The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-09-13
THE PORTUGUESE VOTE.

before the Portuguese by certain in
terested parties, which is made
purely out of whole cloth. 1t is
that in the event of annexation they
will not have a vote. 1t is an alb
solute fabrication made for campaign
purposes. Under annexation the
Portuguese will have vote as much
as the Anglo-Saxon. If we are
admitted as a territory we shall not
have vote for the President of the
United States, but a we do not
have vote for that at the present
time either, it will be no great
Srivation to do without. 1t will,
however, be something to hope for
in the future, and If we are annex
ed, we may look forward in time to
the Presidential vote. But after all
81 this is but sentimental matter, and
what we want are practical matters.
Under annexation we shall have
a territorial legislature, which will
manage Our internal affairs, and
every Portuguese will be eligible to
vote for the members of that, just
as much as he is eligible to vote for
the members of the coming Legis-
1ature. Whether he chooses to
exercise his right or not is quite an
other affair, but he will have the
right or if he comes to the Islands
after annexation he can obtain the
right Just as he does in the United
States.
We can have more, if we want it.
under the laws which govern terri
tories, we can obtain a charter and
organize city government. And
under such charter the Portuguese
would have voice in the manage
ment of the affairs of the city,
which they do not now posses. In
fact with annexation the Portuguese
will occupy far stronger political
position than they do today.
A very large number Of the Por-
tuguese know this, and no amount
of cheap rhetoric will shake them
in their determination to support
annexation now, as they have done
in the past. A few may be led
away by this bugaboo story of losing
their votes, but they are very few.
To shew upon what himsy plat
form this opposition to annexation
among the few Portuguese stands,
the gentleman who is striving to
urge his countrymen to such a
course, himself says that were it not
for the fear of losing his vote he
would support annexation. The
Star would not say that be is striv.
ing wilfully to deceive his country
men, but will give him the benefit
of the doubt of being deceived by
other parties who are battling for
the lost cause of royalty. He, an
acknowledged republican, and be-
longing to distinctly Republican
section of the Portuguese nation, is,
so far as one can judge from his
attitude, being made the cats paw
of Royalists. and is led, probably
with good intentions, to strive to
play into their hands.
Who obtained the vote for the
Portuguese here? The Royalists
Not bit of it, the Reform Party
in IS87-and the Reform Party of
1887 is the Annexation Party of
1897, And annexation is not going
to interfere with the Portuguese
vote, any more than it is going to
interfere with the vote of the Anglo
SaXons who live on these Islands.
The tendency of the United States
is to extend and not to restrict the
franchise, to give liberty, not to
take it away.
Lose annexation, and the Portu-
guese colony here will lose its
chances of prosperity. 1t will be
among the first to feel the pinch Of
the hard times. 1t has done well,
it has worked hard, and its work
has been crowned with success. The
colonists here have not only been
able to better their own condition,
but they have also been able to
assist their own people at home, and
have either supported parents and
relations in their own country OF
have made money enough to bring
them to live out here. Accumula-
ton of wealth will follow the presen,
prosperity and the colony will be-
come still more powerful, but. the
accumulation has no come yet.
Sweep away the present prosperity
of tie country and you sweep away
tie prosperity of the Portuguese
with it. The very property that
they now own will crumble in their
hands like dead sea fruit. For il
annexation is not obtained work
will be scarce, people will go away,