The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-08-23

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strativa Of their ability to discharge
the duties of American citizenship,
although they are sufficient to ele-
vate them far a owe the degradation
which they suffer at the hands Of
those who ignore their just demands.
The mental discipline-to which the
native Hawaiian has been for many
years subjected certainly entities
him to hearing when his civil
rights are threatened 1t does not,
however, follow by any means that
this right of consideration means
the possession of the mental aud
moral faculties essential to the pro-
perry equipped American citizen.
While / believe the evidence tends
to show the incompetency of the
na' i've Hawaiian 20 meet the require
ments of our citizenship, it is never
theless clear that he is not savage
or q slave; and the land of his birth
should not be disposed of without
his concurrence.
Captain Dutton, OF the United
States Ordnance Department, deliv-
cred lecture under the auspices
OF the Smithsonian Institution in
1881, wherein he said:-
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"The economic condition Of the
Hawaiian is prooably superior at the
present time to that of any other
tropical people in the world; and,
on the whole, ! think it quite safe to
say that it is but very little sur
passed, if at all, by that Of the work
ing classes of America, He has
even more to eat and better food,
plenty OF beef, pork, and fish, and
could have an abundance Of -four
| If he desired it, but be prefers his
tavo He owns his property in fee,
he makes laws and executes them,
he reads and writes, be has but one
wife; he tills the soil and tends
| flocks; sometimes he accumulates
wealth, and sometimes he does not;
he makes his Will in due form, dies
and receives a Christian burial; in
no land in the world is property
more secure"
Mr. Spalding informs us that
republic would not be good form
OF government for the people OF
Hawaii, He told the Senate Com
mittee that the natives "are like a
good many in the United Statea-
better governed than governing"
and testified as iollows:-
II have already said that repub-
lican form of government would not
be suitable for that people. That
is an independent form of govern
ment. You might, for instance, if
the Hawaiian Islands were a part of
the State OF California, do very we'll.
| think they would send two or three
or four Representatives to the State
Capitol who would be equally re-
spectacle with the Representatives
sent from the present counties in
California"
The general tenor of the testimony
taken by the Senate Committee is,
that, Notwithstanding the ability of
the natives to read and write, they
could not maintain republic But
| repeat, this state of affairs does
not authorize the United States, nor
any other Power, to ignore the de-
sires of these islanders as to the
form OF their government They
were contented and prosperous be-
fore the oligarchy. The incompe-
tency OF the Japanese and Chinese
population, consisting OF about forty
six thousand souls, will not be con-
troyerted. We have stringent laws
excluding Chinese from the United
| States, and after much trouble we
succeeded in negotiating a treaty
virtually ratifying the Geary law;
and our policy Of exclusion has been
enforced with comparative success.
Our people, especially those who
toll, are opposed to the introduc-
tion of servile Asiatc labor. | am
aware that the treaty under con
sideration provides "No Chinese,
| Inv rnason Of anvfhinu harain oon-