The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-06-26
ANNEXATION NO-2.

tical politics. 1t is not a new ques-
ton and was one of the alternatives !
spoken of when annexation agitated
years upon years ago. 1t comes up
now, however, as a new question, for
since the organic act made us Terri |
tory and organized the machinery of
our government the idea of losing the
privileges of independence which that
act gave us, never entered the heads
of those who were doing their best to
destroy that independence.
The Home Rulers have evidently got
a bee in their bonnets upon the subject
and consider the danger very real. But
then we are accustomed seeing the
Home Rulers go off at all kinds of
tangents, in fact their course has
been as erratic as that of cotton tail
rabbit when trying to throw a dog off
its trail. One is apt to doubt whether
the danger is as great as they seem
to think it is but that there is some
thing in the rumor there can be little
doubt. That some one is exploiting the
scheme seems highly probable, that it
will succeed is quite another thing.
To succeed, California will have to
be convinced that it wants us, and
there are many reasons why California
would not want us. For one thing, in
spite of our propinquity to California,
except by those directly interested in
the Island trade, and connected with
Island people. the Hawaiian Islands
by the bulk of people in California.
The masses would as soon think of an
nexing the Philippines as annexin~ the
Hawaiian group. The question of
state elections would again be serious
ly delayed if the Islands became a
county of California.
Then again Congress will have to
take a hand 1t may by this time be
convinced that its original organic act
has not proved a great success, but it
will be very 10th to say So and is far
more likely to amend that act than it
is to do away with it altogether. Indeed
with so many things of greater i'm
portance on hand. it is quite on the
cards that Congress will simply ignore
Hawaii and leave it to work out it's
own salvation.
Still though there are these argu-
mGnts against the eventuality of our
being annexed as a county to Califor-
MIA, yet there is also reasonable prob
ability that a strong agitation and
campaign might bring it about, and
the name Of Hawaii be wiped off the
Pacific County, taking their place
along with Siskiyou and holding little
more political weight. AS a Territory
our history "oes back a couple of cen
turtles. AS county of California we
would have no history, and would be
entitled to a bare foot note in the
state history. AS suggested the very
name of Hawaii might disappear and
Hawaii and Hawaiians be alike for
got.
1t is to this point that the advisers
of the Home Rule party have brought
their unfortunate dupes. 1t is quite
question whether this was not the aim
of some of those who joined the Home
Ruler party from the first, and that
the advice which led the Home Rulers
to procrastinate, to thwart the passage
of appropriation and revenue bills, and
to pour forth invective upon the exc
cutive was not part of a deep laid plan
TO do away with Hawaii and the Ha-
waiians altogether. 1t would be the
irony of fate if the Wanted Home
Rulers proved to be the cats paws
which helped to remove the name Ha-
wall from the map of the Pacific.
1t has yet to be distinctly proved
that Judge Humphreys has gone to the
mainland TO actively agitate this plan
of the personal extinction of Hawaii.
That he would advocate this or any
other plan which either satisfied his
ambition, fed his vanity or furthered
his revenge. no one, who knows any
thing of the career of Judge Humph-
reys, can doubt. However an early
mail will let the Islanders know what
the Judge is doing on the surface but
it will be hard to know what he is do
ing below it. The Judge is not what
might called a pellucid stream but
there are always sticks and straws on
the surface which tell of the under cur
rent.
The Home Rulers, by this time, must
be excessively proud of their record.
They would listen to advice from no
one who knew the dangers the Terri
tory was in. They cut off from old
friends and associations. They took
mp with self seeking men and cranks.
They adopted a policy of revenge, and
reven0e is by no means a satisfactory
undertaking. 1t not only turns to ashes
like Dead Sea Fruit, but the ashes are
apt to be poisonous and injure those
who are crunching their worthless ber-
ries. They have thrown the Territory
backward at least two years and it
may be four. They have lost the
greatest OpDOrtunitV in wears IN obtain