The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-11-03
Mr.. McKinley's Hawaiian Policy

All accounts agree that the Prcai
drut will send to the Senate treaty
for the annexation OF the Hawaiian
Islands. Just when he will do it,
and just in what terms the treaty
will be couched, are, of course, SO.
crets as yet. But they are unim-
portrait secrets. The main thing is
the deliberate entrance by the Ad-
ministration upon policy Of annex
alton aud colonial expansion At
the time OF the Hawaiian furry four
years ago, a vast amount of partisan
intrigue and passion entered into
the question. Baffled conspirators
and foiled plunderers always rage
and lift up their voices when they
see their prey pluoked from between
their very jaws, and much OF the
Mysteries over President Cleveland's
Hawaiian policy was but the sincere
anguish of men who saw good
things, and, as they had thought,
sure things, slipping away from
them. But all that heat is past.
The original conspiracy to over
throw the Hawaiian Government
and steal away The islands, in which
the American Minister participated,
does not now enter directly into the
question. With the slate sponged
clean, Mr.. Mckinley has undertaken
to write on it policy entirely new
for the United States.
To what motives or to what press
,ure he has yielded it is not for us to
say. He had given many to under
stand that he was radically opposed
to annexation. When, in his inaug
ural address, he warned his country
men against "the temptation of ter
ritorial aggression" he was thought
to have Hawaii in mind. His choice
OF Secretary Of State who was on
record against annexation was sup
posed to look the same way. In
private he has given assurances
which were taken to mean uncom.
promising hostility to all kinds of
foreign embodiment and to Hawai-
ian annexation in particular. But
the country has found out, what
students OF McKinley's career we're
we'll persuaded of, that his faculty
of adapting his words 10 his hearers
does not at all imply that he has
will OF his. own against Congress or
against the masterful leaders OF his
party. Boilsau was once discussing
a grammatical point with the Prince
OF Condo, who grew violent. The
poet ssrcastically apologized, say
ing, 81 shall hereafter always take
good care to agree with you when
you are angry" Mr. Mckinley al
ways agrees With conventions and
parties-and even visitors-that arc
really angry.
Though time has taken most of
the fury out of the Hawaiian ques-
ton, it has not in the least dimin.
ished the objections to Hawaiian
annexation. These objections relate
both to the annexation itself and to
what it signifies for the future. No
one pretends that the population Of
the islands is desirable addition.
According to the latest census,
taken within year, it consists of
10000 souls, of whom the full
blooded natives number 81 ZOO, the
Japanese $4,000, the Chinese $4,000,
the Portuguese $4,000, half-breed
Hawaiians 5000, with scattering Am.
orleans, Epglish, Germans, etc.
What are we going to do with these
mixed races? Evidently the Chinese
aud japanese will have to go, Any
treaty must leave the laws of the
United States supreme over the
territory annexed, and our laws do
not admit OF the incoming Of Chi
nese laborers, or constructively, OF
Japanese. So the first thing we
should have to do would be to give
these $4,000 Orientals weeks