Evening star., 1903-07-03
HOSTILE TO WHITES
Home Rule Leaders Hope to
Organize Hawaiians.
THE COUNTY ELECTIONS
CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY TX
QUEEN LILIUoKALANI.
Natives to Be Restored to Control-Op
position to "outlanders"-Misgov-
ernment Feared-New Industries.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

The anti-foreign feeling among native
Hawaiians is developing itself in some
what portentous political form. 1t is clear
ly the hope of the home rule leaders solid
ly to organize the whole body of native Ha-
waiian voters as to exclude all white
men from the new county offices which are
next November to be filled by popular cleo
ton. This design has taken positive shape
before the public within a few days. attend
ed by much outspoken expression.
The most prominent development Of this
purpose took place at grand Hawaiian
luau Qoo-ow), or banquet, of native viands,
which was held at Waluku, the chief town
of the Island of Maui on June II, a great
public holiday. the birthday of the con-
queror Kamehameha. That banquet was
given in special honor of ex-Queen Liliuo-
kalani, who went up from Honolulu to at
tend it. She was accompanied by the eX-
delegate and home rule leader, r. w. Will
cox, and his irrepressible wife Teresa, both
of whom were leading participants in the
banquet The occasion was made strictly
a gathering of the home rule party, from
which republicans were practically ex-
cluded.
There was much political speaking at the
meeting, the whole tenor of which ran in
the sentiment that whites were to be abso-
lutely excluded from the county offices and
the natives were to exercise sole power.
Wilcox loudly proclaimed this doctrine em-
bellishing his talk with his usual vitupera-
ton of foreigners and the queen lent the
weighty sanction of her presence to it. VIII
cox unreservedly arrogated to himself the
position of the political leader of the
tive party, whom he proposed to command
In the next legislature, Notwithstanding his
utter failure to accomplish anything for
Hawaii at Washington. By publicly lendS
ing her assent for the first time to extreme
home rule proceedings. Liliuokalani would
seem to have renounced all further expecta-
ton OF obtaining from Congress the COM
pensation for which she has labored
many winters at Washington. Her pres
ence at this convention was felt by all to
have strongly drawn together the home
rulers and firmly to have cemented their
political ties.
Opposed to "Outlanders."
On the day following their convention at
Waiuku. and evidently inspired by it, was
an outbreak of the same spirit in the lower
house of the legislature. The immediate
occasion was an item in the appropriation
bill of $500 for an Immigration and adver-
tisng agent Violent opposition at once
arose against any measure to solicit the i'm
migration of white Americans. The speak
er of the house, who is a home ruler, left
the chair and denounced the measure as a
deliberate attempt to bring white people
here to oppose and supplant the native Ha-
waiians: such commissioner would simply
work to fill up the country with white men
who would oppose the votes of the natives
and override them. Kauiho said: 'The
power is in our hands. let US keep it. If
We open our hands, the power will fly away
and we shall be powerleSs- If we permit
strangers to come. we shall be displaced
and you will never again on this
floor After much haranguing in that line,
the item lost by overwhelming ma
jority. half of it composed of nominally re-
publican members.
Caution Laid Aside.
Through caution hitherto there has been
no such fully avowed opening of the race
question, especially in the legislature
Under a common impulse, in view of the
opportunity given by the coming fall cleo
tions. caution was at least temporarily
abandoned. and race jealousy was openly
avowed. No surprise is being expressed at
this development, and there is no good
cause for surprise J 1t is the natural CON
sequence of the refusal of Congress in the
organic act so to limit the electoral fran
chise in Hawaii as to secure predominance
to an intelligent American citizenship. The
franchise was opened to every Hawaiian
native however incapable of understanding
political duties That ruinous evil would
have been escaped had either of the two
lirnita tons suggested been adopted, either
small property qualification or ability 20
read and write English. Either one of those
qualifications would have excluded from the
polls so many of the incapable class OF ma
tiyes as to leave a good share of political
control in the hands of the white ATeri-
cans with whom the more intelligent Ha-
waiians would reasonably cooperate.
Natives Have Majority.
Now. the natives possess a large and con-
trolling ma jority. 1t is only natural that
unprincipled leaders among them should
work to put themselves in power, excluding
the ADLER and more competent whites. This
is especially the tendency under the leader
ship of men like Wilcox, who are eX-
treInely bitter in animosity against the
whites for having overthroWn the native
government under the queen, and for the
vigor and success with which they main,
tained a nearly exclusive white rule until
annexation to the United States. The ma
tives have the opportunity to unite
ard exclude the whites from at least the
county offices: it certainly is not strange
that they should form definite plans for
accomplishing that purpose.
The Present Legislature.
Something needs to be said of the present
legislature, which has been in nearly con-
tinuous session for about four months Un-
like it's predecessor of two years before.
this legislature has considerable ma ajority
of nominal republicans opposed to home
rulers The Stars readers may perhaps re-
call that in the legislature of 1901 there
was a large ma jority of home rulers, chiefly
natives, ana tlat tney proved 81 iIcdDdDle
of business work and intelligent legislation
that a large part of the most important
business failed to be accomplished That
incapacity and failure was so palpable that
a majority of the natives themselves came
over last fall to the republican organiza-
ton. which secured a majority in both
houses This was done, however, by yield
ing the nomination of many Incompetent
natives to the lower house. The result has
been considerable repetition in that house
of the same infirmities which were fatal to
success two years ago. Chief of these are
an inordinate garrulity and lack of COM
mon sense in raising difficulties on unim-
portant matters and spending time upon !
them. Thus the waste of time in doing
ordinary business has been excessive.
Trouble arose at the outset in the choice
of speaker Contrary to an adopted pro-
gram the native republicans in the house
fixed upon very objectionable person. In
anger at tNs, the white minority arranged
with the home rule native minority to elect
Beckley, a very capable haif-white. Though
a home ruler, he has made an excellent and
impartial presiding officer. with a gift for
pushing business. But the aggrieved repub-
lican natives have been malcontent, and
have proved troublesome obstructionists.
I1roo hay acted