Evening journal., 1898-10-20
CITIZENS.
A Problem for the Annexation
Commissioners to Solve.
any Others Than whiten or Africans
Arc Ineligible 10 become Citi-
zens Under Our Con-
stitution.

In half the troubles Of Hawaii, and
it has had its share since Capt. Cook
masqueraded in the feathers of God
Lono, there has been one catch-woro,
she rallying cry of the element of the
population making toward something
better, making successfully toward
constitutional monarchy, toward pro-
visional government, toward republic,
toward being part of the American
state sisterhood. 1t has been the cry
OF citizenship.
The beachcomber, the runaway
whaler Of the early days, did not care
for citizenship. SO long as he had
his share, or could grab his share. Of
the things which attracted him to the
islands he was content to become a
subject Of savage monarch in a
feather cloak. But others settled who
were less easily satisfied, men who
came from America as missionaries of
civilization. who brought the church,
the school and the store, and set them
side by side in every hamlet of un-
reclaimed savagery. They had some
thing to lose, some respect to main
tain; they could not rest happy as
subjects Of any sort, having been born
citizens, least of all could they be sub
jects of any Kamehameha, drunk or
sober, but. most commonly drunk. Still
less could they content themselves
with a neutral state in which the saw
age and the beachcomer could legis-
late foolishly or wickedly, just as whim
might dictate.
Through their discomfort was de-
veloped a system of denizenship. The
better class remained citizens of the
United States in the foreign land. BY
becoming denizens Of Hawaii, they ac-
quired the right to q voice in its af-
fairs, without casting Oft their rights
as Americans. Denizens could vote,
could hold office. The real cause of the
overturning of Liliuokalani was her
attempt to take away the rights of the
denizens, 10 force them to dilemma
choice, either to renounce their cher
ished American citizenship or to leave
them with no voice in affairs and help
less.
Now, the conditions being reversed
! the Hawaiians themselves will become
interested in discovering their civi
status. So far as the law stood on the
day before annexation was accom-
plished, the Hawaiian could not be
come a citizen Of the United States
because he was not eligible under thu
constitution-his race barred him out
This was the decision OF the suprem'
court of Utah while 1t was still ter
ritory. A male Hawaiian of full age
satisfying all the conditions of suhi
cient residence and necessary famil
iarity with the principles of the gov
ernment, applied for papers Of natural
ization. He was rejected by the lowe
court to which he made his applica
tion, and on appeal the decision wa
upheld by the supreme court. That de
cision has to stand unless oyerturne
by the supreme court OF the Unite
States.
His race barred him in this particu
lar. The constitution provides tha
citizenship may be attained by whit
persons and those of African birth o
descendants; no others. The tw
courts held that the Hawaiian wa
not in any sense an African, also not il
any sense a white person. The cour
did not undertake TO settle just wha
race the Hawaiian did belong to. Blu
It firmly settled on one thing, tha
this Hawaiian, and by legal consC
quence, every other Hawaiian. coul
not become a citizen Of the Unite
States.
On that question the Hawaiians, al
nexed but not citizenable, will Dc
/ mand to be heard. This is a thing tn
commissioners on annexation will lhav
to figure out to some satisfactory sc
luton. On one side the constitutio
and courts of law against civil rights
on the other, some $4,000 citizens G
Hawaii by birth and race now sudder
ly become citizens Of nowhere.-N. J
Sun.