The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-14
INSECURITY IN HAWAII.

The troubles in Hawaii are far from
being settled. 1t is evident that the
so-called republic rests upon a very
insecure basis. Without the consent
of the governed, how can any form of
government be properly called a re-
public, and how can it endure as re-
public unless it obtains that consent,
freely and sincerely given?
1t is of no use for the friends of the
Hawaiian oligarchy to try to obscure
the fact that the Hawaiian monarchy
was overthrow by a small number of
white people, chiefly Americans, and
that when the so-called republic was
set up nobody was permitted to vote
who would not swear allegiance to the
provisional government, and that the
actual vote cast was Insignificant COM
pared with the population of the is
lands.
Since the success of the conquering
japanese in their war with China,
there has been considerable uneasiness
on the Hawaiian islands in reference
to the course which the japanese, who
are numerous there, might pursue in
case of a revolt. That has been pooh
poohed by the apologists for the Dole
administration, and it is argued that
the Japanese would cut no figure in
such an event.
The Japan Gazette, however, pub
Hshed at Yokohama, in discussing this
question, has a pertinent article which
we here reproduce. 1t is as follows:
''That republic is foredoomed to early
extinction. The white population in a
total of over $4,000 cannot, inclusive
of those born on the islands and OF
those still retaining their own nation
atty, be more than 10000. About one
fifth of these are Americans and it IS
this small section, supported Ey few
Englishmen, Germans and Norwegians,
which has set up the present republic.
There are a large number of whites
Numerically opposed to the present
system; that alone is a sufficient proof
of instability But there ere other
and more dangerous factors. The ma
ttves. comprising $4,000, are all hostile
to the existing regime, and are likely
to give constant trouble. But most
dangerous of all are the Japanese. In
1890 they numbered 1850, principally
male adults. Since then they have
been considerably augmented. Aneri-
can newspapers place their number at
10000. This is probably TOO high fig
ure, but 10000 will not be very far
wrong The great difference between
these laborers and the Hawaiian ma
tives is that they are mostly T:en in
their prime, and therefore would, in
case of a rise, form a powerful force.
They are unrepresented in the republic.
they have no votes, and are allowed
none of the privileges which the rev.
olutionists arrogated 20 themselves.
They cannot, then, be we'll disposed
to the government, and that govern
ment cannot, with so many antago-
nistic forces constantly undermining
its influences, be permanent. Nor can
Hawaii be properly governed except
it be taken in hand by foreign pcwer.
There are only two who could inter-
fere, and probably one that will. The
United States government objects.
rightly enough, to acquiring foreign
possessions, and with so huge a con-
tinent to work upon it would be the
essence of unwisdom for Americans to
go abroad to seek new territories. But
Japan is differently circumstanced.
She requires an outlet for her surplus
population, an outlet the conquest she
is now achieving will not afford. For
the districts she is appropriating from
China are either too poverty-stricken
or too populous to offer inducements to
the class Of men Japan is SO anxious
to send abroad. The Hawaiian islands,
on the other hand, would be an ideal
acquisition. The climate is admirably
suited to Japanese constitutions, and
the work of kind peculiarly adapted
to Japanese peasant labor. And the
twenty thousand Japanese have as
much right to overthrow tie present
government by force as that govern
ment had to depose the former queen.
Should they care to go to such lengths
the question of electoral privileges will
afford sound argument on which to
base peremptory demands. The white
rulers of Hawaii and her friends in
San Francisco are not slow to detect
danger"