Evening star., 1897-05-13
HE NATIVE VOTE
Hawaiians Would Undoubtedly Elect
Liliuokalani President.
RELIGIOUS And RACE PREJUDICES
Elements Of Political Strength That
Favor the Ex-Queen.
THE WHITES TO DECIDE
RELIGIOUS AND RACE PREJUDICES
THE WHITES TO DECIDE
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
HONOLULU, April %, 1897.
I have not the data for judging whether
or not Liliuokalan actually proposed to
President Mckinley, as reported from
Washington on the 18th that he should
cause an election for president to be held
in Hawaii, all natives voting in which the
ex-queen proposed to be a candidate, and
felt sure of election by an overwhelming
majority. Mr.. julius A. Palmer subse-
quently asserted 10 Star representative
that in such contest she would undoupt-
edly gain majority over all other candi-
dates. That such would be the fact l
think highly probable. There can be no
doubt that a large majority of the 10000
native Hawaiian voters are strongly op-
posed to the republic, and want the mon
archy restored. They want the whites en-
tirely displaced from power, and the gov
eri ment put into the hands of Hawaiians,
which is no more a possibility than to put
the forty or fifty million dollars worth of
sugar plantations under native manage
ment or to make natives captains and
gineers Of the twenty-five international
steamers.
1t may be interesting to recount briefly
the history of the change during the last
thirty years in the sentiments OF the ma
tive Hawaiians from a great confidence
ana frendlinesS toward Americans in poll
tics, to alienation and distrust the part
of large majority. Up to date at least
as late as 1867, and probably later. the
American party, or more commonly
termed the missionary party, could usually
command majority in the legislature,
notwithstanding the great political ascen-
dency of King Kamehameha V, who was
opposed to that party. 1t was the party of
moral and political reform, and actively
opposed to increase Of royal prerogative.
Soon after, change progressed, and In
der kaiakaua, in 1870, had become very
manifest. From that time on the iegisla-
lures showed increasing tendency to cor
ruptlon, and to subserviency to the royal
| Will, while Americans decreased in influ-
ence IN the government. Occasionally the
reform party would gain an election but
rarely. The king was an active politician
| and could generally get the district judges
| and tax collectors elected, who held office
| at his pleasure, and therefore would vote
| as he directed.
What were some of the chief factors
| helping on this change? One was the pass
| ing away OF most of the old missionaries
i who had possessed the most affectionate
confidence of the chiefs and people. They
| mad stood together in the severe troubles
| with England and France between fifty
| and sixty years ago. when the indepen-
| oehce OF the country was repeatedly In
| great Jeopardy. In those days Americans
| were regarded as the especial friends and
| deliverers of the native people from for
eign subJuGation. AS time passed on, the
| oid natives passed away, who had been
| HipoSh tHe olu tTOuDl6S, and new gen.
| GRAFTON arose, who forgot the past Many
| OF these younger men, having some little
| education thought themselves equal TO
or better than the whites. and began to
resent the absorption by the latter of the
| h1gher offices, for which the natives were
In fact totally incompetent immediately
| after kalakauas accession, the ralIying
cry was raised, Hawaii for the Hawiians
ana was emphatically encouraged by the
| king. -e
| Sectarinn Rivalry
| variety of elements combined in oppo-
| sltlon to the old American and missionary
party. A very strong one was that of the
| roman Catholic natives who were deeniv
hostile to the Protestant missionaries. and
| could always be depended on to vote
| against any candidate whom the Profess
tants favored. AS the American mission
| aries dled out, their native churches were
| placed under native pastors who were nm
able efficiently to withstand the infiuene q
| OF the capable white French and German
Catnonc missionaries and the proportion
| Oh HatlVe Catholics has in consequence
greatly increased during the past thirty
years. A similar fact is true in respect to
| the Mormons, who now constitute prob
abiy one-ifth of the native population
tant party. The Salt Lake authorities
constantly keep a force of twenty or more
| white men working in Hawaii
"A ike attitude is true of majority of
! Wv Ah,ASd pileSthOOu ana their aQ-
herents although many of them are earn
| estly on the reform side. The present
bishop of that denomination is a very bit
ter and Jealous supporter of the corrupt
monarchy. Most of his part white ad-
herents are of the same party, as is true
OF the part whites generally, owing to the
fact that their social status was necessa-
riiy higher under native regime than it
can be now.
Another and grossly evil element of hos
tility remains to be mentioned. Dating
from some thirty-five years back, there
has been revival of the old heather ele-
ment, which strongly appeals to many per-
vading hereditary instincts of the native
HaWailans. 1t Is second nature to these
gentle but very superstitious people to be-
lieve in the demonic influence of their
numerous minor family deities. Although
under the commanding light and preya-
lence OF Christianity, with the ubiquitous
churches and schools, idoiatry and its
srosser practices were for forty years
practically suppressed, multitude of sr-
| perstltious practices remained lurking and
the adopts in the old system remained Sc
cretly at work. Before his accession in
1853 Lot Kamehameha v, acting as pre-
mier. had vigorously fostered the sorcery
| of the old native kahunas or medicine
men. of whom he caused some three hun.
dred to be secretly licensed. I have seen
one of their printed licenses of 1861, with
a scale Of fees appended, ranging from one
to fifty dollars.
| Native Medicine.
The medical practice Of these native doc
tors consisted to some extent in the admin
istration Of certain Indigenous vegetable
drugs. also of a few well-known foreign
remedies. The main part Of their work
however, and that from which they derived
the chief part of their revenue, consisted
in incantations. by which to drive out the
| akua or demon, which caused the disease
All diseases were held to be caused by thu
presence of a hostile god or demon in the
sufferer Either such demon must be pro
pitiated. or the interposition of a stronger
. demon must be invoked to drive the for
ner one out. The whole subject is yer,
l complicated. The operations required man,
idolatrous sacrifices and incantations, a
] immense expense to the sufferer, with NOR
= commonly fatal termination. It was par
: of the sorcerers policy to create in a hoped
for patient an apprehension that an evi
. demon was starting business In his interior
!, Sickness was quite sure to follow such ad
i monitions.
AS a speedy result, every one of these II
= censed kahuEas became an active teache
OF superstition, and many Of them organ
lied classes of young people to whom the.
taught the ancient superstitions. sas
u means of bringing them medical Dractic
and revenue. From that time on tsier-