The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-09-07
It LACKED ENTHUSIASM
LAST NIGHTS MASS MEETING
PROVES \ F1ZLLE.
About Three Hundred People Assem-
bled to Hear kaunamano's Oratory
Good HUNDRED Crowd, Plenty of
Joking.

their way home from work, gathered
i'm Palace Square yesterday afternoon,
in response to call for n mass meet
ing to protest against annexation.
There were few, if any Portuguese in
the crowd, and few other foreign
ers. evidently drawn there by curios-
ity only, were scattered on the oIt-
er edge. The crowd gathered slowly.
The time for the meeting had been
! fixed at ) o'clock, but at that hour
there were scarcely two score people
in the vicinity. and they were scat
tered along the streets leading off
from the square.
The general tendency of the meet
ing was good humored apathy. 1t vas
good fun to hear the speeches and it
was better fun to poke little pleasant
ries at the speakers. and interrupt
them with cries of "Wela Ia hou" NJ
at the tug of war. but as noli zeal
demonstration it was a perfect 2lalle.
When j. X. Kaunamano of HamaKua
mounted the summer house on the old
Gibson premises, adjoining the Opera
House property. about 5:15 o'clock,
and waved his hand the stragglers
along the lanes and byways struggled
! into the vicinity. Mr.. Kaunamano was
accompanied into the summer house
by the following aspirants for politi-
cal honors: J. X. Kauia, president OF
! the Aloha Alma Society: Kalauol<ala
nj, president of the Kalai Alma Socie-
ty; T.. X. Liliialani, an eX-courtier; Al
| a grower of taro and politician, and
Polikapu. editor of one of the native
papers All of the gentlemen on the
platform removed their hats and each
in turn drank copiously from a pitch
er of water introduced into the circle.
Chairman Kaunamano informed the
crowd that it was yet to young to
hear what the speakers had to say;
that additions to its numbers were
momentarily expected, and when the
proper time had arrived, the meeting
would be duly opened. But the crowd
was impatient. Many of them start
ed to go home. 1t was a good natured
crowd, however, and when the chair
man cracked some jokes everybody
laughed. \ kind of a damper was
thrown over the crowd, however,
when funeral procession slowly pass
ed up King street toward the ceme-
terry. 1t appeared like an i'll omen. and
cast a black shadow over the crowd
for time.
Chairman Kaunamano finally open
ed the meeting, about $50 o'clock, by
stating that the natives had been call
4 ed together to protest against the pro-
posed annexation treaty between the
United States and the present Hawaii
an Government. He then introduced
j. X. Kaulia, who. he said, would full
Ily explain the situation. He said in
part:
1--WE have come together this after
noon to consider the question of an
neXation. 1t is not new to you, for it
has been constantly agitated by a GER
tian class of people during the past
| four years. But the time has come
when you must decide for yourselves
do you, or do you not, want these
| islands of ours annexed to the United
States? Some smart people tell
us that if we are annexed we natives
will become rich, but l do not see how
it will be brought about. We respect
the American nation, because it has
always treated us with justice, but
these people who overthrow our own
government for their own private ends
we cannot trust.
'If these islands are annexed to the
| United States. we shall be like a ma
ton buried alive. In the past our
kings united us under one form of
!
and happy Shall we stand by list
lessly and see their labors trampled
under foot? (Cries of mo MOI" and
some voices answered Yes!" and every
body laughed heartily) Only the
rich people want annexation, for it
will make them richer but what have
we to gain? In all times it has been
the same-when a white skinned race
invades the territory of a dark SKIM
ed race, the latter is driven out and
loses its identity entirely. And shall
we stand by with. our hands folded
and see our heritage thus snatched
from us?
] tell you, my brothers, annexation
is in our hands. If we stand firmly
together, shoulder to shoulder, these
islands will never be annexed to the
United States. The stones of yonder
edfice (pointing to the Government
building) may fall and crumble into
dust, but we shall still be an indie
pendent nation so long as our people
stick together.
"The supporters of the Government
do not want us to gather here today,
but the laws of the Republic, made
by themselves, permit MS to do so, and
they cannot close our mouths. This
is a battle to be fought with brains,
and not with arms. These men have
been educated in the great universe
ties and | in the district school, but
dare raise my voice in argument
against them, because justice is on our
side. Cries of "Wela ka hon." and
general laughter.) We are a peaceab-
ly inclined and law abiding people,
gathered together in just cause, and
if this Government should attempt to
dispense us, right would surely pre-
vail.
81 do not think that the United
States would attempt to annex the is
lands without our consent. The peo-
pie of that great land are just. If an,
neXation ever comes, it will come
through the efforts of us, the rightful
owners of the land. This government
is trembling today lest the United
States refuse its prefers of anneNa-
30 Lat etn Am, 1xr