Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-24

for the opening of active debate in Con.
gress upon.she Hawaiian question. Most OF
US anticipate that the contest VIII De sharp.
While some dread it, others of us welcome
the. prospect of having Hawaiian affairs
thoroughly discussed and ventilated con-
spicuously before the American public Inc
more the American people know about US
the better we feel sure that they VIII IKE
us and the more clearly they Will recog-
nize our fitness TO become a part OF the
American Union. On, then, with the COM
bat and the more strenuous the DEBATE
about us the better it will be for Hawan.
.a. Fitness for Citizenship.
Perhaps the most prominent objection
urged by the opponents of annexation Is
the unfitness of our population to become
citizens If the Union. Hawaii has SO heter-
ogeneous a population, three-fourths of
them Polynesians and Asiatics, that they
are incapable of self-government, and have
to he ruled by the white minority. How,
then can they safely be endowed with the
democratic Institutions ana FRANCHISES OF
American" We reply. in the first place, that
the Asiatic twO-fiftnS OF the population I'M
der the American system would have no
vote The PolyneSian one-third, little more
than half the remainder, have sufficient in
telligence and habit OF voting TO be aVali-
ably useful for elections. as now un-
der this republic. But our chief answer Is
that our white population is one of high
character and ability, and strongly Ameri-
l. d
which will crystalline politically and social
Iy the large immigration of Americans
which will rapidly follow annexation. There
can be no difficulty whatever in establish
ing American institutions here in complete
ness and with speed-for they already exist.
More thar half the time our American Wis
itors entirely forget that they are not still
In their own country.
without annexation We are liable to the
greatest difficulties. Instead OF the expect
ed American immigration, fresh hordes OF
Asiatics will pour in upon US, and may
soon insist upon the right of suffrage. This
danger is an imminent one which annexa-
ton alone can avert. 1t is a true and mod
crate statement that the question must
very speedily be determined whether Ha-
wall shall become American or japanese,
and whether the civilization Of the occident
shall rule here, or the standardization Of
the orient. The American system Of life
has been nobly established here. and de-
mands to be perpetuated as bright beacon
Of intelligence and liberty, illuminating the
Pacific Shall it be quenched under Asiatio
fog? Twenty years of annexation will I'LL
Hawaii with probably two hundred thous-
and -enterprising and intelligent Americans.
The Proposed Protectorate.
The plan of a protectorate for Ha-
wall does not seem to make a favorable
impression upon any one here. The details
of the scheme have not been learned; but
1t does not appear how any useful or eff
cient arrangement could be made which
would Tot entail upon the United States as
much trouble and expense in affording pro-
lection as would be incurred by annexing
us. In fact, the same expense would be
incurred in defending Pearl Harbor alone,
as that station could be made secure only
by defending Honolulu from occupation by
an enemy. There seems prac ticaily no alter
native between your either annexing the
group or abandoning Pearl Harbor. A pro-
tectorate is a half and half measure, in
volving endless complications with the other
strong. powers which are soon to develop
active competition for the possession and
control of the Pacific ocean. Americas
only sure and safe course is to plant her
foot firmly down upon this central
strategic point KAMEHAMEHA.