The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1898-04-05
TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 1898.
THE REWARD OF HAWAIIAN
GIRLS.

In this mornings P. @. Adver-
tiser appears a letter signed by Miss
Kahelemauna, a graduate of Hawai-
ahao Seminary, to which that
journal pays a deservedly high com
pliment. 1t is such an honest com
ment on the situation in which the
Hawaiian girls find themselves after
receiving an education which ele-
Yates them above the ranks Of the
ignorant peasant-serfs of Europe,
and so much more of practical
sermon than we generally hear from
the pulpits of our Christian
Churches that, taking advantage OF
our Editors absence, we shall adopt
it as our leading editorial to-day,
probably, much to the relief OF our
readers. Miss Kahelemauna says:
Mr.. Editor:-In this mornings Ad-
vertiser on the editorial page is an
article under above headlines in
which you refer to a New York in
dustry which you would have trans
plated to these Islands, using the
mountain tops for goat culture"
and intimating source Tor the pro-
fitable employment OF graduates
from Kamehameha and Kawaiahao
schools in the manufacture OF gloves
from the skins OF such goats. do
not, in common with some of the
natives find a connection between
this proposed industry and the re-
port that they are to be driven to
the mountains when annexation
comes, but do find in it an occa
sion to make some opportune state.
ments as to the present condition OF
many graduates OF Hawaiian girls
schools. Some days ago in writing
on "a good class OF Portuguese,
you said: This class must share
homes-that is, own land in fee sim
pie and they must be able to obtain
a decent living from it," and again,
"We compel their children to attend
school and get knowledge
"Knowledge breeds wants and plenty
of them" | have merely quoted
this, because if applicable to an
alien friendly element settling in our
midst how much more so to the
native Hawaiians. From the earliest
days OF the advent of missionaries in
these Islands our nation has been
tutored in the ways OF civilization
Our wants begotten OF knowledge
as you truly state became many
and our opportunities TO satisfy
them seemed to diminish in proper
tion as the wants increased. You
will pardon me Tor saying that oul
present condition is largely due tc
the fact that the offspring of oul
earlier tutors, forgetful of the Goo
OF their fathers found comfort in
worshipping mammon
In the first flush of their en-
deavors while still under the influence
of their fathers and brothers in the
conduct OF their enterprises, ouI
women went into the fields to STRIP
the cane, did washing, and sewing
incidental to the requirements o.
the times, and industry seemed th'
watchword on all sides; but as ont
by one the monitors Of our earle
days went to their last long rest, i
seemed as though an estrangemen
were coming upon the foreigl
element in our midst. In the
eagerness to curry the favor of thei
new found master and forgetful 0
the duty they owed to the native
among whom they had been pros
pered-they sought in every elm
to find the cheapest element to per
form the labors heretofore done b.
our own people
The natives in their simple cor
fding way looked on and even en-