Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-08-19

siOns may, perhaps, be an open ques. |
ton, the decision depending in some |
degree upon the popular approval Of
our control Of those outlying areas the |
possession of which we have already |
obtained. Two or three years ago It
seemed highly probable that the &C.
QUESTION of Hawaii, Porto Rico ana
Tie Philippine Islands was to be but
the first step in movement toward
territorial extension which would be
promptly and continuously followed.
But, although there has been no means
of definitely gauging public sentiment
in this country, 1t is generally admit.
ted that the desire for territorial eX
tension is not, in view of some of our
recent experiences, as potent factor
in shaping national policy as 1t was
at the time to which we have referred.
However. IL by good luck or good man.
agement we succeed in keeping the
Filipinos in reasonably peaceful
| frame of mind, If the great cost to us
of governing the archipelago is not
made too apparent. II may be a safe
forecast to assume that we shall aCCus-
tom ourselves to the burden of respOh.
sibility and even the danger of hold.
| ing outlying dependencies, and tina,
under such conditions IL will not be an
altogether impossible task for us to &C.
quire more of these.
! The statement has been recently
published that intelligent citizens Of
| 81 n Of nf a
opinion that. even before the compile
ton of the Panama canal commercial
and strategiCal interests will become
sufficiently potent to force the United
States to acquire several of the Central
American States, possibly according to
these, as a means of inducing their in.
habitants to aCquiesCe in the political
change the formal rights of statehood.
This may be looking some ways ahead,
but in what has transpired in Hawai-
the opportunity is afforded of study.
ing into the causes that are most pc.
tent in bringing about political chang
es of this kind.
No one can honestly affirm that the
interests of the United States in the
Pacific ocean would not have been Just
as well safeguarded for all future
time as they now are II we had sim.
ply declared a formal proteCtorate 0y.
er Hawaii, leaving the government Of
the islands to its people under suCh
conditions as seemed to them best. We
are now in possession of Hawaii, not
because such possession was neCessa.
ry for our national well-being, but be
cause those who were influential in
bringing about annexation believed
that such a change would be of i'm.
mense commercial advantage to them.
The reciprocal trade treaty that We
had with the Hawaiian government
was of immense benefit to some of the
leading industries in that republic.
While the duty upon sugar was main.
tanned. IL gave to the Hawaiian sugar
planters the equivalent of an exceed
ingly generous bounty for every pound
Of sugar that they raised. The result
Of this was the great development Of
that industry and the acquisition OF
great personal wealth by those who
were in the possession OF sugar plan.
talons. These planters were almost
all OF them men either of American
nationality or American aiIiliatiOh
They realized that they possessed
through the fundamentally of tie
. treaty a wonderful means of weall h.
making. but they also thought that
they had reason for thinking that the
advantages which were secured 4
, them through the instrumentalities OF
diplomacy were altogether too good tC
indefinitely continue. When one takes
into account the potent political in;lI
ences recently eXerted at Washington
, by the beet sugar interest, and real
lies that those representing that inter
, est were strongly opposed to the al
ncXatiUu oil Hawaii because they did
, not wish the cane sugar from these
T islands TO come. into competition win
neir own product, 1t cannot be saIl
that the fears OF the Hawaiian plant.
; ers lest the annexation treaty should
be denounced and brought to an end
, were altogether unfounded. Unqu g.
, tiOnably. ii II had been within the pow
er of Mr.. OXnard and his associates ia
, shape in this respect the policy of the
/ United States government, no mOra
consideration would have been given
, to the sugar interests of Hawaii than
have thus far been given to the sugaI
! interests of the island of Cuba.
The Hawaiian planters, therefore
took up the question on the ground %
I self-defence, and hence 1t is evident
I that our protection system is directly
responsible for this extension of our
territorial area How far this was also
, the cause of the revolution which over
threw the native government will b,
= better determined in the future than
I II can be at the present time. Gov
! tainly II the native government had
been continued, Hawaii would not
have been annexed. The old System
of control was, no doubt, far from sal
5 islactOry; but II Is questionable who
Z Their this would not have been endured
A or some means of reform other thar
revolution would not have been dis
covered If 1t had not been realized by
the sugar planters that annexation Il
the United States under the native
p Hawaiian form OF control was difficu!t
To- ii not impossible.