Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-30

II us not forget tuc idSt 'AAe '.o' 1880
four fifths of these sugar plantations
are the property Of American citizens
and their descendants.
The Americans, Notwithstanding
their comparatively small numbeis,ar
and have been for some years the
dominant race in Hawaii. 1t must not
be supposed, however, that the desire
for annexation to the United States
emanates from them alone. 1t has the
practically solid support Of nearly all
the educated natives, of the Portu-
gese Germans, Swedes. and French
residents of the country. and also of
that large and influential portion of
the British residents who opposed the
immoral and pagan native queen in her
attempt to abrogate the constitution,
which a Christian civilization had
wrung from her predecessors. in order
that she might accept handsome
bride from the opium and lottery gangs
who We're attempting to establish
themselves in her country
To fully understand the conditions
surrounding this question some knowl
edge Of the character of the native
population of the Hawaiian islands is
necessary. They are an indolent, i'm
provident. Incorporate class of people,
The standard of morality among them
is low. They lack the energy to till the
soil, and are absolutely destitute of
warlike spirit. Like most races who
cannot stand civilization. they are
of 1884 and 1894, single decade. their
numbers decreased 551S. At this rate
their race will become practically ex-
tinct in the next go years. Meanwhile
the emigration to the islands. es-
pecially from the United States. is
largely increasing. There can be little
doubt but what the next census of
Hawaii will show American ascendency
there to be as almost fully established
'S iuHi'eiS, DIS ny tiic plcHollut!aiice
of property interests.
To be sure there are the Chinese and
japanese coolies that the owners of the
sugar plantations-mostly Americans
have imported under contract. To do
their work, the natural Incidence of the
natives rendering them unfit for this
purpose. These people are OF the
densely ignorant coolie class. They do
not exercise the right of suffrage, and
considering the manner in which they
are brought to that country. and their
general mental status, ii is not likely
wall were annexed to this country there
is good reason to believe that when
they returned home at the expiration
of their contracts, as the larger part of
them are said to do, their places would
be filled by negro laborers from our
Southern states. The fact must not be
lost sight of. that. as part of the
United States. the development of Ha-
wall would be vastly stimulated, and
the American population there. already
in the ascendency. would he steadily
and largely augmented.
But there is another and, it seems to
u.s. very potent and a sufficient rea
son why our government should annex
Hawaii The fertile and beautiful
islands that make up that little repub-
lie constitute position Of singular
strategic Importance. Located 2000
miles out in the Pacific they furnish
the only chance to coal and provision
ships between our Pacific coast and
the countries of the Orient. our in
terests on the Pacific are altogether too
vast to permit this great vantage point
to come into the possession of any for
eign power. Il fact that has been very
clearly recognized by leading American
statesmen of all parties for many
years. and by no one more clearly
than by Mr.. Blaine, who with his
AFFINITY 10 Ste IdTtueT anu more Clearly
into the future than any other public
man of his day. perceived very clearly
the great Importance of American
control of these islands. and selected
his warm personal friend, Hon. John l..
Stevens, one of the shrewdest and
ablest diplomats this country ever pro-
duced, to act as American minister at
Honolulu. Mr.. Stevens told the writer
that Mr. Blaine accompanied his re-
quest for him to take this position, with
the statement that he regarded it as
one of the most important diplomatic
positions in the gift of the government.
How wisely and well Mr. Stevens per-
formed the delicate and difficult duties
intrusted to him is now matter of
history. Even Democratic committee
of foreign affairs could not withhold
it's endorsement of his distinguished
and patriotic services, at a trying and
critical time. History will accord him
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