The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-03-13

as We do an thus bail, from the universal
placuSe Wnleh Congress has adOyt
Wlsn resafd 10 the appO.A.ueAt v.
IeiI4tOIi-i OmCeIs. 1 WaI-t this bill to
pass anu 10 pass as speeuiIy a. IL can.
1 want 10 Esse 10 .Hs beOp.e Va lne
IerlltOTy Oh 8awah All tie powers ana
pIlsnsses wnIOh We lave e.el siseA 10
any Iei iTItOry mat mas Dse4 incO. pOrat-
ed or created W COngI ess. DuI, Mr.
President, see no reason tor si,ing to
the IerrltOTy and IT. governor tns eX-
u uaor-.1aIy poweEs which are tO-fe I'd
upon hlIa IA this bill. / know that this
territory Is peculiar. 1 know that We
nave there a very small white pOpula
ton compared with the inhabitants Of
the Territory. OF course a can 40 give
the exact figures of the dIne. ent races
and natiOnahties in the Territory, but,
as / remember, all the white people are
less Jhan 1000, except Portuguese.
Mr.. Teller. There aIe more than
that.
--r. Cullom. There are between four
and fve thousand 500 British and
1 800 Germans. perhaps.
Mr.. Platt OF Connecticut / had in
mind the voting population.
Mr.. Cullom. Yes.
-.r. Plat of Connecticut. However
tat may be, the white population, ex-
elusive of the Portuguese, is very small
compared with the rest of the pOpula-
tion of the islands; and whether the
British and Germans are going to be-
come American citizens we do not
know. The probability is that they will
not. So We have there what may be
called governing population, CT pop
ulation which we may think II advis-
abe to constitute the governing popu-
lation. consisting of some 1000.
| | do not complain of the bill. Mr..
| President, in that it proposes, and de-
hberately proposes, to put the govern
ment of those islands practically into
the hands of those 1000 people.
know that the Senator from South
Carolina (Mr. Tillman) will ask me
low il is that reconcile the fact that
| am in favor of a property qualifica-
tion there which shall put the govern
ment of the islands into the hands Of
those 1000 people, but do not think
that question arises here.
The question about the rights Of the
blacks to vote Is not a new question.
We are not determining now whether.
II 1t were a new question, we should
extend suffrage to the black population
ofthis country. We did do that; and
/ difference which exists now between
Senators from different sections of the
country Is only whether. having done
It, what we have done shall be carried
out in good faith. We are not con-
sidering the question as to what we
should do II it were a new question.
So say that do not complain OF this
I.fTT honorrua ~, I q IONS
to commit the government of those ISL
ands practically to the 1000 Americans
who reside there. They have always
been the class which were the govern
ing power, under the king, to be sure.
fThey have been the class which re-
deemed the islands from savagery and
barbarism. and made them what they
are-AmericaniZed the islands and set
up American institutions there. and. at
last, an American Government there;
and though II seems arbitrary, and
though IL seems to contradict to some
extent the principles upon which our
free Government is established here.
do not complain of the bill on that
account. / do not complain of the pro-
vision which requires that persons, in
order 10 vote for senators, shall have
a property qualification of a thousand
dollars, l believe, or $500 income.
may not get the figures exactly right.
Mr.. Cullom. That is right.
Mr.. Platt of Connecticut. The pur-
pose Of it is to perpeuate that govern
ment in the hands OF the American
citizenship of the islands. While. as
say, IL seems a little at variance with
what we have heretofore done. do not
complain of the bill on that account.
Mr.. Tillman. VIII the Senator allow
me?
The Presiding officer CMr. Clay in
the chair. Does the Senator from
lLOnnecticut yield?
Mr.. Platt OF Connecticut. / will II
the Senator does not discOncert me in
what was about to say.
Mr.. Tillman. / would Just remark
right there that the Senator possibly
misunderstands my position. ] do not
object TO having the Government Of the
Hawaiian Islands remain in the posses
sion Of the white people there, because
! believe in white supremacy; and be-
lieve that white supremacy in the
Hawaiian Islands is necessary to good
government, just as believe that white
supremacy in South Carolina is neces-
sary for gOOG government in that State.
II the white people Of South Carolina
have been compelled TO do things In
the maintenance OF that which the
Senator from Connecticut has objected
to in the past, and which possibly he
still objects TO. / simply want him to
reconcile the two positions-h's past
position and his present position. IL
he has arrived at that point where he
is willing TO concede that the enfran-
chisement Of the ignorant blacks was
a blunder and a crime, and that the
Southern white people have been fore
ed to relieve themselves OF that by
such means as they have had to adopt.
then We are not apart at all. but agreed
as to the future policy which must OBJ
tain not only in Hawaii but also in
the United States.
Mr.. Platt Of Connecticut. Mr.. Pres
ident, / do not think that I should be
diverted from what have 10 say about
Hawaii TO 20 back and discuss the
uroDriety or the necessity OF comforting