The herald., 1897-04-22
DO WE, WANT HAwAIIp


settlers, or "squatters," at least, into
the island, and this empire Of the orient
which has just sprung newly born from
the womb of the ages, armed cap-a-pie.
as Minerva from the brain of Jove, has
designs of conquest on the little repub-
lie in midocean. 1t is a generally ac-
cepted presumption that Great Britain
would take the islands in a moment
should the proper opportunity appear.
Were it not for this danger of one of
these island empires seizing the Hawa-
iian islands, the traditional course of the
United States, and the wisest course at
this time, would be to let the little re-
public alone. This would seem to have
been Mr.. Clevelands idea, and in this
he was following out the traditions OF
the Democratic party for a hundred
years.
We do not forget that all territorial ac-
the one exception of Alaska, were made
/ under Democratic rule. Our party was
in full power when Louisiana when Flor
ida, when Texas and when California
and Oregon were added to the national
| domain. But for all that, the policy
| marked out at the laying of the foun-
dations of this government was opposed
to territorial aggrandizement. All the
additions made were under stress of ne
cessity, partly by peaceable procedure
and for the purpose of protecting our
national integrity rather than of ad-
ding more area to the country. The
greedy game of grab. so pronouncedly
the policy of European nations. with a
redundant population at home, has had
no lodgment in the minds of American
statesmen. AS to colonies beyond sea,
we have never been disposed to burden
ourselves with them, because we do
not need them.
If. therefore, the Hawaiian islands
| could be maintained under some inde
pendent form of government, neutral in
war but commercially friendly to the
/ United States that would be the best
shape in which to keep them. We do
not hesitate to say that so long as that
status can be maintained with security,
our true policy is to let the islands alone
But when it comes to question of al
lowing Japan or Great Britain to annex
the Hawaiian republic either by force,
chicanery or with the free consent of the
people of the islands, that involves con-
ditions likely to force this country in
self-defense once more to seek territor-
ial extension in order to protect our
national integrity
There are three objections against the
acquisition of the islands. They are
islands; they are far removed from our
continental possessions, and the people
as a whole are not desirable as a COM
ponent part of our population. We have
quite enough ignorant voters now. The
smallness of the population, all told
may be said to dispose of the last OBJ
lection. There are only about 100000
souls in the Hawaiian republic.
AS to the distance, it will astonish
| many people to learn that Honolulu is
no further from San Francisco than
Boston is. If the metropolis of our own
state were taken as a center, circle
may be drawn so that at one point it
will touch Eastport on the Bay of Fundy,
at another Key West in Florida, third
will lie Just west of the Hawaiian islands
and the fourth will just touch Cape Bar
row. the most northerly point of Alaska.
With the islands as part Of the republic
San Francisco would be the geographi.
cal center of the United States.
The great distance of Honolulu from
our coast is the chief objection to Its
ACQUISITION. So pronounced is this OBJ
lection that only the greatest necessity
would outweigh it. To hold the islands
thew would have to be made the Malta
Of the Pacific.
But this objection is just what gives
them their strategic Importance. The
commerce Of the Pacific in another quar-
ter of a century will be very large. The
awakening of Japan, to be followed
by that of China, the completion of the
| Siberian railroad and other great move
ments foreshadow this. We must bear
our part in this commerce. Honolulu -
the key to it all in the event of war. With
I these islands in the hands of a great
maritime power, that power Will hold
a commanding position in the commerce
| of the greatest of the oceans
If one takes map of the United States
he will find that from Labrador, by the
| way of Nassau and Jamaica on the
east, by way of Canada on the north to
Esquimalt on the west, England has a
perfect Gordon of forts drawn around
our country. That great and aggressive
! empire has already too much advantage
of us and must be allowed to gain no
| more.
AS we were forced to acquire Louis
lana and Florida to guer~, our southern
boundary and California for the sake
of the Mississippi Valley states, so it
wouldse as if the strategic Importance