The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-01-15
COMMON SENSE.
Sound Arguments Why Hawaii
Should Not Be Annexed.
From Harrer's yyeekly)


ration OF Mr.. Mckinley as President
OF the United States another at
tempt will be made to effect in hot
haste the annexation OF the Ha-
waiian Islands to this republic. In
anticipation OF this attempt it will
be well for the American people to
consider calmly aud soberly how
their interests would be affected by
the contamination OF this scheme
Let US assume, for the sake of argu-
ment, that we can have the Ha-
waian Islands as q part of this
Union if we want them, aud that
we can get them without any serious
opposition on the part OF any one of
the great powers Of the world. The
question is whether we should take
them under these circumstances
What will follow If we do?
The annexation OF the Hawaiian
Islands would in a very important
respect change our position iii the
world. So far our possessi ons have
all been substantially continental.
Owing to our abundant resources in
men aud wealth, an Invasion OF our
territory by any foreign power or
combination of powers is so hope
less that we may consider ourselves
virtually unassailable in our con
tlnental stronghold. We have al
ways been proud OF the advantage
we had over other nations in need
lug only small standing army and
navy for our defence. The Hawaiian
Islands are 1000 miles distant from
our Pacific coast. If we annex
hem they will be part OF the terri
tory OF the United States, and in case
Of an embodiment with any foreign
power will have to be defended as
such. This will require not only
large aod costly Notifications aud
and strong garrisons on the islands
themselves, but also, to maintain
them and our communication with
them, very much larger naval and
military ablishments than we
now have, In other words, we shall
have added To our possessions a
very vulnerable point, which will to
a great extent deprive us of the
most valuable privilege of being
substantially secure without big
and costly standing armament.
Moreover, having this outpost
in the ocean two thousand miles
away from our nearest coast, we
shall be told that we need other
outposts to protect the first one, and
for the accommodation OF our fleet
and then that we need still larger
feet to protect these additional out
posts. In short, having once en-
) barked in the policy of acquiring
outlying possessions, there is no tell
ing how far that policy will carry III
away from our happy condition o
uuasumed peace aud neutrality, no
how far will it drive us into a policy
OF hazardous adventure, imposing
upon us the necessity OF incalculabl'
military and naval expenditures.
In the second place, it should no
= be forgotten that whenever we &C
Z quire new territory, it can, undo
our political system, be done onl,
with view to the ultimate creation
Q of new States. Our Territorial
governments, such as are now car
ried on in Arizona, New Mexico, ant
so on, are necessarily only of a tenn
I porary nature. Sooner or later thes
v ''Territories" will be admitted a
g States, as recently Wyoming, Utah
O Idaho, and Montana have been. |
q is true that their admission as State
v depends upon the discretion of Con
gress. But it is a we'll known fac
q that in various instances Territorie
= have been admitted as States no
because Congress was fairly Statistic
OF their fitness for Statehood, bu
because the ruling party in Cor
J. gress believed it would, by such &C
r. mission, strengthen itself in the ni
it tional Legislature and in the Elec
0 oral College with some additions
"A -oto,