The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-11-23
Continued from 1st page.)

have been taken since the failure OF
the Treaty of 1893. After the pro.
mitigation of the Republic in July,
1894, the FIRST Hawaiian Congress
was elected, aud by it Mr.. Sanford
B. Dole was chosen President. Like
the Congress at Washington, the
Hawaiian Congress consists OF a
Senate and House OF Representa-
tives, with fifteen members in each.
The electoral franchise, however, is
much narrower than in the United
States. There are property and
educational qualifications for cleo
tors, and property qualifications for
membership. The President holds
Office for six years, and is not eligi-
BILE for reelection. He is elected by
joint ballot Of the two Houses in
the same way as Senators are chosen
to Congress from the State Legisla-
lures in the United States. Except
for the property qualifications and
the mode OF electing the President,
the Constitution is modelled closely
after that OF this country, aud il an
nexation is decided upon, every
thing is so arranged as to facilitate
the establishment of Government
similar to that OF territories in this
country, such as New Mexico and
Oklahoma. In these territories the
Governor is appointed by the Presi-
dent, and the President has veto
on the Acts passed by the Legisla-
lures. Ia Congress, the territories
have a representative in the Lower
House. He has right to place
on the floor and to address the
House, but can take no part in q
division.
There have been only two ques-
tions in Hawaiian politics since the
Revolution-annexation and exclu-
sion of coolis laborers. Both ques-
tions will be settled If the United
States Senate accepts the Treaty,
for all American territories are
under the Federal Labor Laws, and
these exclude Chinese immigration
and prohibit the importation of con-
tract laborers. 1t is because an end
would be made to the importation
OF Asiatic laborers that the smaller
sugar planters in Hawaii have
hitherto been opposed to annexs-
ton. On the other hand, the few
wageearning people there are in
Hawaii of American or European
origin are friendly to annexation,
because it will extend to the islands
the drastic Labor Laws now in force
in the United States.
The advantages OF annexation are
mostly on the side of Hawaii. Chief
among these advantages is that the
islands by ceasing to be independ-
emit and coming under American
rule would be freed from existing
Treaties, some of which, particular
ly that with Japan, have been
sources of embarrassment to the Re-
public. Hawaiian sugar would also
come into the United States duty
free, and the great planters would
no longer be uneasy concerning the
abrogation OF the Reciprocity
Treaty. For the United States, an
nexation raises many serious ques-
tions, among these are the status
and mode of government, and the
fortifcation and protection of the
islands. The Hawaiians might be
content to remain under terri
torial form OF government; but with
the direful experience of the past
ten years in mind, people in this
country are nervous lest Hawaii
should be- brought in as a State,
solely to add two more Senators to
Congress, and help one party or the
other to a temporary majority in
the Senate.