The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-01-03


cum, 233 South Fourth Street, Phil
adelphia, December 10Th, 1898.
EDITOR P. C. Ave have at hand
your issue in which you refer editor
tally to the Peace Jubilee celebrations
in this city and to the part taken in
the parades by this institution The
tone of your editorial is such that we
feel called upon to explain the circum-
stances to you to alter, if possible, the
impression which you have formed Of
the affair.
There have been a number of jubilees
in different cities OF the United States
to celebrate the cessation of hostili-
ties between this country and. Spain,
and of these jubilees probably the
most elaborate was the one held in
view of war vessels, and two large pa
rades on two successive days, the one
being entirely military and the other
civic. In the civic parade there were
a great number of fanciful and en-
blematic tableaux, arranged on floats
in order to suggest to the eye some of
the products and some of the natural
wealth Of the territories recently ac-
quired by the United States. Among
these floats were the ones furnished by
this institution, to which your editorial
refers. In each case the floats were in
charge of natives, or rather aborlgines
Of the country in review. This was
not with the slightest intention of Civ
ing the Impression that the Islands
were solely or even principally peo-
pied by races of this kind but merely
in order to appeal to the interest Of the
populace here, which is always pleased
at the sight of races different from its
own, but which certainly never derives
a wrong impression of the proportion
ate power and influence of such races
We have in this country, for instance,
travelling show, which is patronized
everywhere, called Buffalo Bills Wild
West Show, made up namely of In
dlans, buffalOeS and wild horses. This
show, as we have said, is largely at
tended wherever it has been brought
and has created a great interest even
in London and other European cities.
We do not suppose that one out of the
hundreds of thousands of spectators
who have witnessed this show have any
notion that the western part OF this
country is principally peopled by In
dians and buffaloes. They are relics
OF the past which must appeal to every
body, and which in way belong to the
education of everybody; so in the same
way now that the West India Islands,
the Hawaiian and the Philippine
Islands have come under the control
OF the United States their deStinies are
forever linked with those of this coun-
try, yet there can certainly be made no
complaint if our citizens show some
interest for the peoples which have in
habited them in the past. They will
not be led thereby to believe that the
same peoples are responsible for their
management and control at present, or
that they will be in the future. They
will not think of these peoples as cit
liens of the United States any more
than they will think in that way of our
own Indians, yet because race is sta
tionary, or going backward, we see no
reason why a general public desire to
be informed about 1t should not be sat
isfed. This desire in regard to our
new territories is still greater, in view
of the fact that they are to great de-
gree unknown to the American public.
AS far as concerns the article in a
Philadelphia newspaper, which is re-
printed in your issue, we must disavow
dII responsibility IOT 1t ana Tor the
statements contained in it. We can
not be held accountable for a descrip-
ton given, evidently in a spirit of fun,
by newspaper reporter, to whom we
did not grant an interview or make
any Of the statements which are at
tributed by him to our director, or any
Of our staff. Our action in including
Hawaiian natives in an exhibit of Ha-
waiian natural wealth we do not con-
slider to be reprehensible, nor do we
believe that you on second thought will
thing so either. At any rate, we should
very much appreciate a word in your
columns as summary of what we have
endeavored to explain TO you.
Trusting that the bad impression
which you had perhaps justly formed
of the proceedings will now cease, and
holding ourselves always at your dis
posal, we remain,
Very respectfully yours,
THE PHILADELPHIA COMMERCIAL
MUSEUM.
NJ, oh. al oft ta