The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-11

able early dctlOn Oh congress 10 take tHt
islands of Hawaii into the Union has
brought the question of their popula-
ton to the front. For some reason not
yet explained the Japanese portion of
the population appears to be a great
bugbear in the minds OF many. This Is
probably due TO the fact that an Ash
attic whatever part of the Occident he
may hail from, IL regarded as an unde-
sirable citizen. The majority OF Amer
leans have heard of the dsagreeable
side OF the Chinese nation; they have
read that the Japanese are aggressive
and can run a white man out OF busi-
ness. besides many similar statements
along the same line, which lead TO the
classification of all Asiatics into one
conglomerate whole and the speedy con-
demnation of the lot
To one who has lived I'm Hawaii for
three years and been intimately asso-
ciated with the various races that the
islands now have within their borders
II seems indeed strange that men OF
Anglo-Saxon blood should express fear
of the Japanese either in mercantile
business or in the labor market. The
Japanese coolies work for a mere pitt
tance when they first come from Japan.
There can be no question about that.
But the aggressive characteristic or
their nature shows itself very quickly
They can appreciate high wages as well
as an American. IL Is peculiar fact
that while many Americans fear an
nexation on account Of the possible ef-
feet of the Japanese on the labor mar
ket many of the business men OF Ha-
wall fear annexation on account of the
tendency of the Japanese to seek
higher scale OF wages.
r-t. Of A,,A1 tna
appreciate that the common people
among the Japanese of Hawaii are lib
eral buyers They seek to adopt Eu-
ropean and American customs in dress
and manner of living. They buy coats,
trousers hats and shoes. nearly all of
which are made in American factories.
The fact that the Japanese are 'imta-
tors" is often remarked as "a slur upon
the little yellow man" BE this as ii
may, the American manufacturer gets
the benefit OF this Initiative desire
among the Japanese OF Hawaii. The
little yellow men are also good 'livers."
and while they can, III necessary, exist
on a handful OF rice day. they are not
slow in loading their tables with Amer
lean delicacies just as soon as they can
get little money together. They are
hard workers and also liberal buyers
The best evidence of where the cloth
ing for the Japanese OF Hawaii is
bought consists In the fact that the
principal business of the IL or 10 Jap
anese stores in Honolulu is i'm Japanese
knickknacks only. Yet three-fourths of
the Japanese people OF the country
dress after the style of the Americans
Any one walking through the streets OF
Honolulu or any other town in Ha-
waii can see a practical demonstration
OF the fact that the Japanese popula-
tion OF Hawaii are good buyers of the
products of American woolen and cot
ton mills. as also of our boot. shoe and
hat factories.
When considering the subject of pop
ulation, however. IL Is well TO remem-
ber that the Hawaiian Islands with
today's population OF 10000, are capa-
BILE OF supporting 100000 There are
thousands OF acres of land i'm Hawaii
more fertile than the beautiful valleys
OF California. These lands are in the
hands of the government and are being
disposed of to bona fide American set
tiers OF the lands now being sold the
larger portion is being developed in the
cultivation of coffee. IL has been prov
ed beyond the question OF "A doubt that
coffee can be grown at a profit on the
mountainsides of Hawaii. 1t has also
been proved beyond the question of a
doubt that the white man, the Ameri-
can, can go into the tropical forests
clear his fields, plant his coffee-in fact.
do all his own work. as did the early
pioneers in the United States. AT the
end OF five or six years an American
can. by the work of his own hands have
q a field of coffee that yields a steady in
come and home surrounded by gar
den whose beauty and fruitfulness are
only limited by the industry of the own
er While the Islands are within the
tropics the Americans of Maine, Min
nesota, Georgia. South Carolina, ore
gon. Washington and California are to-
day working in the fields healthy.
hearty and getting good returns for
their labor.
The writer during HIS stay in Ha-
wall met n gentleman who had been n
farmer i'm Montana. He had heard in
definite reports regarding the fertility
Of Hawaiian soil and finally decided TO
make the trip and see what there was
for a small farmer i'm the islands OF the
Pacific. | talked with him after he had
been i'm the country three months. lie
had taken up land for coffee cultiya-
tion. He had sent for his family and
written TO three OF his ncighbors. who |
contemplated leaving Montana, that
they could not find brighter opening
on earth for a small farmer than i'm
Hawaii. This man had held back about
going TO the Islands because he was
not sure- -aheat the security OF the gov
ernment and the title OF his land after I
he once got II. There arc a great many
Americans holding back from going to /
Hawaii for just this Same heason. They /
have heard IL ~ n country OF revolu- /
lions. consequently they prefer the Sc
curity they have in the United states I
u eh uncertain government But as I
soon as the United States takes the is. /
lands as part ana parcel uf American /