Evening star., 1898-12-22

safely and usefuly SO to participate They
have the strongest claim to such favorabl,
consideration, as having been the original
occupants of the land, and always hospita-
| BILE to whites. 1t would, however be plain
ly dangerous to good Government hare to
give equal suffrase to the native Hawaii
ans withou: discrimina ton as to intelli-
gence and thrift. There are large numbers
of fairly educated natives and of indus
trious and ca-able zones. But there are
much larger numbers of indolent and who'll
ly improvident Hawaiians, as well as of
those who are miserably debauched and
drunken. 1t would be ruinous to good ad-
ministration to admit this depressed ma
| jority of native Hawaiians to the suffrage
Even an educational quaIfication for suf-
frage would he an insufficient restriction
because of the universal schooling of the
people. Muititudes of the more worthless
natives could pass an educational test The
only efficient test IS that which indicates
the industry and business thrift of the
voter. The maintenance of civilized Ameri-
can government here must exclude from,
voting the idle, thriftiess and drunken
class else the better, more intelligent more
capable voters will be overpowered bv the
worthless majority.
Suffrage Qualifications.
l would most urgently advocate for the
voters of the lower house an income oIlali-
heauon of 500 a year. which is easily in
the reach of every industrious laborer. AL
tentative to such income might be the nos
session of $500 worth of unincumbered
property. Then for voters for senators
there should be an income qualifica ton of
$500 an amount easily in raach of every
skilled artisan or mechanic An alternative
of uninCumbered property might be FL 800
Of such senatorial votes there would be
several thousand. of whSm a ma iority
would be white men of the more intelligent
classes.
l urge these limitations of the right of
suffrage, not as permanent provision. but
as necessary to the incipient condition of
the new territory. In the course of years
large American immigration seems GER
tain to fill up the islands,. and we shall
nave preponderance of intelligent and
capable population. In the present con-
junction of affairs it would be extremely
dangerous to throw the legislature into
the control of the debased majority of the
natives. That danger is greatly enhanced
by the fact that that majority are at nres
ent extremely jealous of and hostile to
the WhlteS, politically. through resentment
at the alienation of the sovereignty The
income and property qualification proDosed
would keep the legislature in the hands of
.ne whites and of the better class of ma
ives. Inc pfecautlon suggested is obyi-
ously necessary one.
An Insahitary Camp.
The New York regiment which was
stationed here for four months. has been
recalled home, most misely, in view of pre-
quent mental depression. They have left
behind them a large percentage of their
number in hospitals, and some scores in
their graves The sad feature in this sick
ness and mortality is that it was entirely
preVentable. During the latter half of their
stay, an epidemic of typhoid fever RACED
among them. This sickness was wholly a
natural consequence 'iof the inSantiary
management of their camp. A battalion of
engineers, encamped in the same vicinity,
were entirely exempt from such sickness
simply because tftey Strictly observed we'll
known sanitary precautions. Such VS.
the conclusion arrived at by expert
enced local board of health, after due in
spection. The sinks or iatrines of the New
Workers were imperfectly treated with
earth covering. This probably carried
typhoid germs thence to the food of the
men.
Who was chiefly to blame 1 am not
sufficiently informed to say. In general,
the evil may be imputed to the imperfect
training and .disciplnei of volunteer troops
and of their officers: Nothing can be more
absurd than to,cltarge it, as General Mer-
riam is reported to h5Se done, to the un-
healthiness of Honoluad. One can hardly
believe that he called this typhod-in-
fected town. During the whole period of
the pestilence at Camp Mckinley there was
scarcely a case of typhoid in the city, and
| believe not a single case in the populouS
Waikiki suburb, except in the neighbor-
ing camp. The published reports of the
pho!d fever to have occurred in Honolulu
in 1896 and twelve in 1897. But suddenly.
a camp of LOO soldiers in a suburb de
Velops some hundreds Of cases, aud Gen.
Merriam tas reported) says it is because
Honolulu is unhealthy city.
1t seems quite surprising that camp
intended for permanence should have been
located in a part of the district so much
less favorable in many respects than a
section most desirable for the purpose,
which is situated at an equal distance on
the west side of the city. Five miles west
of the post office lies a broad, dry, open
plain, with very gentle slope, three miles
by two in area, now used only a pasture.
1t is traversed by the oahu railway with
six trains each way daily, making it only
twelve minutes from town. 1t passes COM
prehension why the camps were not located
there. Possibly the general feared that the
railway might render useless his numerous
army mule teams, which have so cut up
the Waikike road. There is q large artesian
well of excellent water in the immediate
vicinity and more could be speedily bored
and piping laid required for the most
copiOus supply of all needs of camp, even
for irrigating the whole section as garden.
AS soon as Pear Harbor is opened and the
naval station established, the garrison will
naturally occupy the same vicinity, not far
from the location above Indicated
Some Misstatements Corrected.
| am tempted to notice a few of the