Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-02

tEuSlWOTtny white men always nelQ the
reins Of power and directed affairs. Had
the natives at any time in the past fifty
years undertaken to run the government
themselves it would have gone to pieces.
Common People Never Ruled.
During AL this time. up to the recent
ab-ogation Of the monarchy what share
did the common people have in the govern
ment? This is very important point, as
indicating what share they now should
enjoy according to the presidents of their
past. That share was always very small,
and their influence very limited. The
simple fact is that there is no precedent
in the past of the native Hawaiians for
giving a popular majority the controlling
power In the government The majority of
the common people have never ruled in
Hawaii, either nominally of in fact All
this clamor that the destiny of the govern
ment of Hawaii should be left to the de-
cision of the majority of the natives has no
foundation in precedent. any more than IL
has in reason.
The White Mans Control.
This constitution of 1887 did not in any
way diminish the power Of the common
people. Indeed, it gave many of them
new power. that Of participating in the
choice of mobiles They retained all of the
powered choosing representatives which they
ever had. and the voice Of those representa-
tives could no longer be perverted by the
kings control Of them as officeholders. 1t
was only the kings power that suffered.
That was largely taken from him, and as
sEmed by the income-holding electorate the
majority Of whom were whites. Under this
constitution of 1887, the white man held
substantial control in the legislature. This
body also had power to eXpel a cabinet by
vote of want Of confidence, and so still far
ther controlled the government.
1t is thus shown, which is the point now
In question, that the common people of Ha-
vail have never at any time possessed or
exercised control Of the legislature. That
was always lodged elsewhere. first in the
king, and afterward in a special electorate,
composed mainly of whites. There is thus
no precedent for bestowing upon a popular
majority of Hawaiian voters such control Of
public affairs. If the new constitution
keeps that control from them, as IL un-
doubtedly WILL it will deprive them of moth
Ing In which they have ever possessed 1t
Will simply continue, as far as the native
people are concerned. the distribution Of
power which has always been made The
large white colony which has been growing
up in Hawaii for seventy years does not
accept the position of a merely tolerated
guest. We belong here. fully as much as do
the aboriginal population. A large propor-
ton or US were born here. The parents of
large numbers were also born here Min
lister l.. A. Thurston's father and mother
both of them were born in Hawaii and
spent their lives here We fail TO under
any superior right to ourselves in the coun-
try. Their ancestors came here from the
Friendly Islands, in the neighborhood of
Samoa, about twelve hundred years ago
They were or the savage races of man
Kind. OF much higher and more kindly
type than the ordinary savage, Yet below
the average In the scale of humanity They
never rose or advanced in that scale, until
Americans brought to them Christianity
and civilization. Our white people have set
tied here. We have made Hawaii our home
with these aboriginal Polynesians. We have
not crowded or oppressed them. They have
diminished to one-ffth OF their number
eighty years ago. but entirely through their
own frailties, and not through any unkind-
ness of ours. We have cherished and sup
ported the authority of their chiefs, until
nearly all those chiefs have disappeared
and their people form only two-ffths of the
whole population.
Our position is that the claim of the
Polynesian native to a share In the govern
ment OF me country Is to be measured
solely by his capacity to participate use
fully In that government Represented he
has a claim to be- and fully represented. so
that his rights and needs. as original occu-
pant shali not be neglected. But the mental
and moral condition of the mass of the
natives Is not sucn that they can be per-
mitted. through a majority OF numbers, to
exercise a controlling voice In the conduct
OF public affairs. This white colony Of over
2oOOO people owns or controls over twen-
ty-hve millions of dollars worth of property
In Plantations, mills. shipping. mercantile es-
Establishments, &C. This is a great organized
system OF affairs to be conducted and con-
served. 1t demands brains and character Of
no mean order to handle IL. To suppose
that all this system of affairs is to be Weld.
ed into the governmental control of an tz-
norant and incapable mass of Polynesisn
natives is an absurdity. Perhaps ultra
democratic theories call for It: but our prac-
teal, sensible Anglo-Saxons are not gov
erend by mere theories. We see what will
ri at,1 fAI1x
situations. We know Of no rule that requires
the vote OF every man in n republic to be OF
equal value Whatever custom NAV preys 81
In the United States. there is no stipula-
In guaranteeing republican government 70
each state. there Is no such definition Of
republican government.
A Test of Intelligence.
1t is not proposed in Hawaii to make any
distinction Of voting priflege as to race.
unless. perhaps. Asistics should be excluded
from citizenship. Polynesians will stand on
equal terms with Europeans by right as
first occupants of the country. One rule as
to suffrage will be made to apply to men OF
all races. There will be some educational
standard adopted. Perhaps for voters for
the upper house. a higher educational test
VIII be adopted. There is no doubt that the
income or property qualification for this
hlgner class OF voters will be kept at lea st
such income or property test will secure in
telllgence and responsible character in n
majority of such voters. while the lack NJ
such qualification is presumptive of Inferior
lily IN capacity and character. Not a very
small number of the natives will be able TO
pass this test. and most of those persons
will vote judiciously. The great ma iority
OF the natives will thereby be excluded
from electing senator's while a majority Of
whites. except Portuguese will particinate
In such election. AS the natives improve in
civilization and in earning power as II is 10
be expected they Will continue to do. larger
numbers of them viii be represented in fhe
upper house " ~
At the present time the great mass of the
native Hawaiians are still in the inferior
and undeveloped mental plane which they
nave always occupied, as compared 10 the
European or to the Chinaman. The Ha-
waiian is markedly childish in his mental
development. Here and there are indi-
viduals who exhibit mental activity. The
majority even of the prominent people
among them show very imperfect mental
action. II one listens to the speeches which
are copiously poured forth by the average
Hawaiian member of the legislature in his
own tongue they are a mass of repetitious
Veroiage. with an extremely small amount
or definite meaning. which the skilled in
terpreter renders into English in a dozen
words for several minutes talk, often say
Ing, when the speaker says now in
terpret" he only repeated the same he
said before At the sessions Of the legis-
latu-e the native members bring in piles
or petitions from their constituents COM
monty for objects which have been mooted
among the candidates for election Most of
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