The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-06-08
THE RIGHT TRACK.

That Robert Wilcox should desire to
be delegate from this Territory IS a
most noble ambition. In such an ambi-
tion he is carrying out the traditions of
true Americanism. The Offices of re-
public are open to every one of the
republics sons, and Mr.. Wilcox is a
son of the Territory of Hawaii. Thus
far Mr.. Wilcox and those who support
him are distinctly in the right, and
every believer in Republican admins
tration will applaud Mr.. WilcoX's laud-
able ambition. 1t is a grand thing to
represent a fragment of the United
States in Congress, no matter how
small the fragment may be.
1t is very clear from the speeches of
the native associations and the adj
dresses of the ex-Queen, that the situa-
ton is thoroughly understood by the
main leaders of the Hawaiians. The
ex-Queen says distinctly that when the
flag of Hawaii went down in 1898, it
sank forever, and the best had to be
made of the matter. Other sensible
people have made similar remarks.
The wisest thing that the friends of
the Hawaiians can do, is to try and
make their constituents understand the
situation. The situation is by no means
clear to the average Hawaiian voter.
He is still thinking that there can be a
distinct Hawaiian party, and that he
can run the party in contra distinction
to the parties of the Mainland. This
IS a fallacious hope, and suicidal to the
Hawaiian. The only course for the
Hawaiian is to amalgamate and not
keep aloof. To impress himself upon
the political future he must American
ize himself. This, both the eX-Queen,
Robert Wilcox and others unite in,
when they say that the cause of Hawaii
ended when the flag fell and was re-
placed by that Of the United States.
If Mr.. Wilcox acknowledges this posi-
ton, and he does; if many of his coun-
trymen acknowledge the position, why
seek to galvanize corpse. Why at
tempt to draw a color line when no
color line exists; why not accept the
position which even the leaders of the
movement acknowledge exists. In the
Territory there never can be anything,
to amount to any fixity of purpose, but
Americanism. An Hawaiian party, it
is true, may be formed, it may appar-
emily flourish, but it can never live.
Nothing can live in an American Ter
ritory but truly American parties.
The American constitution takes no
cognizance of either color or race. There
are English, French, Germans, Swiss,
Italians, and so forth in the United
States far more in number, each of
them, than the whole Hawaiian popula-
ton. But there is in no English party,
no French party, no German party in
the Republic. The voters of foreign
descent range themselves on the side
of one or other of the great Ameri-
can parties. They have assimilated
themselves into the great body polite.
There has been, it is true, an effort to
create a negro party And what is the
result Constant friction and action to
control the negro vote. Three States,
Mississippi, Louisiana and South Caro-
lima, have amended their State consti-
buttons so as to bar (by means of edu-
cational and property qualifications)
nearly all the negroes from the polls;
North Carolina is about to vote on
similar amendment, Virginia and Ala
bama are considering the step. Ger
tainly the effect of such a policy is not
encouraging, even where it involves the
franchise of millions. Is it going to be
more encouraging where it involves the
= franchise of a few thousands?
The Hawaiian must learn to consider
matters not from the narrow platform
of Hawaiianism, but from the broad
platform of Americanism. Anyone who
has the interest of these people at heart
will tell them so, and will strive to
make them understand. Anyone who
strives to make them isolate themselves
and remain Hawaiians instead of be-
coming Americans, is doing them
wrong.
AS was said in the opening remarks
of this article, it is a laudable ambi-
tion for Mr.. Wilcox to represent the
Territory of Hawaii on the floor of Con-
gress. 1t is a truly American ambi-
ton, but the ambition should be to rep
resent the Territory as such, and not
to merely represent the Hawaiian. In
the one case he would have influence,
however slight. In the other case he
would have none.