Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-03

the people Of Hawaii: providing that until
Congress should provide, the existing pow
ers of government should be exercised in
the manner and by such persons as the
President should elect. ahrogattng treaties
with foreign nations; continuing the exist
ing customs regulations; assumption of the
public debt of the Hawaiian Islands to the
amount of s4,O0,GO and prohibiting further
immigration of Chinese. In all this there
vas no provision for local government or
for any expressions of popular will. There
was entire absence of representations gov
eminent entirely un-Amerioan and in dero-
CATION OF all the principles Of free gov
eminent. Its only justification could be
that Its endurance would be brief.
Government in Hawaii.
THE manner in which this government
has been exercised has been by the con-
tinuance of those in Office who held under
the authority of the republic of Hawaii
with the exception of those who had charge
of foreign relations. The old legislature has
expired; there has been no election of new
one. No courts of United States Jurisdic-
ton have been established. This method of
governing Hawaii has proved inadequate
expensive and cumbersome. Doubtful ques-
tons of admiralty jurisdiction have arisen
to remain undecided: the Indictment and
punishment of criminals have been uncer-
tain of validity; all sales of public lands
have been prohibited although the proceeds
OF such lands were to be for the benefit of
hawaii, puDliC improvements nave DeGn
stopped; in the great emergency that has
arisen by the appearance of the bubonic
plague the authorities have been crippled in
their efforts to eradicate it. Needed harbor
improvements occasioned by the great in
crease of shipping at Honolulu have been
impossible through lack of legislative au-
thority for necessary appropriations A
large number of contract laborers. num-
befing at least 5000, have been brought
into the islands since the adoption of thu
resolutions of annexation. 1t is time that
this reprOach upon America should cease
and that its territory should be free from
the influx Of labor long since denied by the
laws of the United States.
Duty of This Country.
1.-The duty is immediate and plain to pro-
vide government for this new territory Of
the United States. framed to meet the needs
of the Hawaiian people, not of another
people. No questions of general policy to-
ward other insuar possessions should have
weight. Justice to Hawaii cannot be done
except when her own needs, her own cap
abilities and her own rights are fully re-
garded.
Hawaii bore no part in the Spanish war
Her people are separate and distinct peo-
pie from those of the islands that We ac-
quired by that Wiz. No fear of establish
ing troublesome precedent for the future
should deter in the discharge of this duty
now laid upon Congress. No apprehension
for future claim to statehood should have
any consideration. We cannot now bind
the future in this regard
In many instances Congress has been
slow to move in the matter of new states
For more than half century New Mexico
has been organized territory and so re-
mains today. though often seeking to be ad-
mitted state.
mo constitutional question Is involved In
the present consideration of a government
for Hawaii. The spirit of the Declaration
OF Independence, as we'll as that of the
Constitution, goes with the present meas
ure, for 1t is with the consent of the gov
erned.
Fitness of the People.
"In forming a government for the ISL
ands II we may establish that Of free
representative government Of United
States territory. we shall still be acting in
the line of past history and precedent al
though for the first time We enter upon
the task of establishing a government for
islands In the Pacific ocean separated from
the continent and far beyond what was
once considered the ultimate bound of the
American republic. Whether We may justly
and wisely establish such territorial gov
eminent depends upon thu fitness of the
people for its adoption. Are they in con-
dition to appreciate its responsibilities, to
shape its future according to American
ideas and traditions? The number of peo-
pie is small but the territory itself is
small: More than half of the people are
Asiatics. but they are not citizens of the
United States. They are not, and will not
be, entitled to the right of suffrage They
are largely in the islands temporarily-in-
tending to return to their native land. A
large part of the people is made up of the
native race of Hawaii-a slowly-dying race,
fading away year by year. They are to
share in the citizenship and in the suffrage.
They are gentle, plain. peaceful and now
generally educated in either the English
or the Hawaiian tongue They are a pso-
pie whose attention has long been attracted
| to the United States, to its institutions and
methods OF government as standards by
which they have sought to shape their own
development. A considerable portion of the
people are Portuguese. They will make
| part Of the citizenship and OF the voting
| population. More than half were born in
| the Islands and are largely educated in the
| English language.
| The Controlling Class.
| But in addition to these, and perhaps
| as furnishing the chief reason why the
| people may be considered adapted to a GER
| ritorial government, thers is a controlling
| class in the community Of the Hawaiian
| Islands made up Of Americans, English.
~ and f1,~x r..