The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-05
REPUBLIC OF HAWAII
PRESIDENT SANFORD q. DOLE TALKS
OF HIS COUNTRY.

self-Free school system-Products Of
tho Islands-No Monopoly OF Land.
! Hawaii will try to remain an indie
pendent republic should the United
States senate refuse to adopt the annex
alton treaty now pending. We are, of
course. without navy or an army. We
would be entirely unable to defend our
selves against any maritime power that
might come along. The republic would
be almost at the mercy of any grasping
kingdom or principality, save only in
the possibility of assistance from friend
ly nations with which we have treaty
rights.
President Sanford Ballard Dole while
ut Chicago recently gave this as his
idea of the future~of the Paradise Of
the Pacific" He also said:
II really can't say how many Ha-
waiians are in favor of annexation and
how many are opposed to it. There is
no way of finding out. The royalists
would tell you, some Of them, that all
Hawaiians are opposed to it. This is
not true. / cannot say what proportion
ton. The Portuguese are generally in
favor of it. The Portuguese consul says
it would be very great advantage for
the Portuguese of the island. j think
the Germans generally are in favor of
it. The Americans are practically unit
for it. The Englishmen are divided;
some of the strongest annexationists are
English; many of the English oppose it.
There is no other proposition of annexa-
ton before the Hawaiians, and if the
senate refuses to adopt the treaty before
1t suppose the republic will go along
as it is at present.
"We are not strong enough to fight
any of the great powers. But all Of our
constitution and our legislation for some
time past. while 1t has looked forward
to annexation, yet has completely pre-
pared the way for the republic to con-
tinue indefinitely. We should not re-
quire any legislation for the continual
ton of the republic.
1.-THE nonsectarian free school system
in effect in Hawaii is very much less
sectarian than you have in the United
States. because the constitution prevents
the government giving any assistance
with money to any private schools
whatever. If there are any franchises to
be handed out, the government does it.
"The streets of Honolulu are fine;
they are macadamized. The telephone
system is a private enterprise under GER
tain protection by the government. The
company is permitted to use the streets.
The streets are lighted by electricity by
the government. A company with
franchise lights the houses The water.
works is a government enterprise.
"There is tariff ON almost every
thing imported by Hawaii except what
is exempted under the treaty with the
United States. The United States is the
most favored nation as far as treaties
60. That is due to reciprocal treaty,
and is not supposed to apply to any 9TH
er nation. That was entered into in
1876; it went into force in 1876. There
is barely any difference of opinion among
the people of Hawaii as to the benefits
of the protective tariff. That question
has hardly ever been agitated. There
has been protective tariff in regard to
coffee, but there has been very little agi-
tation i'll regard to protection in the
island.
Coffee and sugar, rice, fruits and
hides are the staple products, and good
many minor articles are sources of rev.
enue. Americans are coming all the
time to take up land and raise coffee.
That is the popular thing with Amer.
leans. a great many Americans go
there with small capital. They receive
the grants Of land from the government,
and some men of large capital have
been there prospecting, men who want
ed to take large tracts of land for coffee.
Some lands have been purchased from
private parties. There is no monopoly
Of land in the hands of private individ-
uals, but some private individuals who
hold large tracts of land do not put them
ON the market.
'"The government, under the present
system, cannot sell more than 1000
acres in one piece. The sales also have
to be at auction. The present land policy
and land laws, in regard to any special
character about them, are aimed to give
opportunity to more men than to help
or to consider rich men, capitalists. We
have provision in the land laws by
which lands are surveyed in small SEQ
lions and furnished to any citizens or
denizens who wish to take them up
without buying them. They take lease
for 1000 years, and the land belongs to
them and their descendants as long as
they keep 1t, as long as they use it as
home, without any charge whatever
except taxes.
"They cannot sell land taken in this
way; neither can they devise it or mort
gage 1t. 1t seemed necessary to have
provision Of that kind for the poorer
Hawaiians. because they are not thrifty.
II you give them a little credit, they
are apt to lose it. And then there are
other provisions by which lands are
taken up first as leases, which can be
changed into fee simple titles. Those
are purchased lands, for which the gov.
mr., IN ont e,ofa ynopeu II ~or,,.~o. . xo..~~