The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-09-07
'ANTI-ANNExATION
Mass Meeting Of Natives on
Palace Square.
TWO NATIVE HAWAIIANS SPEAK
Some Seven Hundred
People Hear Them.
Resolution With Cheers To be
Presented to President and
Foreign Representatives.

| | There were present at the mass-meet-
| ing of native Hawaiian on Palace
Sauare late yesterday afternoon some
700 people, about one-tenth of whom
tised to take place at o'clock, but the
Chairman was kept waiting half an
hour for people who could not arrive on
time J. K Kaunamano and the speak
old Gibson premises and soon the ma
tives were gathered thickly about the
place. There were noticed on 1.-THE
stand: ]. X. Kaulia, President of 1.-THE
Aloha Alma Society; Kalauokalani,
President of the Kalai Alma Society;
Lilikalani and others.
President Kaunamano called the
meeting to order, and stated that the
business would be given out by the
speakers of the afternoon. He then in
troduced J. K. Kaulia, who responded
in substance, as follows:
''Mr President and the Hawaiian
L
this afternoon to consider a question
that has been before us for the last
four years-the question of the annex
alton of this, our land, to the United
States. Yes, you have heard about it
over and over again through the col
umns of the press and by word of
mouth, and you have all considered it
we'll; but, you who love your country
and your nation, you to whom by
rights all things here belong, are you
going to allow your land to be given
to the United States? (Cries of No,
nol' from the people.) We have been
told over and over again by some peo-
pie what a good thing annexation will
be for these Islands, the land of our
birth; but | tell you, if we ever get
annexation to the United States, we
may consider ourselves in the position
of being buried alive. Foreigners will
pour in here, and then, my friends, to
what place will we be scattered? Can
swer from the people: TO the noun
tainS.') | see you are in sympathy
with me. Then let us stand as a unit
against any such measure as is now be-
ing considered. America has done us
no wrong, but it is this Government in
power today that has divested us Of
our rights, our heritage. They are try
ing to coax the United States to take
us. We must not allow such thing
as long as our protests will do any
good. If we are annexed today, the
morrow will bring us no good. Not so
with the rich people, the men in power
today They will reap the harvest.
Our profit will be where? Our gain will
be from what source? We meet here
hi o1i In
abiding lot of people, but our opin-
ions, freely expressed, we wish all to
hear We come not with arms into a
bloody conflict, but with thought and
resolution into what we believe to be
our rights as the people of this land.
Let us stand apart and against this
measure that is so obnoxious to us, for
if the people with the white skins come
they will take everything. You know
that 1t is the history of all times. If
we say No to annexation, l do not
think the United States will annex us.
The people of that great land have al
ways been set down as just. They will
not, at this hour, seek to diverge from
that path. If annexation ever comes, it
will come from us, the rightful owners
of the land. We are against it and let
us stand together. The Government
here is trembling today because annex
alton does not seem to come with the
requisite speed. If we are ready to
give our land to America, all well and
good. Let us do so and pass a vote to
that effect. (Cries of No, noi) Then
it is our work TO stand against it, so
that in December the United States will
see just how the Hawaiian people
stand. Let us one and all say: No
(Three cheers)
Kaulia finished, Kalauokalani was
introduced as the next speaker His
were more f1owery and less