The herald., 1897-05-13
SHALL WE ANNEX HAWAIIp

The people of the United States are in
sympathy with those in Hawaii, who
deposed the monarchy and are making
efforts to establish a republican govern
ment. There is also strong sentiment
in favor of annexing the islands to this
country. What course shall be pursued
is under considera ton both by the ma
tional authorities and the public mind.
The population of the islands is 109, ,O20,
composed of 24,407 japanese, 81 ,616 Chi
nese, 1871 Portuguese, 39,504 Kanakas
and 5000 others, who are mainly Amer
leans by nativity or descent. Asia tics,
Kanakas and Portuguese constitute
more than eleven-twelfths of the popu-
lation. What proportion of the inhab-
itants are citizens of the country has not
been stated. Whether citizens or not, if
they have any choice, it is presumable
the Asiatics and Portuguese are opposed
to annexation, and it is quite doubtful
whether many of the Kanakas are capa-
BILE of forming any opinion on the SUBJ
ject. The earnest and active element in
favor of annexation is chiefly if not
wholly of American blood and numer-
dcally it comprises a small percentage of
the inhabitants
The government there is not founded
upon the choice of the people, or, to be
more exact, the people have had no op-
portunity to make formal expression.
The ruling element is undoubtedly re-
publican, yet the government is prac-
t;cally an oligarchy, a de facto govern
ment sustained by the force of superior
Intelligence over numbers.
AS the area of the United States was
quadrupled in the first eighty years OF
constitutional existence, the idea has
prevailed that as people we were quite
willing to acquire any territory that
might be offered on the continent or in
the adjacent seas. All our acquisitions
thus far have been nthe continent, all
contiguous except Alaska to what we al
ready possessed. And with that one ex-
ception, all added shapeliness to our do
main. 1t is a further fact that all the
countries thus acquired were sparsely
peopled and there was no inadmssble
element, barring the Indian tribes.
Hawaii is two thousand miles distant
from the continent, its people in great
part are non-assimilable and indigesti.
BILE, and are untitled for participation in
public affairs as suffragists, and it will
require a protracted term of tutelage
to develop in that ignorant and sluggish
people sufficient knowledge and virtue
to make them safe and useful polite.
al element, and helpful in sustaining a
good government. For long time the
bulk OF the Kanakas are liable to fall
into the hands of demagogues and cor
ruptionists.
To govern the islands would be more
difficult and expensive than to govern
any of our states and territories, and in
case of war with a nation possessing
considerable navy they would be very
much exposed. The precedent of going
beyond the continent and annexing
islands, especially as distant as the Ha-
waiian, might and probably would lead
to other applications for membership in
the great republic.
If annexed, the question is. what kind
of a government should be given the
islands-state or territorial, and in what
way would suffrage be regulated? An
neXation would make American citizens
of all who at that time were citizens
there. Under our constitution suffrage
cannot be denied on account of race,
color or previous condition Of servi-