The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-02-17

,oeAs on CONVENIENT
Tells VIVA, Great Britain Would DO
Conesrnins the Races.
About Suffrage.
,JAs Bryce. NJ. O., in the san Francis.
90 Chroniclel


less difiicult on their political side than
those which arise in connestion with
the control of Cuba; and less difficult,
also. both politically and economically.
than those involved In the government
Of the Philippines. The scale. more
over, Of the phenomena TO be dealt
With is smaller in the Aforementioned
case than In the two latter. But the
facts of the Hawaiian case are intricate
and peculiar, so that few words upon
Il from one who has visited Hawaii
and seen something of various British
colonies may have an interest for the
American reader
Though the population OF the Hs-
gaiian group OF isles Is only about
'37 900. 4; Is composed OF five distinct
and dissimilar elenepts, standing on
very different levels of civilization.
The Acknowledgment element, con-
s.sting Of white men chiefly OF Ameri
can origin. with a good many English
and minor sprinklings from other Eu-
ropean countries, is the smallest, but
the most important by intelligence, en-
ergy and wealth. 1t Is, in round num-
bers. about $4,000, and II has practi-
caliy had the management OF the ISL
ands In its hands for many years. since
81 guided and furnished Ministers for
the latest native sovereigns. Largest
in number, but still very backward,
though II is nominally Christian and
Protestant, and to great extent can
speak English, Is the native Hawaiian
parently diminishing Then follow
three masses of recent Immigrants
japanese, about $4,000; Chinese, about
10 900, and Portuguese, about 5000. The
Portuguese are Roman Catholics, the
Japanese and Chinese nearly all heath
en-. All these four elements, Portu-
euese as well as native Hawaiians,
japanese and Chinese. are quite unfit
for free government. The Portuguese,
though a good sport Of people, have
had practically no experience In 1t,
and have no taste for II. The other
three races are, OF couse, in a still
lower stage. All these four race-groups
have, moreover, no natural organiza-
ton within thei groups Three OF them
have come lately to the Islands while
among the natives the ancient system
OF rule by chiefs has completely van
!shed. Nor has any OF these four
groups anything in commonsw with any
Of the others except local contiguity.
The two Asiatic races hate one an
other. No group can speak the Ian
guage OF any other, and 1t will take a
good while before they learn to use
English as their common medium OF
communication This ID an advantage
for the ruling Americans. because 1t
prevents a hostile combination among
their subjects. But It increases the
difficulty of establishing representa-
tive institutions, or OF impressing Am
erican ideas upon the mass Of the in
habitants.
The problem for providing for pop
ulation composed Of elements SO
strangely various and nearly balanced,
government which shall he just. pure
and progressive, Is one which has
never arisen in any British colony,
Nevertheless, II Hawaii belonged to
Britain, Britain would not have much
doubt as to how she would deal with
Il. She would make IL wha' We call a
crown colony, that. Is to say, she would
administer IL by a governor sent from
England, clothed with .arge discre-
tionary powers, but assisted ny sew
eral executive officers and advised by
a local legislative councili To show
some respect for the educated and
property holding element the 5000
Americans and Europeans), certain
number OF places on this council
would be reserved for members to be
elected by that element, but probably
there would either be secured on the
NVuuSii u HeJS''s ~ S'''
cial and nominated members, or else
the home Government would reserve
to itsef, the power, to be used In the
last resort, OF legislating over the
heads OF the local council. Perhaps
there would also be created suffrage
50 arranged as to admit certain
number o ne most intelligent and
richest OF what may be called the
backward elements Portuguese. Ha-
waiians, japanese and Chinese. so
that they should not feel wholly ex-
cluded. And, OF course. neither race,
nor color, nor religion would BIO any
bar 10 the appointment OF election OF
any person either to the council or to
any Office. for this kind OF equality IL
principle to which the British Gov.