The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-02-04
THE POPULATION.

was taken, the bureau has been able
to lay before the public the complete
estimate of the population. The total
figures amount to 100000, an increase
of l9,O3O upon the number reported at
the census taken in 1890. Inc Ha-
waiians of pure blood show to the
number of BLOB as against 34,436 in
from 1884 to 1890 was at the rate of
IA per cent. The drop from 1890 to
1896 is at the-fate of 10 per cent. The
diminution of the native race is there
fore becoming slower, and may, in
time, take an upward grade. This is
what the best friends of the Hawaii
ans look for, but it is doubtful if the
upward grade will ever be reached.
From personal observation the writ
er thought that the Hawaiian had
reached the bottom rung of the ladder
and was starting upon the upward
grade. Taking the Konas, for instance,
there seemed to be such a healthy in
crease of Hawaiian children that in
stead of a decrease in pure Hawaiians
there was every reason to look for an
increase. That is the way we are all
apt to look at questions of this sort.
We are always in such hurry to gen
eralize and to jump at conclusions. If
the falling off in pure Hawaiians was
IA per cent in 1890, and is 10 per cent
in 1896, it is mathematically plain that
the upward grade has been really
reached. and that the minus quantity
must be slowly, but steadily, receding,
till, if conditions of life remain the
same, the minus will become plus. As
a mere matter of mathematics from
the data before the public, this ought
to- take place twelve years from now,
However, problems of this kind have
so many side issues that is impos-
sible to predicate upon them. The
only thing that can be predicated up
on is that the dwindling of the Ha
waiian race is slightly stayed.
On the other hand the part Hawaii
an race is going forward with wonder
full rapidity. According to the census
of 1884 there were 421S part Hawaiians
on the Islands. In 1890 there were
61S6, and on September 27, 1896, there
were SASS. During a period of twelve
years this portion of the population
has exactly doubled. Under the term
part Hawaiian is included the off
spring of part Hawaiians married to
part Hawaiians. That is to say the
term, as used, includes any admiXture
of foreign blood with that of the alb
original race. Figures such as these
would furnish a column article for Mr..
Marquis, who has discoursed learnedly
and unlearnedly upon the subject, but
unfortunately he is away from the
country at present.
The white population of the Islands
numbers in all 22,03S. If we add this
to those of mixed blood we will have a
population of about 10000 as against
a native population of $1,000. The
the Portuguese. There has been no
immigration of these people for years.
The old settlers are gradually dying
off. If we were only to take the for
eign born Portuguese we would find
that in the natural course of events
they were decreasing. Some have made
money enough to return to their At
lantic homes, some have sought homes
in the States and many have completed
their LIES work and rest in Gods acre
But these people live in their children
and their children's children. They
now represent far more than one-half
of the white population here. The vot-
tiers of the future are going to be the
Portuguese. With our system OF
schools they are being educated IN
American methods of thought, and 1
the ideas of freedom which permeat,
the institutions of the Great Republic
OF the nationalities, the Americans
predomaniate with 30S6, while the
British are not far behind, with 2250
The Germans, of pure blood, total VI
1892. France is not very largely rep
resented on the Islands, all that thu
"grand nation" can put into the fielC
of statistics is a bare 101. The majo
portion of this number is composed o
the priests attached to the mission
and the Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
1t is a matter of great stirprise tina
the Chinese population almose equal
the japanese. Indeed, as far as thu
male population goes, they are prac
tically equal, for the male Japanes,
number 1922, while the male Chimes
l't