The herald., 1898-12-07

own IN his own right real property worth
$looO upon which valuation legal taxes shall
have been paid for the year preceding that
in which he offers to register, or shall have
actually received money income of not less
than 5000 during the previous year
Probably the most important portion OF
the bill is section ", defining citizenship,
which provides that "All white persons, in.
Guiding Portuguese and persons of African
descent, and all persons descending from
the Hawaiian race on the paternal or ma
ternal side, who were citizens of the re.
public of Hawaii Immediately prior to the
transfer of sovereignty thereof to the United
States are hereby declared to be citizens of
the United States"
This is the usual provision found in the
acts of congress providing for the estab-
lshment Of territorial governments in the
United States, but the commissioners re-
gard the provision as exceptionally import
ant in this bill, for many reasons, among
which they mention the continued importa-
ton of Chinese labor to Hawaii. Remarking
on this point, they say: at has been the
policy of the government Of Hawaii, before
and since the establishment OF the republic,
to import men under the labor contracts
for term of years at the expiration of
which they are to return to the countries
from which they came. Those brought in
are mainly from China and Japan. Since
the act OF congress anneXing Hawaii was
passed prohibiting Chinese immigration,
Hawaiian sugar planters have seemed to be
making an unusual effort toward securing
the importation Of Japanese laborers, fear
ing trouble and embarrassment on account
of the insufficient labor for the care and
carrying on of their sugar plantations. OF
course, it becomes necessary to extend our
labor laws over the islands, so as to prohibit
all kinds Of foreign contract.labor from COM
ing to the territory, first, because it is the
policy Of this country to keep out all kinds
of cheap foreign labor, including coolie la
Dor, and thereby prevent such labor from
interfering with the wages of American la
Dor; and, secondly, to protect our manu-
factured products from competition with
manufactured goods provided by cheap alien
labor. The general laws of the United
States will place the people of the territory
on the same footing as the people of the
states and other territories of the United
States in regard to the foreign labor
''The question whether white labor can
profitably be used in the sugar plantations
is yet problem, but the planters are pre-
pairing to give such labor trial, and some
of them believe it will prove superior to the
labor of either Chinese or japanese"
The commissioners take pains >. express
their united opinion that the plan outlined
for the government of Hawaii cannot be
regarded as a precedent for Porto Rico and
the Philippines, saying on this point:
Much has been said to the effect that the
policy or scheme of government for the
Hawaiian islands will be taken and accepted
as an index or precedent to be followed in
the plan of government for Porto Rico and
the Philippines. In view of this apparent
expectation or belief on the part Of many
good people in the United States, the com
mission deems it proper to state that the
people of Hawaii are capable of self.govern-
ment and have proven this by the establish
ment of the republic of Hawaii and the
adoption of constitution and code Of laws
which would compare favorab1y with those
Of any other government, and under such
constitution and laws have maintained
stable government for several years worthy
of free people. The people of those islands
are more or less familiar with the institu-
tions and laws of the United States, while
the laws of the little republic are largely
taken from the laws of this country. It can
not be said that either the Porto Ricans or
the Fihpinos are at all familiar with our
system Of government, or with any other
based on the principles of liberty. The un-
DERIVING theory Of our government is the
right of self-government, and the people
must be fitted for self-government before
they can be trusted with the responsibilities
and duties attaching to free government.
These remarks are made to negative the idea
that because the people of the Hawaiian is
lands can, in the judgment of the commits
sion, be consistently given sclf-government
to an extent almost equal to that given the
people in the states, it cannot be safely in
ferred that other insular possessions which
the United States have acquired or may
acquire by treaty with Spain, can be grant
ed equal freedom in government
The report is unanimous except on ore
point, on which President Dole makes
minority recommendation. This recon-
is for board of advisers to the
governor Of the territory, and he recon-
mends that the treasurer, attorney general.