securing a stable Gov
eminent that they were liable tc
frequent revolutions, disastrous to tn,
industrious, agricultural and CONNER
cial interests of the country. Thi
sentiment has been growing. 1t is tn,
conviction of the great majority Of tn,
more intelligent and industrious of tn,
residents of all nationalties.
"The Hawaiians of intelligence anc
ability are very largely in favor of an
nexation. 1t is only the more corrup
class among the Hawaiians, aided by
corrupt foreign class, very few of whom
are Americans, who are using thei
influence to keep the great mass of tn
native population from joining annexa
ton clubs"
To the question whether stabl
native government was possible, MI
Oleson replied: 81 do not think SC
The people have been very patien
there in preserving aboriginal institu
tons, modifying them very gradual
in the direction of the reforms tina
have taken place. These reforms hav
been as much to the advantage of tn
native Hawaiians as to that of foreign
ers on the Islands. There has bee
no color distinction maintained Their
CIR even recognized. The Hawaiian
have enjoyed full participation in tn
Government. Trey have held mine
Offices, and sometimes even cabint
positions; but, with few marked e,
ceptions, they have shown themselvt
untitled for prominent positions Eve
their own kings have said that, and on
of them deplored the fact that h
people had the suffrage. He regarde
it as right which they were not able I
exercise
WITH PROPER DISCRETION.