The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-11
RoosEvELTs HAWAIIAN POLICY.

President Roosevelt, in marking out
strenuous American policy for these ISL
ands will hear no protests against any
practical suggestion from the men Uho
made II possible for Hawaii to have an
American character. To become broad
ly and thoroughly American was the
PROPOSAL of 1899 and the partial achieve
ment Of 1898. Hawaii got the flag, the
constitution and prestige of the United
States as the result of a campaign last
ing nearly five years; and If there are
other good things in store the sooner
they come the more it will please the
campaigners.
The President wants to encourage the
small farmer here, meaning In particu-
lar. the American from the mainland:
and to help bring him to these shores
he proposes a change in the land laws OF
the Territory, making them conform in
most essential ways to the land laws
of the United States. If the means will
achieve the end. we hope the work will
prosper, for a white citizenship. busy.
patriotic and in a voting majority, is
always to be desired. To encourage the
small farmer the colony laws were en-
acted. out of which came Wahiawa and
kindred associations; and in his inaug-
ural address Governor Dole strongly
urged measures which, If carried out. |
would help in reaching the chief end !
that the President seeks. There is no Ii |
yergence as to objects between the Ter |
ritOry and the Federal Executive The |
only open question is whether it viii he |
necessary to destroy one great industry |
the one upon which the bread and but
ter OF every man in the islands depends. 1
for the sake of creating other indus
tries. Cannot the large and the small |
4
producing the staple which brings tbs
revenues by which the Territory pros
pers and the other the ordinary food or
the special products which the cane
growing hordes and the white people OF
the towns and cities must consume Or
which may be exported?
President Roosevelt feels. as al me-
do that large estates titled by cheap
labor are not IN accord with the b"st
civilization. But as a practical states
man he cannot wish this country to
beggar itself for the sake of change.
Land which grows sugar better
than anything else should be used for
sugar; land that grows ordinary sta
pies better than it does sugar should
be used for them and titled by the small
farmer. Between the two systems the
structure OF Americanism Will set no
strain. The great plantation OF the
South is American. So are the vast
wheat and cattle ranges of the West
and Southwest. Hawaii's sugar estates
build UP American fortunes, provide
American home comforts and have
made It worth the while of the United
States to annex these islands. So the
patriotic issue does not apply except so
far as II IS suggested by the thought
that the Territory which gets the larg
est possible revenue from its resources
and spends IL under the flag, IL serving
its nation well.
AS for the small investor In land. let
him come TO Hawaii. The way Is open
now. He is always welcome. 1t is trus
that he would do better under the Ter
ritoriaI laws than he would under the
Federal land system; for If the latter
should apply. the people on the ground,
including thousands of speculative ma
tive Hawaiians. and citizens of Chinese
and Portuguese blood, wouli rush in
and get the land ahead of him. Now he
has a chance. But we need not press
this point here. When Hawaii is visit
ed by the inevitable commission the
whole truth will be seen, and then we
are sure President Roosevelt will reach
safe conclusions as to details and be as
Loyalty supported here in working them
out as he Is in the furtherance Of the
general proposal that Hawaii should Sc
cure a distinctively American popula-
tion.