The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-03-20
THEY GO.

The students have set out to re-
turn to Japan and the Government has
justified itself in the eyes of the peo-
pie. Not only has the Government
acted rightly, but it has done a stroke
of good policy, for this japanese ques-
tion was one in which people of such
divergent views were interested, that
many and many a new friend will have
been obtained A strong policy gains
friends and wins the respect of foes.
The crisis which had arrived demand
ed determined measures, a shilly shall
lying style of policy would have prac-
tically wrecked the Government, now
it stands forward as a body which is
by no means headstrong, but, on Civ
ing careful consideration, is deter
mined to protect its people under the
law and its officers have shown that
they do not shirk the responsibility of
their acts.
The Weakened, amongst the COM
munity, and the disgruntled will now
run claclling about the awful things
Japan will do. She won't do anything.
Her Government, undoubtedly, will en-
quire into the case, but that will be all.
The Hawaiian Government has the
points of the argument and will be
able to sustain them. The refusal TO
receive the students" is no high
handed proceeding, but a strict en-
forcement of the immigration law,
which was being ostentatiously evad-
ed. Right is right and be the country
never so small no secondary or even
great power can coerce it in these
days.
One thing that has been clearly de-
veloped during this investigation, is
that the fifty dollars clause in the i'm
migration law has been over and over
auain e,,a,,A--i-a----J r"''N''' fi'''iiiS
stopped the influx of what is practic-
ally pauper immigration, it will now
be the duty of the Government to
search out and punish those who have
been engaged in the nefarious traffic.
OF course the students" are not gull
ty of any crime. They are rather
sinned against than shining. They
were persuaded that they could leave
the land where wages were ten cents
a day and work by no means certain,
to come to land where, after a time,
a dollar a day might be earned, and
work was plentiful. The prospect
seemed like leaving the desert to get
into the Garden of Eden. But some one
must have induced them to come.
Some one must have painted the gilt
tering picture before their eyes. Those
who have acted fraudulently on the
Japan side of the Pacific will undoubt-
eddy be attended to by the japanese
Government, which is amply able and
willing to look after its own sinners
The Hawaiian Government must at
tend to those at this side, and IL is to
be hoped that they will suffer the full
penalty of the law, which is severe
enough if the full amount of the fine
could be collected. 1t is one hundred
dollars for every fraudulent immi-
grant. In this case, as there are four
hundred of them, $4,000 would be the
somewhat comfortable fine, and in de-
fault there is a years work on the
roads. The law is very clear.
The result of the affair is eminently
satisfactory. 1t has established pre-
cedent and it has strengthened the
hands of the Collector General of Gus
toms. 1t has shown how careful the
officials must be in admitting immi-
grants and how thoroughly they must
be in their guard against possible
fraud. Finally, it has decided, once
for all, that the Government of this
country does not propose to allow it's
Hawaiian, American, Portuguese and
other European subjects to be driven
to the wall by an influx of Asatics,
who would have undermined every
path of labor, and in the end would
have overthrown the Anglo Saxon civ
ilization so carefully and so lovingly
established here. The Government, as
has been already said, has justified it
self before the people.
-