The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-10-05
RESTRICTED FRANCHISE.

There are always a certain num-
Der of people who do not and will
not understand why the franchise
was so restricted when the Republic
was established. Complaints upon
the point comes from both sides,
they come from the Hawaiian and
they come from the American and
the European who have since settled
here. 1t is difficult for either side
to realize the conditions under
which the Republic was established.
They were unique. There was in
the first place heterogeneous
population, there was the presence
of a claimant to an extinct throne,
and then there was the distinct
object for which the Republic was
established, viz: annexation to the
United States. 1t was absolutely
necessary that under the conditions
the citizenship should be restricted,
not only for the good and protection
of those engaged in forming the
government, and for the capital of
the country, but also, and this most
particularly, for the native Hawaii
an as against the Asiatic claimant
for citizenship rights.
No sooner had the trainers of the
Constitution gone to work than
Mr.. Full, the Japanese representa-
tive, set to work to obtain the vote
for his countrymen. He was an
extremely able man, of wide expert.
ence both in the old and the new
world. 1t seemed as it would be
hopeless task to keep out the Asiatic
vote. The ordinary man, without
thinking upon treaty obligations,
says why did they not put in
clause prohibiting japanese from
voting, and allow all those who
came from the States and Europe to
vote after term of residence and
the taking out of proper papers.
But this would have been undue
discrimination, and was the very
thing MIR. Full was waiting for.
The clause would have been pro-
nounced against treaty rights, and
we should long ago have had a
Japanese man-of- war in harbor ell
forcing the franchise of her country
men. Had wagner term, Asiatic
been used, it would have had the
same effect.
There was only one thing to do,
and that was to restrict the fran
chise. The franchise could be
obtained, but only by such countries
as had special treaty rights upon
the matter, there were no such
countries. Japan had no such treaty.
and it efectually kept out the Jap
anese from being voter. while it
made no undue discrimination
against him. 1t was the cleverest
clause in the Constitution and Mr..
Full acknowledged himself beaten,
He hal no ground to make pro-
test.
1t must be remembered that the
Republic was only and is only
meant as a stepping stone to annex
alton. The trainers of the Consti-
tuition considered the restricted
franchise an evil, but a necessary
evil, until that event took place. 1t
was better to have restricted fran
chise than to have Japanese vote.
And the restricted franchise will
cease with annexation. 1t is this
latter, which the Hawaiian did not
understand, but which they now
understand. With annexation they
obtain the same vote as any citizen
of the United States. With annex
alton every European on the Islands
obtains the right of getting a vote,
but with annexation the Asiatic
will not obtain vote, for the United
States is not hampered by such a
treaty as we were. Properly under
stood that clause must be regarded
as the safe guard of Hawaii.