The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-09-16
THE CAMP AIGN OPENED
THE REPUBLICAN RATIFICATION
MEETING.
Col. Thomas Fitch Makes an Admirable
Address on Political Party Principles
And the Local Needs of Hawaii

The Republicans formally opened the
legislative and congressional campaign
last night with a ratification meeting
at the Orpheum. Col. J. II. Fisher pre-
sided. The first speaker was L. -. Nc
Candless candidate for senator from the
Fifth district. He was followed ny
Prince Kuhio the nominee for delegate
to congress, who spoke in native, as
did also Senator w c. Achi.
Among those on the platform were
w. w Harris candidate for represent
tative from the fourth district; William
Aylett, Senator Clarence Crabbe John
T.. Kaulukou, Jonah Kumalae, and
James Shaw.
The principal address of the evening
was made by Col. Thomas Fitch who
was introduced by Col. Fisher as a Re-
publican SPELL binder of more than
thirty years in leadership in the Re-
publican party on the Pacific coast.
Col. Fitch presented a carefully pre-
pared speech occupying an hour and a
half in delivery which was a veritable
feast of carefully thought out ideas IL
luminatively expressed in a wealth of
smile and metaphor, apt illustration
and humorous anecdote.
Col. Fitch traced the rise and pro-
gress of the Republican party and the
great caucus which gave rise to it and
the principles for which it has battled,
comparing these with the contemporary
history of the Democratic party.
In concluding his address with his
ideas on local politics he said.
1t is beating the air with vain words
to say that it is better to have an Ame-
rican community, than to have indus
trial prosperity, for if your industrial
prosperity is destroyed, you will not
have an American or any other kind of
community. The American who jour
neys here from the mainland will not De
content to sit in idleness and hunger,
and drape the stars and stripes around
his empty dinner table When he can
not find a job he will find a ship to
take him where he can obtain a job.
The sugar industry depends for its
success upon a kind of cheap labor
which no American ever consented TO
undertake, and which I hope to God
no American will ever be compelled to
perform. 1t is dirty, disagreeable, SER
vile labor The Portuguese work out of
it in a few years; the Porto Ricans
shirk out of it in a few months; the
Japanese drop it as soon as they can
find other employment and the Hawai-
ians who labors cheerfully in the taro
/ fields, and in the shops where they soon
| become skillful mechanics, draw the
line at the plantations, and will live on
poi and raw fish rather than work in
them
Only the patient, Industrious, unam-
bilious Chinese are satisfied to work
in the cane fields. Congress which is
supreme in territory, can so modify
the exclusion law as to admit to these
| islands, as agricultural laborers only
| thirty thousand to fifty thousand Chi
nese and so save Hawaii from ruin
The law can be so framed as to ex-
clude them from any labor except in
! the sugar and rice fields. Their pre-
sence will not harm American me-
chanics. On the contrary, they will
create values that will give well paid
employment to American mechanics. II
| is not impossible l think to secure the
passage of such a law. But If secured
it must come from the Republican
party because that party is in power
and in power to stay.