Evening star., 1896-09-22

do not think there is-it is to be found in
disaffection among its-I. white supporters.
Gisaffection during most, of the three and
half years of its existence. These rumors
have never materialized into any definite
or organized actualityd Just now some
thing Is heard of serious uneasiness among
the rank and file-the working class-of the
republics supporters arising from long
growing impression that It's. officials were
lCkewarm on the subject Of annexation to
the United States, or We're even opposed TO
such annexation. This charge has long
been brought, very gr6undlessly. against
our public men. 1t grows out Of the fact
that among a considerable class of sugar
planters and their mercantile agents. chef-
ly Britishers. such an opposition exists .as
we'll among a few Americans and Ger
mans, on account of the menace which an
hexation presents to our Asiatic cheap labor
amount of cheap and reliable labor, which
is at present freely brought from Japan ana
China. AS member of the American
Union, Hawaii would hardly be permitted
not at ell under the present conditions of
contract labor. Consequently there is
large element of opposition to annexation
from the planting interest.
Annexation.
Most Of our leading officials are holders
Of more or less shares of stock In sugar
plantations, that being the favorite form OF
investment. Hence it is easy for the work
ingmen to get the notion that they must
be led by their pecuniary interests to be
opposed to annexation. And probably such
an idea is quite prevalent among the rank
and file of the government supporters and
causes much Jealousy. That impression Is
certainly very erroneous one. The pre-
ponderance of sentiment among the plant
ers and agents themselves is unquestionably
hearty for annexation. Such leading plant
ers Henry z. Baldwin are out and out
annexation men, because they believe that
1t is the natural destiny of the Islands, ana
because only under annexation can political
stability be thoroughly secured. II there
should ensue diminished facility in secur-
ing cheap Asiatic labor, they are contldent
that somewhat higher-priced labor VIII DC
amply supplied by the large American and
European immigration which annexation is
sure to bring, and that admission 10 the
Union will insure us even higher prices ior
sugar than we now enjoy under the some
what imperfect treaty of reciprocity. The
continuance Of that treaty itself can never
be certainty. Annexation insures every
thing. Such Is the prevailing sentiment
among planters well as other whites
Beyond question our government leaders
and officials unitedly and strongly anx-
| ious for annexation. and any belief to the
| contrary among the workngmen is ground
less. That belief has no doubt been Stlmu-
lated by the fact of considerable tmporta-
| tions of Chinese and japanese laborers
| being permitted by the government, in or
| der to meet the pressing demands of the
| plantations. These workingmen view this
| large ingress Of Asiatic labor with extreme
| dislike and Jealousy. 1t means to them
| future continuance of the present constant
| addition of ASiatic competitors to the ranks
| of artisans, from the laborers released from
| their contracts. who learn to be carpenters
| plumbers, painters, etc. They can live
| cheaper and work cheaper than white mel
can possibly do. The white working class
| are hence sensitive and jealous. Any sus
| picon that the government leaders are
| playing them false and are no. sincerely
Jealous for annexation deeply trritate:
| these men. Confirmation of such suspicion
| would mean serious danger to the presen
government. The greatest danger from
| such suspicion among the supporters of tn,
government would arise among the Portu
| guese, who are illiterate and ignorant, ant
hence more susceptible to being misled.
| How to Do 1t.
| I do not know a single man prominen
under this government swhom I have no
every reason to believe to be strongly an
thoroughly desirous for annexation to III
United States, or who would not feel it 1
be great and serious calamity to thes
islands should such annexation NOT he Sc
cured during the next three years. To en-
ter the Union guarantees us permanent ar
stable republican government. It at ono
| paralyZeS every tendency to revolution,
sllences all British internal factious oppo
sit1on to the government. 1t lnsures a
early and large white innmigra ton to fl
up the country with English spec king pcc
Fle 1t will remove all the present politica
unrest and uneasiness. It will put an en-
to the present large drift of Asiatic labor
erS into the country. 1t will make all OF,
voters citizens of the United States with
common and united allegiance to one faa
Instead Of being, as now, in reserved alle
glance to different countries. 1t will re
| nj har r
tossing sea, with menacing reefs of DC
litical instability.
The trouble is that at present our ad
mlnistration has no practicable way q
| eVldenclng their desire for annexation, r
urge the measure at Washington would
waste of breath. and do only harm. T
institute measures for advocating 1t befor
the American people, in the midst of YOU
great political issues and conflicts, woul
be utterly fatuous. Our president and cal
met are compelled to remain quiescent an
can take no measures to evidence thei
loyalty to the great measure of annexatio
: which is embodied in the constitution c
the republic, just as 1t was in the origins
: proclamation Of the provisional govern
, ment.
We are even without data for estimat tin
! | the probabilities of our efforts for annexf
| ton meeting with favor from your next az
, ministraton. Should Mckinley be electe
: all republican precedents would seem
| favor our cause. Yet. there is differenc
Of opinion in that party, as evinced by tn
non-committal character Of the Hawaiia
: plank of the st. Louis platform. Shoul
: | Mr.. Bryan be the next President, whic
} now seems quite possible, we know notl
2 ing Of his sentiments on the Hawaiia
l | question, or those of his coadjutors. All "
s | can do is to hang well together ourSelvt
5 and trust to be borne safely to good col
, summation by the kind Providence whic
, | has so long and greatly favored Hawaii.
KAMEHAMEHA.