Evening star., 1896-12-17

have succumbed to the pestilence and at
least half of them have died, injecting
with themselves large numbers of the
whites. Honolulu would for months have
been a pest-hole. interrupting half the COM
merce of the Pacific. Even a strong white
cabinet, hampered by native sovereign,
would have failed to meet the needs of the
emergency. This is but single instance
of complications which must often occur,
demanding wise foresight and vigorous ac-
ton, such as only the white man can sup
ply. For this reason community located
like Hawaii centrally to commerce, must, OF
necessity. be completely under able white
administration.
1t was about thirty years ago, when the
native population was 80 per cent larger
than now, and the white population not
one-fourth its present number that con-
flict for political supremacy between the
native and the white race began TO take
shape. Before that time, under the old con-
fidential relations between the chiefs and
the missionaries, IA system had become es-
tablished by which the king and chiefs put
the administration Of public affairs. es-
pocially foreign matters. almost entirely
under the direction Of certain friendly and
reliable white men. The older chiefs and
their white assistants died out, and new
sets came into power. Jealousies naturally
arose. The new generation Of natives, with
trife of education, fancied themselves
competent to hold all offices, although they
were consp:cuously deficient. watchword
became current. Hawaii for the Ha-
waiians!' For twenty years there was a
constant struggle, on the part Of natives, to
place their men In office and control the
government. and on the part Of the whites
to secure competent administration. The
king. holding the legislature almost COM
pletely in his own hands, threw the balance
on the side of the natives. thoroughly to
the detriment Of proper government.
Native Government Corrupt.
In 1887 corrupt and incompetent govern
ment, chiefly in native hands. reached
crisis. The whites rallied, and by forci-
BILE revolution, seized the government. A
new constitution was proclaimed, which
divested the king of nearly all his personal
authority. White ascendancy was also
secured in the legislature by making the
upper house eligible only by electors pos
sessing 5000 income, which was more than
any large number Of natives enjoyed. These
measures secured only partial success to
the whites, who wished to leave the ma
tives a reasonable share of power, while
the latter became more and more embit-
tered. They believed that they were the
people. and owned the country, and were
entitled to the whole of the power of gov
ernment. to the exclusion of the whites
For six years more the struggle went
on with varying fortunes. when the queen
undertook to aid it in favor OF the natives
by her fatuous coup d'etat. The whites
rallied. overthrew the monarchy, created
a republic and seized the reins of power
winch tuey sui noiu II Is SaIe TO say
that this settlement of the question is final
as between whites and natives The latter
are bitter at their loss Of authority, but
are becoming hopeless of recovering II
since their ignominious failure in insurrec-
ton two years ago. OF course. annexation
to the United States would be felt by every
native to be the final settlement that white
ascendancy was to continue. A strong ard
Intelligent minority of the natives already
clearly see that under the United States
the equal rights and franchises of the ma
tives would be completely and finally guar
anteed. while under an independent republic