The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-21
NATIVE HAWAIIANS
AND ANNEXATION
Why They Fear the Coming OF American
Domination.
WOULD HAVE TO LOCK THEIR DOORS
As IL Is Now, Not n Key Is Ever
Turned in Honolulu Because
Thievcry Is Practically Unknown
There--Not Compliment TO the
Prospective immigration from the
United states.

lhefe--NOt compliment 10 the
Prospective immigration from the
United States.
Writing from Honolulu to the Chi
cago Times Herald, Janet Jennings
says: Could the native Hawaiians be
assured that annexation would bring
no radical changes to deprive them of
their present easy life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness, all would accept |
it without fear and anxiety. 1t must
be admitted that they have good
ground for fear and anxiety. The ma
tive HawaiianS are in no sense aggres
sive and have no conception of the |
meaning of the word. In competition
with the new "hustling" element of
Anglo Saxon push and progress and |
ambitious acquisition of wealth the |
native Hawaiian would go to the wall.
They have strangely contradictory |
traits of character. Honest and |
Straightforward, kindly and generous, |
with a certain manly pride and reserve |
on the one hand, on the other their |
easy going, pleasure loving natures |
are ever ready to evade all response
bility. They have not sought to check |
the steady, plodding, silent industry |
Of the Chinese, who have become the |
tillers of the soil, raising the vegc-
tables and cultivating the taro, from |
which poi the native food, is made. |
The Chinese lease a taro patch for |
$50 an acre, raise the taro and make |
the poi cheaper than the natives VINO |
own the land can produce it, and at |
the same time the Chinese make money |
by it, Why, then, should the natives |
work? Would the Anglo Saxon. under |
the same conditions, stick to his taro |
patch? Certainly not, if he could make |
it more profitable by leasing it to the |
Chinese.
A TRANQUIL PEOPLE.
1t does not follow that the native |
Hawaians, after leasing their lands.
become idle and shiftless. They seek
employment without rosponsibility,and
more Congenial wharves and shipping
for they have a natural love of the |
sca), where, by working three days in
the week, they earn enough to keep |
them seven days, including spending
money for social festivities. In some
respects they have the simplicity and
Credulity of children. Left to them |
selves they are an easily governed peO- |
pie, susceptible to good influences and |
Singularly free from all jealousy Of
other natiOnalities. Superseded by the |
thrifty, calculating Chinese, japanese |
and Portuguese on every hand, the ma
tives are absolutely without bitterness
or complaint. 1t is only when sup
planted by the Chinese in matrimonial
affairs that the Hawaiian men show
resentment An argument most fire.
quCntly put forth by native HaWaiians
against annexation is not without th,.
force of truth. IF we have anneXa-
ton" they say, 1--WE must lock our
doors. BAD people will come here from
the United States, and it will not he
the same 2s now. Everybody is safe
now without locking doors, and also
on the streets at any time of night or
day. But it will not be so if we have
annexation"
NO THIEVES.
1t is quite true that there is a conf
plete sense of safety in Honolulu with
out locks or bolts, and this is the more
remarkable because almost every ma
tionality under the sun is in the 10000
population. But people of all classes
and conditions enjoy this feeling of
security alike. In the finest residences,
where there is most wealth, therefore
greatest risk, the key is seldom turned
in a door. one of the most prominent
men in Honolulu, who has a charming
home on Huwano avenue, said the
other day: Il was born on the islands
and have lived here all my life. We
have employed almost all natiOnalities
as house servants, but have never lock-
ed our doors. Theft is almost unknown,
or at least seldom committed by Chi
neSe or Japanese servants, and the ma
tive Hawaiian would feel it to be a re-
Election on his honesty if you turned
the key against him, Occasionally a
business house is entered. but the law
makes the punishment so severe that
burglaries are few and far between.
Mcn and women, too, are perfectly
safe about the city at night and are
never molestad in our quiet streets"
This delightful sense of security
comes to the stranger before he is fair
ly landed on the dock. Just give your
keys to the man who takes up your
baggage and he will see it through the
custom-house," said a Hawaiian fel-
passenger, returning from the
states. l hesitated about leaving my
worldly goods not only to the mercy of
a strange customhOuse officer but also
to a strange baggage man.
1T will be all right" said the man,
touching his hat, land will save you
the bother of waiting" Half an hour
later my baggage was in my room, all
right and attended to better than 1
could have done it myself.
You need not lock your door" said
the proprietor of the house. You are
quite safe in Honolulu not to lock
your door, but leave it open if you
like"
DOORS LEFT OPEN.
My room opens on a piazza, as all
rooms do in this climate, and since the
day of my arrival, a month ago, the
door and windows have stood wide
open night and day. The house Is three
minutes walk from the business part
of the city and very accessible If any,
body cared to enter it. All the SER
wants about the house are japanese.
and Chinese laundryman come and go
at will, but nobody in the house turns
key. An American woman endeay-
ored to explain the situation at break
fast one morning. There is only one
other SPOT on earth where / feel as
safe" she said. THAT is on Nantucket
Island, thirty miles out from the At
lantic coast Nobody locks any doors
there. Honolulu is 1000 miles out from
the Pacific coast, and we are just as
safe here"