The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-07

culture auQ IOreSuy are co1oi.Gd ~
force, except as they may be modineu ps
Congress- or the legislature and the secis-
tary of agriculture, is charged Will w; !;
duties OF examining the laws OF HaMda;;o Hsa;a
relating to agriculture forestry. pup;lao
lands and public roads ald repottins
thereon to the President. t;
The bill also provides that the oonss.. ..s
tuition and the laws of the United oeasos
locally applicable, shall have the salii9
force and effect In the territory of Hawaii
and elsewhere in the United States. ~.
This is the usual provision found IN e.o
acts Of Congress and providing for tne
establishment of territorial govern menus
In the United States, but the commls
sioners regard the provision as excep-
tionaily important in this bill for many
reasons, among which they mention ING
continued Importation of coolie labor into
Haw ali. Upon this point they say:
The question whether white laDor
can be proftably utilized in the sugar
plantations is yet problem. but the
planters are preparing to give such LABOR .,I
a trial and some of them believe 1T VIII
prove superior to the labor of either
Chinese or Japanese
The commissioners express their united
opinion that the plan outlined for the
government of Hawaii cannot be regard
edhs precedent forg Porto Rico and the
Philippines, saying on this point:
"Ihe people of Hawaii are capable OF
self government and have proved this by
the establishment of the republic OF ia
wall and the adoption of a constitution
and code of laws which will compare
favorabIy with those of any other govern
ment and under such legislation and laws
have maintained q stable gnvernmeI
for several years worthy of free people,
The people of these islands are more or
less familiar with the institutions and
t< Of bo nj Sf1tQS vhi Ia thQ laws
of the little republic are largely takeL
from the laws of this country. 1t cannot
be said that either the Porto Ricans or
the Filipinoes are at all familiar with
our system of government or with any
other based Oh tha principles of liberty.
A people must be fitted for self govern
ment before they can be trusted with the
responsibilities and duties attaching to
free government. The report is unani-
nous except upon one point which Presi-
dent Dole makes minority Tecommenda-
tion. This recommendation ls for board
of advisors to the governor OF the terrl-
tory.
Mr. Dole fears that without such PRO-
vision the governor may arrogate to him.
self greater power than is contemplated.
The governor under the provisions OF
the act recommended by the commission
will have less check to his administra-
tion of affairs than was the case with the
sovereigns under the monarchy, except
ing only in the matter of tenure of Off ce.
The majority in their report express
the opinion that the precaution Is not
necessary, saying that "the history Of
the territories of the United States Gov
ering many years of experience, has not
in the opinion of the commission shown
a necessity for the creation of any num-
Der of advisors. F"
The report contains an inventory OF tne
public property of the republic which
now inures to the United States, which
distributed as follows:
Government or public lands, 81, All, 700;
government lots, sites, etc u. .40l, 800;
department. property, $4, 779. $40.
The report gives considerable data in
regard to the duties collected, showing
that under the Dinglcy bill the amount
would have been much greater than it
was. The report recommends the con-
struction of a cable to the islands to be
unner the control of the United States
which, it says: lis demanded by the
military conditions existing or liable to
exist at any time.
The Americans, although in such a
small minority, practically dominate the
governmental affairs of the country and,
with the British and Germans and part
blood Hawaiian Americans, constitute
the controlling element in business The
Chinese and Japanese do not possess
political power, nor have they any body
politic except as laborsrs The Portuguese
are largely immi mizrants from the islands
and colonies of Portugal in the Atlantic
and have never been very closely tied to
their mother country. With the certain
attrition which Is bound to exist between
them and the Americans in Hawaii and
under the influence of the existing pub
lic system, which makes the study of the
English lang uage compuls ory, they prom
ise to become a good GLASS OF people for
the growth of republican IDEAS.