The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1895-06-28
OF THE couS TRY.
The Policy Of This Government lure
to Be vindicated in Time

WASHINGTON, May 3l.-The State
Department has some interesting
information from Hawaii which sus.
tains the Administration in. its de
NAL OF annexation to Hawaii. 1t
has not been officially announced,
and it is not generally known, that
ex-Minister Thurston maintained
that annexation should not disturb
existing social and political relations
in Hawaii, so far as the suffrage of
certain inhabitants of the Pacific
Republic was concerned.
Considerable attention has again
been given lately in the State De-
partment to the Hawaiian subject,
and an investigation conducted on
semi-ofiicisl lines demonstrated to
the satisfaction of the President
that the proposition of certain Ha-
waiians in favor OF annexation is
now more impossible and unwise
than ever before. Those who are
most acquainted with the situation
believe that time and future events
will justify the action of President
Cleveland in discouraging the annex
ationists. AS one OF the State De-
partment officials said to the CORES
pondent of The New York Times:
81 believe that the condemnation OF
the Administration has come from
i'll informed and misinformed.-one
can hardly say ignorant-sources
and believe. that there will be a
hearty approval OF what has been
done by this Administration to pre-
vent Hawaii's annexation when all
the conditions are better known"
Elk. Minister Thurston's intention
bhdN Uho oOCioi bttuaJiOu obo tho
conditions of suffrage in Hawaii
should remain unchanged offers an
important and impressive obstacle
to the desired extension of the
United Sta es Government to the
Sandwich Islands. 1t is impossible
to accept these conditions as part
OF any domain over which the Con
stitution has any authority. Recent
reports to the State Department
show that, within the last yea a
period subsequent to the Efforts of
the annexationists, there have been
no less than 5000 contract laborers
admitted into Hawaii. This in
cresses the number of coolies to
probably more than 35,000-at least
third of the entire population Of
the republic.
1t is said that those most CON
cerned in the annexation project
were made acquainted with this
obstacle to annexation, but the note
of warning appears 10 have been
lost. Even MIR. Thurston himself
was directly or indirectly respon-
sible for the admission at Honolulu
of two shiploads of Portuguese
laborers. This element in the Ha-
waian population will some day
confront those who feel that a
change in our Federal Administra-
ton will bring about annexation.
"This subject" said the official
above quoted, "is certain to harass
the Republicans if they ever have to
deal with the Hawaiian question, as
some of the Republican papers are
hungry to do. 1t is an erroneous
idea to suppose that the United
States rejected the Hawaiian pro-
position for annexation solely on
questions OF justice TO the former
ruler OF the country. How would
our Republican friends handle this
contract labor feature? There are
treaty conditions which deny to those
contract laborers the suffrage which
is the privilege of all the classes in
this country. The Hawaiian Con-
stitution limits suffrage to those
having certain property interests,
and this feature is contrary, of
course, to the National Constitution
and any State document"
When Republican Congress takes