The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-09-19

darstood as favorng the absolute ex-
clusion Of all Oriental labor and even
II by so doing il involves the segrega-
ton Of every plantation on these Is
lands. If the Stars. and Stripes are not
sufficiently broad to cover these plan
tations without a sacrifice of American
principle, then | should say as my an
cestors did to slavery: Let the evil be
abolished
I'm another matter: Although / have
listened with interest to the witnesses
which have come before you, yet fear
your honorable Commission win never
fully appreciate the local situation, in
asmuch as it is dangerous to ones fl
nanc.al and social position to publicly
express or advocate any opinion or
principle which may be considered an
tagonistic to those in authority and the
sugar interests of the Islands.
This | know from personal expert
ence, and ! believe and know that
many who desire to speak will not do
so for fear that by so doing they will
lnjure their abilities to earn, or jeop-
ardize their positions. If you arrive at
the true situation in these Islands you
will do so only by being assisted by
iil'i WIN bAti't loNt VI IbuDlIy III
vance of financial interests, and who
nave sufficient confidence in your hon
orable Commission to trust that
through your influence a way will be
speedily found to grant them their full
rights to citizenship and action
His statement follows:
TAPPAN TANNATTs STATEMENT
Ao ,yn,, bava ra,,,ac,o1 i,,ro,,,.,;o,,
! relative to the conditions on the is
lands, and opinions of interested citi-
zens, / feel it my duty as an American
citizen and a citizen Of Hawaii to place
before you the results of my investiga-
tons, based upon some four years of
careful study and examination of local
conditions.
| Having come to these islands in the
service of my country, / was naturally
struck with the peculiar, cosmopolitan
population, and became interested in
| the study of the application of Ameri-
/ canism to these islands. Accepting the
/ position of civil engineer for the Waia-
lua Agricultural Company, Ltd, at the
| time of it's organization, | was, from
the first, placed in an excellent position
/ to study the labor situation, the natural
resources of the country, and to know
from personal observation the difficult
| ties the plantations have to meet in the
development of the island resources.
/ Later having removed to this city, !
became in a position to ascertain and
! to know the existing conditions in Ho-
nolulu and also on other plantations,
both from a business and social point
OF view.
/ Although | realize that there are
many questions which viii come before
/ your commission, which are of great
| Importance to these Islands, and It's
people, at the same time | feel that
Their" Is no one question of more vital
importance than the labor question, as
on II / believe all other questions ulti-
mately hinge. and that II II II once set
tied for the best interests Of the Islands
all Of the other questions VIII In time
adjust themselves.
50 strongly do I believe In the value
~ American institutions and the Amer
lean vote 10 remedy existing evils, that
feel " conditions are placed on these
Islands on such basis as 10 JUSTLY tht
lab0rlng classes ~ the United States "a
remove 90 these islands, that the Amor
lean vote viii la time adjust Ia largt
measure The evils which exist
The ayowed policy 0f the plantations
for which lhey have gone ~ great OK
prnae, h the employment ~ cheap Ia
Dor IA lhs production ~ sugar ~
thnf luRhly has this system been Ia
stalled 0n these islands lhai a. imme
dipirlY remove lhr Asiatlr labor from
one sane h'ils would result IN lhe al