The Portland daily press., 1897-12-15

If they 1.-THE natives) have the right to
control Hawaii they demonstrated under
Lilioukalani they hadn't the wisdom and
they demonstrated under the policy of
Paramount Blount they hadn't the
strength, accordingly under the law of
nations their right doesn't amount to
much. Under their Queen they demon
strated that they were as incapable of
clean government as are the Indians
now occupying Indian Territory, but
from which Uncle Sam will probably
soon GUST them because of the corruption
existing there.-Kennebec Journal.
This picture of the Hawaiian natives
is altogether different from that recently
presented by Mir. Loren Thurston, former
ly Hawaii's minister to this country. In
a.printed argument in favor of annexa-
ton which had liberal circulation
throughout the country, especially in the
newspaper offices, replying to the objec-
tive Of the opponents of annexation that
the Hawaiian native were not fit for
American citizenship, Mr.. Thusrton as
serted that millions of Americans were
not up to the Hawa y standard; that
there is less illiteracs III Hawaii than in
Massachusetts,; that English is taught in
all of the public schools, and is the Ian
guage of the country; that tho laws. Gus
toms and business relations were all
American; that no territory has ever
been annexed which was SO thoroughly
Americanizsd at Hawaii is today" These
two pictures show to what straits the
annexationists are put to answer the ar
guments against their scheme, and how
they have to juggle with the facts to
meet them. Our friend, the Kennebec
Journal, in order to refute the argument
that the people of Hawaii ought to be
consulted before their autonomy is de.
stroyed pictures them as unclean, incapa-
BILE of ruling, like our Indians in Indian
Territory (which Uncle Sam will soon
GUST because of the corruption existing
there. - But Mr.. Thurston, confronted
to the standard of American citizenship,
proceeds to picture them as superior to
millions of Americans, with less litter
acy than Massachusetts,; with customs,
laws and business relations all American,
and more thoroughly Amerioanized than
pA4S PCSRAS VI ouJ eOAiluO1y OsCl ohACAOa
by US. Both these pictures can lot be
true, and it makes no difference as far as
this scheme of annexation is concerned
which is the true one and which the false.
il the Journals Is true then Hawaii
ought not to be-. annexed, because tine
natives constitute the vast majority of
the population, numbering 10000 to the
Americans 5000, and we should be an
nexing a people as undesirable in every
respect as those we are going ito GUST
from Indian Territory" because they are
too bad to conduct their affairs. On the
other hand if Mr.. Thurston's picture is
the correct one, then we should certainly
give the natives chance to be heard. be-
fore depriving them of their autonomy.
Assuredly we of the North ought not to
deny that opportunity after amending our
constitution SO that neither race. color nor
previous condition of servitude should
bar man from having an equal voice in
the government. How can we consis-
tently insist that the black men of South
Carolina shall have an equal voice with
the white in the conduct of the public
affairs of that state, and yet subscribe to
the doctrine that it is perfectly right
for the dark skinned natives of Hawaii,
who are superior to millions OF Americans
that have the ballot, according to Mr..
Thurston, and according to the same au-
thority far less illiterate than millions of
our voters, should be incorporated in our
union without asking their consent?