Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-17
HA WAITS FUTURE
The English Would Like the Is
land for a Hallway Point.
CAUSE OF REPUBLIChNBM STRONG
The Portuguese to Migrate to
South Africa.
S T E A D Y P r o G r E S S
S T E A DY P ROO RE S s
pc cal CorresE ondence of The Evening Star

Some British colonial criticism of Ha-
waian affairs has recently appeared from
an official source, which is of interest as
illustrating a generally jealous and hos
tile British attitude throughout the Pa
cilc toward American ascendancy in Ha-
vail.
Three Queensland officials made our is
lands hasty visit of a fortnight last Jan
uary, as l wrote you at the time. week
of this they spent in visiting the volcano.
They were Fl. NJ. Nelson, the premier of
that Australian colony; i. J. Byrnes at
torney general, and Il. Phlip, minister of
mines. Upon their arrival at Sydney, FEB
ruary 10, they were interviewed in behalf
of the Sydney Herald, and Mr.. Byrnes as
spokesman, made lengthy statement
about affairs in Hawaii. After highly
praising the civilized progress and agricul-
tural prosperity Of oar islands, he pro-
ceedeG TO very unfavorable criticism of our
political condition. In doing this, while
showing some acumen, and perhaps as
much accurate knowledge as could be en-
rected after SO hurried 4 visit he betrayed
the secondhand nature of most of his i'm
pressons, which were manifesty derived
from intercourse with British c1nfreres in
Honolulu. Ills criticisms may accordingly
be taken as fairly representing the men
tai attitude toward of Engiishmen in
this part CT the world. He says:
THE constitution shat those who have
really usUrped the government have foistei
upon the COUNTRY is such that the natives
are practically excluded from all she Re
IN the government OF their own countr,"
This sounds cdl to one who frequents The
Present slttihss of the legisla ture, and OBJ
serves a na;iVc presiding over the lower
mouse, malt of whose members are natives,
ana who notices that mitch OF the tinl. the
senate is pres.ied over by native vice
president. The truth is that the present
constitution gives to The natives precisely
the same share in the rgovernment-thc
slne iranch!Ssa-as did the preceding one
The only difference is that the upper house
SITS separately, and has somewha more
power than the representatives. But ma
t!veS who have $500 income a: large num-
bers Of them dc, can vote for senator's.
Ihen, too, how is ii about the native
Maores of New Zealand. who are of the
same race as the Hawaians, and rather
superior to them in ability, having any
snare in the government IF their Own
country, now prosperous British colony?
Mi Byrnes says that the natives gem
crazy decline to take the oa:h 90 moth
ing IN the way OF restoration of the mon
archy, and l do not think any one can
blame them for their action in this re-
spect, because the restoration of monar-
chicai Institutions would mean practically
a continuance of the native sovereignty of
the country
1t was true that two years ago the ma
Jcrity OF the natives refused to take the
i
that at the Eext election most of them will
take the oath and vote, having abandoned
nope OF the restoration of monarchy But it
Is interesting 10 see an Englishman SYM
pathlzing with the sovereignty of an IN
capable aboriginal race, such as his own
people always sweep aside as matter Of
course whenever they occupy an unc!vilized
country. Americans, on the contrary, when
they colohi|ed Hawaii, held up, propped and
guided the weak native government, just as
long as the public safety would allow
CDnsent of the Governed.
Mr.. Byrnes farther declares our govern
nent to be really based upon force and
nothing else. They maintain a large mill
tary force, ard there is generally an Amer
lean warship there" The warship is, of
course, entirely neutral, intended for pro-
lection Of American life and property in the
case of any public disturbance. The mill
tary costs less than $4,000 a year The
army numbers only one in one thousand OF
the population, or about one-ffteenth the
proportion Of European standing armies
STILL, he proceeds, lit is only a tyranny
ndsqueradinS in the form of a republic,
because, to quote the American Constitu-
tlon, which these people pretend they are
initiating, government exists only by the
consent of the governed, and the governed
certainly in this case-the great majority
OF them-are against the government.
The feeling of the natives who
ernmeEt. The feeling of the British resi-
dents Is also against them, well as a
large part of the American population"
MI Byrncs is wholly in error about the
american population, few of whom do not
favor the republic. A strong minority of
British residents and nearly all Germans as
well as the Portuguese also favor it,
The republic is based upon the very united
support OF the whites, the Intelligent, CIV
1l1Zed population The little army could do
nothing were that support lacking. These
whites maintain in Honolulu thoroughly
drilled force of 800 unpaid volunteers, who
are prompt 20 answer any summons. Our
late visitor was simply echoing the habitual
talk CT Our British opponents in Hawaii as
Well as vocing his own instructive oppo-
si1on as Brltisher to American domina-
tion here. 1t is a futile endeavor of his, to
hold us to conformity to a theoretical ideal
OF republican government Our system is
thoroughly republican and representative,
Notwithstanding its limitation Of the suf-
frase OF the incapable classes, who here
form such majority of the voters. To sur
render to such the controlling power would
be destructive of civilization and CONNER
cha! efficiency. The state is practically con-
trolled by more intelligent class of voters,
such as earn a skilled artisans income,
while the incapable class of common labor
ers have voice. but an inferior one, in pub
lie affairs. Ours is not an American popu-
lation, mainly intelligent and sensible, and
cannot be handled on purely democratic
principles. None know This better than Mr..
Byrnes and his friends, who want no re-
Public here 1t ALL but to have us revert to
monarchy, which should be "a puppet in
their British hands, with farEmore limited
suffrage than at present.
our Queensland friend goes on very alb
surdly to point out that the Japanese \ousht
to have the suffrage. 1.-THE monarAhicsl
government might be justified in contnu-
Ing to treat them as aliens-a monarchical
government that merely continued the old
native domination of the islands. But how
can republic refuse the franchise to the
Japanese who are settled there, when they
base their institutions on the American sys-
tenn, which absolutely gave the franchise
to American negro slaves?'
IF the japanese get the franchise, they
Will rule the islands. and the Hawaiian
group will really become a dependency Of
Japan. The result would be a large
Japanese settlement comparatively close to
America, and right between Canada and
our own country"
Mr.. Byrnes next remark is correct and
important. lTo that :extent Australia is
very much lnterested in the country. We
are building up trade with Canada, and
the route to that country is going to be a
highway of considerable traffic. Right on
the road lie the islands, This is very good
indeed; but If his narrow British eyes could
only open little wider, he might discover
he