The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-02-15
PROF. BRYCE.

The article on Hawaiian Problems, -
written especially for the S. T. Chroni-
Gle, by Hon. James Bryce, NJ. p, IS
printed elsewhere in this paper
Whatever Mr.. Bryce publishes is
worth reading; it could hardly be 9TH
erwise with the thoughts of an Eng
aishman, who in his book on the Am
erican Commonwealth, - has surpassed
SO many of our own political writer's
in describing, analysing and comment
ing upon our complex system Of gov
eminent
While Prof. Bryce has stated the
facts he discusses with some inaccur-
acy, he has presented the truth sub
stantially. He does not give enough
consideration to our admirable school
system which is demonstrating and
harmOnizing the rising generation Of
four races now residing here. Nor,
does he notice the evolution of the
Portuguese on these Islands, who may,
and probably will, be the dominant
race here, whenever the sugar indus
try becomes an industry which pro-
duces only the average profit Of agri-
cultural Industries. In the limited
space at his command, he deals only
with the general factors in the Ha-
waiian problem.
These problems are by no means
new to those living here, who have
made a study of political institutions
Prof Bryces suggestion that the Brit
ISL would have made these Islands a
Crown colony at once, is answered by
himself, that the Federal government
has no colonial office through which
such colony could be governed. He
is opposed to universal suffrage in Ha-
wall "All Englishmen," he says, who
know India and the Crown colonies will
say to Americans, Beware of extend
ing the suffrage in Hawaii" And he
continues, utterly opposed as it may
be to all democratic doctrine that 5000
Americans and Europeans, with per-
haps a smaI fusion of other races,
should legislate for 100, 900 Asiatics,
Hawaiians, and Portuguese, this is
less evil than that the 100 900 should
be granted power to injure themselves,
and the Americans and the govern
ment as a whole
The bnef discussions in Congress
upon the Hawaiian BILL indicate that
the views of Prof. Bryce are shared by
some Congressman. The Republican
party tends towards division into
a left" end right wing on the sub
ject of The elective franchise. The
left wing containing the men who
are governed by the bitter lessons of
universal suffrage, granted TO the ne
gro, have secured in the committees,
a limitation on suffrage here in the
proposed organic law. They share
Prof. Bryce's views, which We're also
the views of the annexation party here
when it created the present Hawaiian
constitution.
The right wing of the Republican
party an Congress will oppose any
property qualification. What the re-
lative strength of these wings of the
party is, has not been developed. This
right wing of the party should not get
much if any support from Republicans
in these Islands, because nearly all OF
these Republicans were anneXationlsts
and heartily supported the adoption
of the present constitution, with its
high property qualifications
The views of Prof: Bryce have great
yalue. for no one has better reputa-
tion for intelligeLtly holding the
scales. and justly weighing in the bal
ances. the merits of different politicai
institutions.