The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-12-02
DOLE DEFENDED,

| ASTORIA. ore, Nov. 80. i9oO,-- Editor
Astotion; would like little spac,
in your columns for u few oomment'
upon the article on your editorial pag,
kof today headed The Hawaiian Situa.
tion," am not acquainted with IN,
standing Of the Tacoma News, nor have
any knowledge OF the writer OF the
article quoted by you, The writer
however Is woefully misinforned o,
else wilfully medaoious, cannot take
the space nor time to answer or even
mention all OF the Misrepresentation
and un,ruths In the article, but will
take up a few.
In the first paragraph Il Is said that
enterprise and capital ana competl.
tion are not wanted" In the vast de-
velopment OF the sugar Interests which
has taken place in the last TWO years.
earnest and persistent efforts have been
made to interest American capital with
considerable success, but more would
be welcomed. Within the past few
months Mr.. B. f. Dillingham; placed In
this country S5OO.OO0 bonds for the olaa
plantation in which II. =. Baldwin aud
Lorcin Thurston are the principal
stockholders. All three of these gentle-
men are prominent (there are none more
prominently members OF the mission
ary' party. which. by the way. is the
Republican party down there.
Then the writer harps on contract
labor" ana slavery" There is no con-
tract labor in the Hawaiian Islands.
and has been none since last June. Al
that time all contracts binding im-
ported labor became void. and the Japs
since then have come and gone as they
pleased. Previous to that time the
terms OF contract were regulated by
treaty with Japan. and the Japanese
government had its own officers to see
that the terms Of the contract were not
violated. Repeatedly striking Japanese
under contract have gone TO Honolulu
only to be sent back to the plantation
by their own consul and minister.
Then the writer states that the "des-
cendants OF the missionaries have be-
cone enormously wealthy al the ex-
pense Of the natives" Some OF them
have become rich It is true. They have
done It by hard work. brains and enter
prise. and the whole country has shared
their prosperity. The native Hawaiian
Is much better off financially than at
any previous time in the history of the
Islands. Twenty-Five years ago It was NJ
uncommon thing for Hawailans to live
In small thatched huts without floors
even in the larger towns. Now It would
be difficult to find such an hovel. ex-
cept perhaps in some remote district.
Twenty-Five and thirty years ago do
not remember TO have seen a Hawaiian.
except he were a chief officer. taking
cabin passage on their frequent trips
between the islands. On the small
sehooners and one inter-Island steamer
OF those days they would take deck
passage. sheitering themselves from
spray. rain or beating sun with mats
or blankets; often lying so thick that
the sailors would have to walk over
them or take to the rail. Now few take
the deck passage, but pay cabin and
travel as luxuriously as any white man.
Nearly every profession and position
in life is occupied by native Hawaiians,
even the one so obnoxious to the Ia
coma News, that Of capitalist Samuel
Parker, the candidate Of the mission
aries" for congressional delegate. is a
native Hawaiian, a brown man. and one
Of the Weather men Of the country.
Then there is the awful influence of
the Dole 'oligarchy" on business and
trade. The export trade OF the islands
has risen since 1895. the time when the
queen was deposed. from $5,OOO.OO0 or
to over s2O.OOO,OOO a year; and
their imports. most OF which come from
this country. from S2,OOO,OOO or S3,OOOOOs
to ;S.OOO.OOO or slO.OOoOOO. The city OF
Honolulu has in the same time grown
from 5000 to about 10000. large part
If which increase is Of whites from this
country. Only this week l read the
Of Dole government Official
that twenty-five or thirty plumbers