The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-01-20
CALLS DOWN THE EDITOR
GODFREY l.. CABOT GIVES OUT
SOME HARD FACTS.
Has Failed to Hear ENprcsidcnt Clcve-
lands Voice Against the Present An
ncNation Treaty.

always been true friend of Hawaii,
sent the following letter to the Boston
Transcript, ia reply to an editorial
attack upon his position on the Ha
waiian Islands question:
have read your editorial of a re-
cent issue i'm which you refer so kind
ly and gently to my little brochure on
Hawaii.
With regard to your question in
what way Che status of the Hawaiian
government has improved since in
1898 the first treaty was withdrawn.
In the first place the provisional gov
eminent of thirteen has given place TO
constitutional convention of thirty
seven in which Hawaiians. English,
Germans and Portuguese as well us
Americans took part.
Secondly. this in its turn has given
place to an elective republican gov
eminent of which the upper branch is
chosen once in six years and the low
err branch once in two years.
Thirdly. both branches have voted
unanimously in favor of annexation.
and the Polynesian element is repre-
scented in both and has a clear ma ior-
ity in the lower house.
Fourthly, the native preachers in
convention assembled have declared
unanimously for annexation.
Filthy. the Senate Committee. af-
ter wears deliberation and hearing
an enormous mass of evidence from all
sides. have reported in favor of the
entire legality and competence of the
Hawaiian government.
SiNthly, Mr.. Willis, Mr. Cleveland's
appointee. who went out as a critic,
has borne the highest testimony to
the character, ability and integrity OF
the present government, ana did space
allow | could give other reasons.
have not vet heard EN-Presidcn5
Cleveland's voice raised against the
present treaty. Moorfield Storey al
lcges the smalresS of the electorate,
but in the previous regime they could
sell their votes, which they cannot do
now: ON The contrary they have TO pay
a s. poll tax, and as they are mostly
poor aud we'll cared for under Tha
present government they are rather in
different to politics.
Nevertheless, the proportion of the
total population composing the cleo
torate is larger than the proportion
of Massachusetts women who voted on
the question of suffrage few years
ago: four times as large, | think.
In view of these facts | do not think
it is fair or candid to get up again
and again in debate to alege that less
than 1000 Americans are trying TO
steal the liberties of 100000 people It
is unworthy of the highly honorable
source from which it emauates.
Neither do | think it wise or patr-
otto in public debate to suggest that
our best use for these Islands would
be as penal colony to which to de-
port our own government at Wash
ton.
| believe that with few exceptions
Congress is made up of respectable,
intelligent, patriotic men, and that it
is unfair to assail their character be-
cause in advancing the interests of the
different parts of this large country
from which they come and voicing the
widely divergent views of their re
spective constituencies they do not re-
fleet our opinions.
1t is true that large proportion of
the laborers of these Islands were i'm
once cease when the Islands are an
neXed by the conditions of the pres
ent treaty.
The sugar lands are practically all
taken up, and future possibilities of
expansion lie in the direction of coffee
culture, commerce and manufacture.
For the last Hawaii has few natural
advantages, but so has Massachusetts.
/ believe that annexation will le-
suit, as it always has, in the rapid in
crease of the Caucasian element. Why
not?
| know little about San Domingo,
and | suppose Congress has excellent
reasons for refusing to admit it into
the Union.
| believe that our past anneXations
have on the whole been wise and right
with two exceptions, the conquests of
the Mexican war and the lands of
which we have dispossessed the Indi-
ans without adequate compensation.
Hawaiian land has all been paid for.
1t is proper that we require higher
moral standard of our present legisla
tors than that which we condone in
statesmen of bygone generations, and
| have tried to show that in this case,
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