The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-11-07
HASTY lMPRESSlONS.

Senator Burton. II sincere in his Views
ON Hawaii. simply shows how impossi-
BILE II is for any one to come here and
get truthful impressions Off hand. Not
less than "A year is needed, and a year
very full of experiences at that, TO
acquire anything like a just view OF
things Hawaiian. over on the Coast
twelve months are hardly time enough
TO give "tenderfoot" to get over his
pedal weakness; yet an eastern stran-
ger thinks he can come here to what,
i'm its chronological and historical as
poets, is a foreign country, stay a
couple of months, and inform himself
fully as to what Hawaii Is and what
changes of laws or customs would be
beneficial to II.
To know Hawaii so as to be fit to
legislate for 1t in Congress. man
should have studied it's inEer history
and all the phases of the long struggle,
which is Not ended yet, between civili-
cation and heathenism here. He should
understand into what schools of
thought the community is divided and
what divided It. Especially should he
know the POlynesian character, not
merely as it shows itself in hospitality
to the influential stranger but as 1t
exhibits itself in business, in morals
and in legislation. The same study
should be applied to the white charac-
ter as IL has developed in the school of
the missionary, the business man, the
beaChcombcr and the latter day adven-
tUrer Naturally the inquirer must not
Identify himself with any one class or
absorb any one influence; but must get
about with all classes and become as
intimate with them as he can.
He would do this if he wished to
make himself an authority upon the
characteristics of any European people;
and why not here. where the life of
the body polite is derived from at least
three European races, two Asiatic ra-
ces, a Polynesian majority and from
Americans who We're either born here
or have immigrated from every state
and Territory, bringing with them their
peculiar and by no means Identical
IDEAS Moreover both mOnarchist and
democratic views intermingle. In the
course of years a society like nothing
on the mainland has grown up; a So
Ciety which has its own distinctive
place in the world and if treated wise
ly by the governing power, will be dealt
with ON that basis.
on these accounts the writer who
lands, looks about and departs and the
inquiring Senator who makes even a
months visit, have become jointly re-
sponsIbc for a great variety of mis-
leading impressions of Hawaii which
prevail on the mainland. Doubtless
they are sincere enough but like the
Car-window Europeans who run over
TO America to write a book of impress
sions, they are more diverting than
accurate. We do not doubt that Sena-
tor Burton believed all he was told
about Boston missionaries coming here
to trade tickets to heaven for valuable
real estate; but If he had taken the
assessment lists and spent few months
in looking up the character and ante
cedents of white ownership here he
would have found his sensational theo-
ries hatly contradicted by the facts.
such an investigation might be irksome
but nothing less will qualify a man to
instruct Congress as to the actual
landed relation between the missionary
and his native convert.