The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-08-06
is FOUNDED
ON ANNEXATION.
J. B. Castle Talks of Our
Political Conditions.
MAJOR PANGBORN'S OPINION
Annexation as a Territory-With no
et-Baggers-PIans of Pacf1c
Cable CommissIon-Dudley Wants
Damages from the Government.

James B. Castle, Collector General
of Customs of the Republic of Hawaii,
who is in Saa Francisco at present, has
as clear ideas on the political situation
as any official of the new Republic, says
the San Francisco Chronicle of July 25.
AS to annexation and the feeling in re-
gard to it, Mr.. Castle said yesterday:
'It is not true that the planters are
united against annexation and in favor
of protectorate. Many planters recog-
nize the fact that a prutectorate means
uncertainty. Nothing will give us per-
manent stability except anne zion by
such power as the United States.
"All the experiences of the past twen-
ty-five years in Hawaiian political his
tory show that stability is our great
political need. A lack of stability in
heres in our geographical situation IN
any attempt to maintain an indepen-
dent nationality.
''If it were a question of annexation
to any other power than the United
States large part of the support of the
present Government would undoubtedly
fall away. The desire for annexation is
what cements the support of the pres
ent Government. For all practical
emergencies, as in the insurrection of
January, 1895, those upon whom the
Government must depend for support
give that support, in the vast majority
of cases, purely and simply as annex
ationists and for the attainment OF that
result
THE anneXatiOniStS are in the vast
majority among those on whom the
Government depends. The feeling has
increased and strengthened since 1898
Nothing less than unmistakable final
rebuff by the United States could
change this feeling So far as 1 am able
to judge of the future, in case the Unit
ed States steadily and finally refrained
from considering the subject of annex
alton, there would be an inevitable
growth of foreign influence. In the ne
cessity for the stability that she must
have there might be return to a
mOnarchical form of government, with
kaiulani as Queen. This is theoreti-
cal possibility. It's significance would
be that British influence would pre-
dominate, and a British ship of war in
the port of Honolulu would easily see
its way to guarantee law and order. l
believe this to be possibility if the
United States finally refuses to annex
Hawaii. 1t would follow if the hope
of annexation were destroyed. The door
would be opened wide to any success
sion that promised stability.
so far as the planters are concern
ed, their position in the matter is by no
means as influential as their wealth
might seem to indicate. Political con
ditions focus in Honolulu, and any gov
ernment lives or dies by the active,
ready support which it enlists or lacks
in the caTtal city. And of the 900
or 1900 who there stand ready to give
the Government instant and forcible
support an overwhelming majority are
anneXationists.
AT least a gOOdly minority of the
planters are of the same mind The
longer their residence the more clearly
they see the necessity for annexation
as the only way to guarantee political
and hence cOmmercial-stabi ability
Those who were born there and
have lived there through reign after
reign especially realize the hopeless
ness of securing stability by any other
means. The labor problem complicates
1t, but many there in favor of annexa-
tion are willing to face the labor diff
culties that may ensue as the lesser
evil