The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-05-18
JAPANESE AND CHINESE IN
HAWAII.

corning the present relations be
tween Japan and Hawaii from
semi-oficial sources
The Japanese Government de
mauds the franchise for its people
resident in Hawaii, diplomatically
of course, by interpreting the
favored nation clause to mean that
their subjects should have the
same political as well as commercial
privileges extended to the subjects
of any other nation resident in Ha-
wall, and protests against the im-
migration of any more Chinese be
cause Mr.. Gibson, as they claim,
guaranteed this in correspondents
now some years old, and in the
second place because they fear that
large numbers Of Chinese and Jap |
anese side by side in this country /.
might get into difficulties which
would involve their home Govern
ments
This is a small community, and
those of us who are behind the
Government are anxious at all
times to be Of service in the admin
isration Of public affairs, and be
cause on most questions we are
taken fully into the confidence Of
the Executive, we are rather in the
habit of believing ourselves entitled
at all times to know everything
that is going on, and in this mat
ter the public are asking for en-
lightenment; but we apprehend
that for the present, at least, all Of
the details Of the correspondence
must be kept in reserve, and we are
willing to wait with patience the
time when the Executive is ready
to publish the facts, confident, as
we are, that the publication Of
everything that has transpired will
give another opportunity to ap-
plaud the diplomatic skill and intel
Igence of the Executive.
Our own opinion is that the
treaty with Japan applied only
to commercial privileges. We
have sought some legal counsel on
this matter and find that the stu
alton is without precedent because,
as before stated, no other country
has attempted to grant any eX-
tended political privileges to aliens,
citizenship being universally re-
quired as a condition to take part
in government. We could wish, in
asmuch as this claim raises a new
point in International Law, that
the matter might be submitted to
some arbitration for settlement.
As to the protest against the
further importation Of Chinese, we
learn that Mr.. Gibson in his cor
respondence merely stated that it
was the policy of the Hawaiian
Government to limit so far as pos
sible the immigration Of Chinese,
and we fail to understand how in
telligeut diplomacy can construe
such a declaration into a guarantee
against further immigration.
AS to the danger of conflict be-
tween Chinese and japanese here,
there are now just as many Of the
one as Of the other, and as expert
ence ought to be the best teacher
in such a matter the fact that there
has never been the slightest fric-
ton between the two peoples ought
to be sufficient to meet this point.
There are other considerations,
however, which cannot be ignored.
This is a government on American
lines, somewhat revolutionary for |
the present, but obviously one, par
ticularly under the new constitution,
that must be framed on liberal and |
impartial lines. At the same time
it is equally apparent that the gen
eral extension of the franchise to
Asiatics would mean the surrender
Of this country into alien hands and |
would give the Asiatic residents
here a sufficient majority to dispose
Of the country in accordance with
their own desires.
How, then, shall the franchise
be bestowed consistently with fair
ness and yet retain the power in
the hands of those most Justly en-
titled thereto? We must not lose
sight of the fact that 50 far, at least,
the Government of Japan is perfectly
good-tempered in this matter and is
simply claiming rights to which it
believes itself fairy entitled, and we
must, if possible, meet them in the
same spirit, avoiding the diff
culties, if possible, by pointing out
to them the errors in their construc-
ton, or otherwise settling the
matter in some mutually satisfac- |