Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-08
No Doubt Felt as to the Vote on An
neXation.
TEE INEVITABLE COURSE OF EVENTS
Capacity of the Natives for Ameri-
can Citizenship.
OF SUPERSTITION
Of TIE Evening Star.

HONOLULU, January d. 1925
The Polyaesian natives of Hawaii have
always been extremely kind and friendly
toward Their white visitors, and peculiar
ly SO 10 the Americans. who have made
their homes among them in larger numbers
than any others. For this reason they
have thoroughly earned the warm regard
of the American people, ard merit TO be
treated in return not only with justice, but
gsith peculiar kindness. Such kindness
they have received in the past, for it has
been from the American people that the
HawaiianS have derived mora! aud spirit
ual as well as mental enlightenment, to-
sether with the blessings of civilization
and political and social liberty. The mu
;ual relations of the two peoples here have
been extremely intimate and kind. Our
American residents have feelings only Of
lie warmcst regard and most considerate
kindness toward the natives, and the latter
feel this and trust them, except as they
may have become embittere1 by the mis-
representations of persons hostile to the
former, politically or otherwise.
There is also every reason TO rely upon
The American people as a whole, especially
upon their statement, to treat the ma
tive Hawaiians with great kindness as well
as justice. This does not at all mean that
all sentimental demands of the natives
shoult be complied with regardless OF OBJ
viouS public necessities II does not forbid
the exercise of necessary guardianship
over the natives, but, on the contrary, re-
quireS ii to be exercised whatever obJec-
ton to such guardianship ill-disposed per
sons may have prompted them to feel. But
whatever control Is found necessary and
Whatever government IS to he established
over them, they should be treated with all
the favor and cordial regard which is due
to their long exercised hospitality and kind
ness TO Americans while they were in the
position OF guests in the country. ESpecl-
ally may it be taken to mean that The ma
tive Hawaians should be. after anneXa-
ton, endowed with the rights and priv-
leges of American citizens 50 far as they
are capable of uSefully exercising such
privileges: and / hope to show that to a
great extent they thus capable. They
should on no account be treated as a sub
ject race, or as Indians, ON account of ig-
norance and savage condition. 1t would,
indeed be unNind 10 deprive these natives
of such voice in the government of their
country as they have hitherto enjoyed.
Just here L must refer TO some remarks
in former s.'eech of Senator PetugrCw,
which was lately reprinted here. In it he
protested against establishing the soVer
eighty of the United States over the la
waiians against their will on the ground
of the democrat tic principle that all
right to govern depends upon the consent
of the governed" Then in succeeding
paragraph he denounced the Hawaians as
a race unified TO belong 10 republic, be-
cause by their inferior native and race in
stincts they required monarchy over them.
The TWO statements do not seem consist
emit Monarchy among inferior races never
asks the consent of the governed" The
strong chief takes the rule and the poor
people submit. because if they do not it
will be the worse for them, and having
always been slaves to their chiefs for I'M
told generations they are glad to find some
one to submit to, especially of their own
blood.
trary power over them. The truth seems to
be that there is a childish condition of
many races and peoples. out of which they
need to be upiifted and educated before
their wishes can be consulted or their con-
sent asked how they shall be governed.
The consent of children to their govern
ment is never to be asked, and savaSes are
in statu pupillari.
Condition of the Hawaffans.
The Hawaiian people, however, are much
advanced in the process of emerging from
that inferior condition, and it has been
found safe. as part of the educative pro-
cess towards freedom, to intrust them with
some voice in the government. This edu-
cative process was begun more than fifty
years ago through the influence Of the
missionaries in the hope of fitting them to
participate in what was manifestly COM
ing in a not remote future, free constttu
tional government by the people A limited
suffrage for Representatives in lower
house of the legislature was given to such
of the common people as possessed mod
crate income. The upper house was COM
posed of mobiles appointed by the king.
After forty years, that suffrage was eX-
tended by having the mobiles elected by
such persons as had an income of $500, or
property amounting to So 900. That new
provision was extOrted from the king in
the revolution of 1887. The same pro-
visions for suffrage were continued in the
constitution Of the present republic of
Hawaii, and have SO far worked salts
factorily.
The fitness of the common natives for
unlimited suffrage has never been MAIN
tained here. AS stated above, the kings
chiefs never admitted such a thing: they
always restricted them to voting for the
lower house, reserving the appointment of
the upper house to the king, who took care
to have n senate in sympathy with his own
views. a considerable number of natives
enjoy the required income of $500, and
now vote for senators: but they
naturally men of intelligence superior to
the masses. 1t is true that all the natives
are able to read and write in their own
language. and row a large minority can
read and write in English. Under the
present system of public schools ma
jority will be able to do so in the course of
ten or fifteen years. 1t does not seem
probable, however, that even that amount
Of education would alone make the natives
generally competent to control by their
votes both houses of the legislature. 1t
would still be necessary to retain that very
effective guaranty of fitness which is as
sured by the fact of being able to earn
such moderate income is in the reach
of any industrious mechanic or other
skilled worker. as now required.
While every twenty years has witnessed
and continues TO witness a very ma rked
advance in the civilized Intelligence of the
natives in their acquisition of property
and in their mental culture, there do yet
still cling TO them a body certain in
heritances from the heather conditions of
the past. which seriously impair their ca
pacity for political self government They
are peculiarfties of sentiment and charac-
ter which would promptly remand the
ma jority of them back under the heel of
their ancient despotism, if left to them
selves without the control and guidance
Of their white friends. One of these is an
almost inveterate tendency to supersti-
tious fears. subjusatirg them to the con-
troll of heather priests and sorcerers.
The average Haw allan is still more or less
in bondage to such fears, and being in
such bondage, cannot act independently as
free citizen. 1t still remains true that
a large proportion of the great mortality
among the natives is directly caused by
the Kahunas o. medicine men, of whom
the bulk of the people are in more or less