Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-29
HAWAIIANS' PROTEST
Their Demonstration Against Annex
alton an Ignondnious Failure.
MATERIAL PROGRESS OF TIE NATIVES
Have Not Been Crowded Out by
the Whites,
BITION OF JAPAN
CORE spondt nee of The Eveaing Star.

HONOLULU, September IA, 1897.
On the Sth the senate of the republic Of
Hawaii assembled at the summons of Pres
ident Dole for the purpose of ratif ying the
treaty of annexation, which is now also in
the hands of the Senate of the United
States. The message of President Dole re-
counted the history of the negotiations.
There is reason for noticing the first
ground he assigns for this policy on the
part of Hawaii, viz: THE existence CT local
conditions under which the maintenance of
stable government was beset with great
and increasing difficulties; and the growing
menace to the small Hawaiian population
involved in the impending immigration,
possibly unlimited, of races whose civi!iza-
ton was not in accord with the estab-
lished institutions Of the country"
A similar view was expressed on tie tol-
lowing day in the report of the committee
to whom the whole subject was referred in
the words that good government cann)t
be permanently maintained in these islands
without assistance from without To this
expression serious objection offered by
Minister Damon. who said that good gov
ernmeEt had been successfully maintained,
and that 1t was not well to intimate to the
United States in advance that We were I'M
lit to'become a part of them. Mr.. Baldwin
said, he became an anneXatonist only be-
cause he had become satisfied that condi-
lions here lad become unfavorable to sta
BILE government without American protec-
ton. Attorney General Smith thought we
had fully demonstrated our ability 10 MAIN
tain good local governments, although there
had i, been times. of serious peril. The con-
duct of the Hawaiians as a people re-
bounded to their credit. The report was
adopted without change =,
There was also adoptedsa report from a
committee on protest sent in by native
Hawaiians 1t was held that annexation
would be especially for the benefit of he
native Hawaiians. and that the protest
was made on grounds of sentiment, rather
than from any belief that annexation
would not promote the lasting prosperity
of all classes Of the people.
Treaty Ratified.
The treaty was formally ratified on the
9th by d unanimous; vote, land on the next
morning publicly received the necessary
signatures. Annexation is, therefore ready
to become complete whenever the Senate
of the United States shall see fit to ratify
the treaty. The government of Hawaii has
performed its part in the transaction.
The protest of natives above mentioned
emanated from a public meeting called for
the purpose. grand rally and mass
meeting had been heralded for some time
past. with din of such trumpets as could
be mustered. 1t was originally intended to
impress Senator Morgan and other expect
ed senators with the great and united force
pie against the loss of their national in
dependence. President Dole's unexpected
summons to the senate to meet and ratify
the treaty seems to have hurried the meet
ing little III order to get their protest
before the senate. 1t came off near sunset
OF the 9th, and proved an igiIominious
failure. Not more than go Hawaiians were
present, with 80 foreigners of different
races, at what was to be grand enthu-
siastic rally to demonstrate the intense
national devotion of Hawaiians to their
country and its independence. -'--------'' $50
In this city reside nearly G,0OO Hawaiian
and part-Hawaiian males. or these one
half must be voters, yet only $50 turned
out. 1t is Enthusiastically and gratfyingly
evident that the natives in Honolulu who
used to be the most opposed to the politi-
cal influence of foreigners are now thor
oughly Indifferent, If not friendly, thereto
An Ignominous Failure.
There were no volunteer speakers at the
meeting. Two men talked in a perfunctory
way. They were not natives of any special
influence or prominence. A committee of
fourteen natives was appointed to prepare
formal protest against annexation. They
so did and sent copies to President Dole,
to each of, the cabinet. to the president of
the senate, and to each of the leading for
elgn representatives. as expressing the
unanimous views Of the Hawaiian people
As my friend Kaulukon pointed out to
me, not single member of this committee
Is person of any material Importance or
consideration among his own people. No
influential natives or half-whiteS took any
part in the meeting. l confess myself sur
rrised at the result. Knowing how strong
the royalist feeling had been up to two or
three years ago among natives, especially
IN Honolulu, l had not been aware how
widely and generally it had abated This
ahortive mass meeting has been revela-
ton.
kaulukon's testimony on this point is so
Z. x1I1ah 10 hat u
leading native lawyer doing large bust
ness in the lower courts He is from
Spanish father, and learned English MAIN
~ after adult age. Was marshal ten years
ago under Kalakaua. He had previously
be strenuous and rather noisy adherent
OF the king in the legislature, where he
was leader against the reform party and
especially antagonistic, to L. A. Thurston.
corning enough to see tina. both manifest
destiny and the public interest called for
annexation He has been gradually CRAWL
tating to this side and for some time well
committed to it.
This process in KauIukon's mind he rep
resents to be quite general one among
the natives. They have been greatly infiu-
eI ced by perceiving the disinterested and
5udicious char lcter and work of the pres
ent rulers. In their motives and wisdom
the natives have learned to feel confidence,
disposition toward the Hawaiians. Quite
generally they have been won over to con-
fde In President Dole. and his colleagues
They also, now incline very widely to be-
neve that annexation is really the best
thing for all concerned. For the most part
they have got rid Of the fears which anti
Americans dinned into their ears that
their laEds would be taken away, and them
selves driven into the mountains. While
there remains some OF the sentiment ex-
pressed .by- thair old cry, Hawaii for the
Hawaiians," they havescome mostly to feel
that idea to be impracticable. At the least
they are Indifferent. land indisposed to
thwart the foreigners, seeing them to be
their old friends who have always done
them good. The mental attitude of the
natives toward annexation seems thus to
be largely one of torpidity and Indifference
Small Following Of the Ex-Queen.
1t is probable that 4iliuokalani has stin
some personal adhereIts. but no consider
able. foasowanE. she' never was very pop
ular chief Her original rank was inferior.
TheaquaAty of he's following is doubtless
l~sl illustrated by that OF the only eele-
brant Of her ifty-ninth birthday oftwhpm
have heard. This was . Well-known char
acter named Bipikane, In Latin, Taurus
This bovine notoriety had been 4 hack
driver. but got into the legislature Of 1892,
where he distinguished himself by his bel
lowing voice. praeterea nihil once heard