The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-23

had seen service in war, and from such
accessions from about IL, 900 the Japanese
numbers In Hawaii mounted up to over
24,o00, with prospect that in few
months time the Mikado's subjects
would be the. strongest race, numerically,
in the island, as it was already physically.
There was no industrial need, it is as
serted, for this immigration. The banana
and truck farms and fisheries were in the
hands of the Chinese, the cane fields were
steadily worked by contract Japanese
then in service, and there was nothing
in Hawaii that japanese students could
learn which they might not just as we'll
learn at home. The Chronicle asserts that
these people came to Hawaii to acquire
citizenship, to have accorded to them the
same electoral rights that are granted to
the Americans and Europeans, the Japa-
nese claiming, 1t is said, that under the
most favored nation clause in their treaty
with Hawaii, they were entitled to have
their people put on an equal footing with
other foreigners. But If citizenship
shouldssbe granted, then the small Ameri-
can colony on the island would be sub
merged, as would be impossible to even
temporarily re-enforce 1t by white neigh
bors in numbers to make Roadway against
the voting Asiatics. 1t would be borne
down by superior strength, and in short
time the Hawaiian republic would come
under the control Of its newzcitizens land
have japanese President, cabinet and
change existing laws as to make Hawaii
practically dependency Of Japan.
Even if the right to vote is refused to
the Japanese, what is to prevent them,
the Chronicle asks, from exercising the
right.to indulge in revolution? Other
nationalities have made use of this right.
The present government is a revolution
cI,< %1,n
Japanese, having immense physical pre-
ponderance and military training, make
use of the opportunities which revolution
would afford? To prevent these untoward
results the surest, and perhaps only,
means, in the opinion of the San Francis
co Chronicle, is to annex Fla wall to the
United States, and to govern it as de-
tendency. Under such circumstances the
superfiuous Japanese, it is said, would re-
turn to their homes, and no more fear
need be felt concerning the future of the
group Of Hawaiian islands.
1T seems to us that the answer to make
to this argument is that a proper extern
sion of the protectorate theory would en-
able the United States to do all that it
need to insure the continuance of the ex-
listing method of control. Egypt is not a
part of the British empire by annexation.
In fact, its government is quite distinct
and nominally independent, and yet the
English would consider themselves entire
ly justified in interfering for the purpose
of preventing the overthrow of the gov
eminent of the Khedive and the estab-
lishment in its place by revolutionary
methods of some other form of control
The government of Hawaii is oligarchical,
and, considering the mixture of races
there, 1t seems to us that it must remain
so. Taking everything into account, this
government is in the hands of the ablest
men, representing as they do the wealth
and intelligence Of the islands. If mis-
take has been made, it is under the con-
stitution in extending the suffrage too
greatly, but this is probably defect
which it would not be difficult to correct.
Our own government would be justified
in declaring protectorate over Hawaii
which would go SO far as to not only ex-
clude foreign interference, but to give it
the right to perpetuate the control Of pub
lie affairs in the hands of those who now
possess it, and certainly to prevent by the
employment, If need be, of force any revo-
lutionary attempt on the part of those
representing other classes Of settlers. We
probably would not widely disagree with
our California contemporary in dag
nosis Of possible dangers, but the remedy
which we propose Is, in our opinion, quite
as efficacious and much more in keeping
with the spirit of our institutions.