The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-05-19

for labor OF intellectual coupan-
ionshipz Have Ee brought them
here 70 make money for the isl-
snds Or to become charge On
the school revenres9
Yes. that is il Do we vant to i'm
prove the younger generation OF the
Porto Rieans brought here without
their consent and help to build up
a free state. or do We want to bring
them here With their elders to make
money with themZ In other words. do
the people of Hawaii want TO see the
youth Of the land educated and i'm
the people lifted up, the stan
dard Of citizenship raised, OF do we
want to rear them in ignorance and
breed here caste, distinctions more
marked even than those of medieval
Spain? Do we want to improve the
body polite and the people. or do we
want to create a system of absentee
landlords and a system of serfs but
little higher in intelligence than the
beasts Of the field7
1t is safe to say that this is the
most remarkable statement that has
appeared in any paper published
where the American flag floats in
the last generation 1t savors of the
dark ages. It is most fitting indeed
that it appears in the paper of a man
who has boosted that he would enter
into a partnership with the devil TO
accomplish his nefarious aims. Surely
he must have goren close to the devil
for inspiration before penning so re
markable a statement as this.
We do not believe the Advertiser in
advocating non-education of the Porto
Ricans represents any considerable
element of the sugar planters or any
other body of citizens of this Terri
tory. Certainly it does not represent
those noble sons and daughters of mis-
sionary fathers who year after year
give their substance for the spread
of the gospel. of enlightenment, and
of liberty. We cannot believe that
the people of this Territory are sc
sordid and so infused with the pro
hts from plantations as to be willing
to sacrifice the young on the affairs Of
ignorance that big dividends may con
tinue.
That such ntiment is not Am
erican every one knows. The Ameri
can sentiment as to schools is as rep
resented by President Mckinley in two
speeches in Southern California only
one week ago. At the little town o.
Santa Paula, in Ventura County, where
the Presidents train was not schedul
ed to stop a crowd of school chilirer
laden with flowers surrounded the
train at an carry hour of the morning
to greet the President. Responding tt
this early morning call of the schoo
children President Mckinley said:
l w NIT tuAS 10 IdtnSI early III
the morning. want to assure you
that it is not the first greeting
have had from the warm hearts
of the people of this vicinity as l
have journeyed here. (Applause.)
am especially glad to be roociv-
ed by the school children There
is little that we have in the Unit
ed States that is more to our
| pride and our credit than the
| public schools of the country.
In every State and Territory
of the Union wise, indeed, prodi-
gal. provisions have been made for
the education of the youth of the
country, and there is no higher
sign of our civilization, than the
public schools, and there is no
element of strength so great and
enduring. So long as virtue and
patriotism, and morality, along
with education, are taught In the
schools as they are taught in the
homes our flag will always be
sustained. for there viii be earn
est, loyal hands to bear it after
the veterans of the Civil and Span
ish wars have passed away"
Again at Ventura in closing a shor
address the President said:
And now. my friends, the last
word | say to you is, let us con-
tinue to stand for these free in
stitutions. to love the flag and to
I teach patriotism as we are doing
in the schools and in the homes
all over the land"
The chief inducement held out {
Porto Ricans to persuade them +
come here to labor in the cane field
is that Hawaii has free public school
and that their children will receive a
education in the English Language
Ignorant though they be themselye
they know the value of education an
knowledge They know that unde
Spain education was boon only 70
the favored few. while In the Unite
States education is free as the al
the people breathe. Now that the
are under the flag of the Unite
States they want to fit their childre
for all the duties of responsible cit
zenship The elders know that thi
boon is not for them but they ar
determined that it shall be for thei
children. Shall it be said that thes
promises of schools for the youn
Porto Rieans shall not be carried out