The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-18
WHY WE DO NOT WANT HAWAII.

annexation Of Hawaii as the News and
Observer. In publishing the fact OF the
signing of the treaty, theWhshington
Post in its headlines sums up its real
| meaning in these words, "The First
Step Toward Colonial Dominion" Ihe
New York World summarizes the objec'
tions to annexation in way that viii
be difficult for the annexationlsts to
get around, as follows:
Il. In a population of 100000 there
are less than 10000 English-speaklne
whites Germans, French, English and
Americans.
"2 The climate and the soil make it
inevitable that the reputable white pop
ulation will remain about stationary and
the disreputable population from Orlen-
tai races will steadily increase.
IS. There are now 10000 Chinese and
Japanese coolies, $4,000 ignorant and
shiftless human beings from the slums of
Portuguese cities, 1000 leprosy-cursed
native Hawaiians and half-breeds.
II. The government will always be a
government of the few, holding the
many in subsection akin to slavery
70. 1t will open the way for new ex-
trava gances and dishonesties in appro-
priation bills, new and almost unlimited
jobs and steals.
rs. 1t will open the way for the an
nexation of other remote, useless islands
that, like Hawaii, will be troublesome and
expensive in time Of peace and mdefen-
sible in time of war except by an enor-
nous outlay of money in ships and forts.
~. 1t will mean one more crowd of
political Adventures, one more mass of
indigestible population, one more rotten
borough State, two more rotten-borough
Senators.
IS. 1t will not mean the slightest adj
vantage in trade and commerce or the
smallest outlet for American enterprise
or colonization.
There are these and many minor rea-
sons against the annexation job. What
can be said for it? Nothing except tina t
a gang of Republican politicians who
have money invested in Hawaii are afraid
the Dole Government will be upset and
their investments lost if the United
States do not interfere.
rs that reason enough for Mr.. Nc
kinleyp
The Baltimore Sun, one of the ablest
papers in America, argues with force
against what it terms, "A Dangerous
Step as follows:
Though unable to find time for the
reform of our currency, the qdministra-
ton has leisure enough to take up the
oh Of "a w
involves a multitude of new problems.
The annexation rs undesirable in itself
and Objectionable for its inevitable con-
sequences. The influence that promotes
it is, of course, that of the sugar plant
ers, who, anticipating the abrogation of
the reciprocity treaty, desire to escape
the duty ON sugar by bringing Hawaii
within our tariff wall. They see further
advantages for themselves in the millions
of money Congress will feel impelled to
spend on its new acquisition for forts,
harbors, coahng stations, docks, rail
roads, telegraphs, submarine cables, &c.
Owners of real estate in Hawaii cannot
but welcome the coming of an extra
VACANT sovereign who always pays two
prices for what he buys. Contracts in
numera bic loom up, to say nothing Of the
bigger salaries Uncle Sam will pay to
the Hawaiian office-holders.
"The Hawaiian Islands are of no practi-
cal use to us, whether for purposes Of
peace or war. Our sole interest is that
no naval power stronger than we are
should occupy them, to menace our Cal
ifornia frontier some 1000 miles away.
This interest is already secured. Pre-
dominance in the islands is conceded to
us by the common consent of the nations
of the world. England and France-the
only powers to be feared-are, moreover,
under treaty obligations to each other
not to occupy the Hawaiian Islands. We
are, therefore, absolutely secure, and the
result of our exchanging our protector
ate over the islands for actual posses
sion is to increase our responsibilities
without any compromising public benefit.
The spectators and adventures who
seized the government by the help Of the
American minister in the last months
of President Harrison's administration
are but using the Mckinley cabinet to
pull their private chestnuts out of the
fire.
much is said of our need of the is
lands as a "key" of the Pacific-as a
means OF reaching across the Pacific to
China and japan, or as an outwork for
the defense. of our Pacific coast. This
is a fallacious line of argument. There
are hundreds Of other islands in the
Pacific which are equally "keys," half.
way houses and sites Of possible fortress
es for enemies operating against us from
the Pacific. Some of these are already
held by other nations. Hawaii has nc
Importance for us except that it produces
great deal Of sugar. In time Of wal
it would be source of weakness, since
We should either have to keep sOrely
needed warships there to protect it OF
permit it's docks and supplies of coal to
fall into the hands of the enemy's CRUZ
sers. Should we construct ON one Of the
islands, at enormous expense, powerful
fortress, it could hardly be stronger than
any feet that could be brought against
| it, and without the cooperation Of q
large feet such fortress would not pro
tect the other islands.