The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-03-05
THE FUTURE.

nexation things will go on here very |
much as they have done, had better be
got rid of as soon as possible. The
unfortunate remark has been taken
up and chewed over by many papers
in the United States and has had dis
tinct effect upon the weak lneed mem
bers of the cause.
In the first place if we do not get
annexation we will lose the reciprocity
treaty. The same forces which are ar
rayed against annexation, and OF those
id for annexation, a certain proportion
id for annexation, n certain proportion
will be against reciprocity. There Is
in the fight against annexation per-
sonal element which not every one is
aware of, and that personal element
will not be satisfied with the defeat
of annexation alone, it will never
cease its efforts till the reciprocity
treaty is abrogated also. Besides there
are those who are perfectly willing
that Hawaii should have advantages
if Hawaii is part of the United States
but who are unwilling that she should
have them if she remains outside the
pale.
That things will go along until the
end of the Presidential term is prob
able. but the end of the century which
looked so far off when the Republic
was established, looks very near in
deem now. We may say that, practi-
cally. 1899 is at hand and in 1899 it is
quite on the cards that the AnneXa-
tionists may be swept out of power,
and that the refusal to annex TO the
United States may come from this side
in the shape of the withdrawal Of the
treaty by the new President.
But in these speculations one factor
seems always to be left out, and that
is the japanese. How long will it be
before these people will be ask lg Tor
the franchise, if we continue to be an
independent Republic? This is a phase
of the question which those who are
fond of giving us advice totally ,g-
more. We all know that in the last
years of the Monarchy, this question
of the franchise for the Japanese was
seriously considered, and had the Mon
archy continued, it would have been
obliged to grant the request. When
the Constitution of the Republic was
framed, one of the things to which its
trainers gave particular attention was
the manner in which the japanese
could be excluded from the franchise.
1t was managed, much to the surprise
of Mr.. Fuji, the japanese Representa-
tive, who thought that there was no
way out of the difficulty.
With all this before us, we can fore
see that in the event of this remain
ing weak, Independent Republic, the
Japanese would soon begin agitating
for a franchise, and there would not
be strength enough to resist the re-
quest Once grant the japanese fran
-chise, and it would not be long before
we should have japanese President
and japanese Ministry. You can't
"
ing it hystercal raving. 1t is based
upon facts. If the japanese wanted
the franchise once, tits very sure that
they will want it again. If they get
they will vote as a solid japanese par
ty. If they vote solid they can get ev-
erything that they want. If they are
in such position it is very unlikely
ing parties to fill the offices that are
in their hands. Thus by purely logi-
cal sequence we run an excellent
chance of having a Japanese President
and japanese policy.
But we can go "A step further. Japan
at present says she has entirely given
up any designs upon this group. This
may or may not be true. But Japan's
attitude toward these Islands would
be very different if a Japanese were
President The step from the weak
Island Republic into the bosom of a
strong Island Empire would not be a
great one. lHeIe WOulu ne no neeu
for a single shot to be fired, the pear
would be ripe, and would not even
need to be gathered. 1t would drop.
Then San Francisco and the West
Coast generally would find an Asiatic
neighbor within striking distance of
their ports, and things would not look
so well as when the Islands were held
as an outwork of Western civilization
in the Pacific, by men who believed in
that civilization.
1t is nonsense to say that things will
go smoothly if we do not get annexa-
ton. They will not. Annexation is