Evening star., 1897-01-16
NATIVE BLOOD WAVES
Hawaii's Population Steadily Chang
ing by Foreign Influences.
TEE PROSPECT FOR ANNEXATION
Value Of the Sugar Industry in the
Islands.
d ELAYS ANTICIPATED
special Correspondence of The Evening Star

hoNClLCLU, January l, 1897.
Since making some statements in my last
letter about results of last years census of
Hawaii. further important facts have been
reached. Some have fancied that the ma
tive race would be found to have decl eased
but little, if at ALL during the six years.
1t is found, however, that the percentage
of elimination Of the number of pure La
tive Hawaiians has been 10.1 per cent.
which is only little less than the average
of Ill per cent during three previous six
year periods. The present number of pure
natives is 3O,957, against "a, ,436 in $780, and
the percentage of pure natives in the whole
population is now 2S.4 per cent, against
3S.25 per cent at the former date. These
figures are certainly not encouraging for
the perpetuation of the Polynesian race in
this old home of theirs.
On the other hand, the number of per
sons of mixed Hawaiian blood has greatly
Increased during this period, there being
35.7 per cent. This increase being, of
course, all in children, helps to account for
the recent crowded state of our public
schools. Adding together the ratives and
mixed class as being all Hawaiian blood,
there still has been a decrease of the whole
number by 81 per cent. A singular fact
appears, namely, that there is slight ex-
cess of half-caste females. The same was
the case in 1890. This may probably be at
tributed to the fact that half-caste girls
usually enjoy good advantages of educa-
tion, are attractive and generally marry
much above their own rank in blood, and
accordingly prosper. In the great scarcity
of females, the half-caste men either marry
below their own grade, or remain unmar-
ried, and are thus at serious d!sad-
vantage, as compared with their sisters.
Nearly all the half-caste girls are edu-
Gated in the excellent boarding schools of
the Protestant, Anglican and Catholic de-
nominations, where they receive good do
mestic training. They marry well-to-do
white or Chinese husbands, by whom they
are we'll protected and cared for. The
Chinaman is generally a careful and at
tentive husband. and most assiduous par
ent Their native or half-caste wives are
commonly well-conditioned. The half-white
man, on the other hand, is too often I'll
mated, and liable to become dissolute. On
the whole, there Is good prospect of a
rapidly increasing class Of Hawaiians shar-
ing higher grades of foreign blood, and ap-
proximating closely to the white race in
character and ability.
Advantages In Chinese Blood.
1t is to be observed, however, that a con-
siderable proportion of those numbered
half-castes are not half white, but part
Chinese in blood. The full analysis of the
returns will classify the different
grades of foreign blood in due time This
infusion of Chinese blood is, however, not
10 De regarded dS detrimental 10 the
race of the future in these islands In GER
tain important respects the combination of
Chinese and Hawaiian is a better one for
the uses of life than that of European and
Hawaiian. The defect Of the Polynesian
is lack of thoughtfulness, accuracy, pa
tience assiduity. He is creature of inn
pulse and appetite. These defects the
Chinese supplements much better than the
average European. Although below the
latter In some of the highest qualities, the
Chinaman has been civilized 5000 years to
the Teuton's 1909 He is a highly trained
and disciplined person in comparison; in all
habits of patient, toilsome, frugal living
and exactness of conduct. The half Chinese
In Hawaii naturally makes a better clerk
or servant than does the half white. be-
cause the Chinese blood SO much better
and more thoroughly supplements the pc
culiar defects Of the Polynesan.
Another interesting fact developed by the
census, but needing fuller analysis, Is the
great increase Of the Hawaiian-born per-
sons of foreign parentage. These have
grown from 7,495 In 1890 to 13, 742 in 1885,
an increase of over SO per cent. This in
crease also being In young children, has
contributed to a crowded condition of the
schools. Perhaps one-third of the 6,247 in
crease Is Portuguese, and one-sixth Asia
tics, the proportion of their own women
among whom is small This would leave
one-half to be divided, one-fourth to Amer
leans and one-fourth to other whites
Portuguese, although that is rough conjec-
ture. OF the whole number OF 1912 OF this
class, should guess about 3,5OO to be or
American descent, and 1.7OO British. The
precise figures will BE- known in a few
weeks.
A noticeable fact is that, while pure Ha-
waian males are II per cent in excess of
females the Hawaiian-born males Of for
eign blood exceed their females by only
one-half Of l per cent, which is less than
the normal rate. Owing to the great excess
of foreign r1ales, there is strong tendency
to keep in the islands the females born
here, while their brothers more or less drift
away. The diminution Of native females,
as observed in my last letter, is unquestion-
ably due to the debauching and destroying
effect exerted upon them by the immense
excess of foreign males, chiefly Asiatics.
The Polynesian female is frail and ILL
protected creature, to a degree beyond the
conception of those accustomed to the es-
tablished social prejudices and restraints of
civilized society.
Working for Annexation.
Henry B. Cooper, Hawaiian minister OF
foreign affairs. arrived at home on Christ
mas day from his official visit east While
ostensibly and partly tour of inspection Of
the different Hawaiian consulates, 1t was
also undoubtedly a reconnaissance of the
prospects of annexation. Mr.. Cooper's visit
to Major Mckinley at Canton could hardly
have been with any other object. What he
there learned. II anything, of the views Of
the President-elect upon the subject, has
not been made public. The minister has
Mr. Dole, and 1t is known that he reports
the prospect for annexation to be favorable
The cabinet, on the 2Sth. held an important
conference with Hartwell, Thurston, Castle
and a few other leaders. with reference to
plans of action for securing treaty of an
nexation. The government will undoubtedly
proceed with the utmost diligence and ac-
tivity to use suitable measures to that end
Considerable apprehension Is felt by the
government that they will encounter severe
opposition to annexation from the efforts of
the American sugar trust. Indications of
that adverse influence are already strong
That powerful combination has several mo-
tives for opposing the annexation of I1a-
wall, leading one being the disadvantage
the trust would have in controlling the
market of the Hawaiian crop of sugar I'm
der the present treaty Of reciprocity. only
the coarser raw sugars can be introduced
hence into the United States. Such sugars
have to be sold to the refineries, and can
not be put directly into the market for
consumers. This secures to the trust a
mplete control OF the Hawaiian trade. II
the Islands are annexed. our two or three
hundred thousand tons Of sugar will enter
your ports duty free, IN any form In which
we choose to Eend them. The result will be
that we shall refine all our sugars by direct
process at the plantations. and place our