Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-28
special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Here in Hawaii, with a most sweeping
republican victory Of our own. we had no
vote on a presidential ticket, one strong
personality In the lead, and no especial
contrasts of character in candidates. Hence
we are not permitted to claim any such
decisive testimony to our choice of heroic
integrity as may your population on the
continent. 1t is doubtless true that the feel
tngs of our voters here were in some degree
affected by the already evident great popu-
lar ascendency of the republican presf-
Dental candidate. although we had no vote
for him. 1t had become evident to our
native majority of the voters that Amer
lea was thoroughly republican. and more
so now than ever. 1t was natural for their
somewhat facile disposition to accept such
lead, and to ally themselves with so
heavily predominating party. No doubt
this largely contributed to the favorable re-
suit of this election here.
Decline Of the Home Rulers.
Another good thing was the weakening
division of the opposition elements into two
competing parties, the home rule and the
democratic. which served to weaken each
other A brave effort was made to or
ganize strength into the democratic forces
already here among American voters, but it
proved vain. although they gained greatly
upon the home rulers. The latter have
constantly declined In force since they lost
their noisy leader, Bob Wilcox. who adorn-
ed your congressional halls two years ago.
creditable showing on this Island Of Oahu,
polling little more than one-tenth Of the
whole vote It now seems improbable that
they will never again be able to rally as
party They cannot possibly have any
thing to hope for, either from the terri
torial legislature or from Congress They
have no tangible issue of any Sort to work
Tor They owed their existence to the old
O nm ur~,lv To ~S,nl 4
funct as to any possible dream of success.
Home rule can scarcely again be galvanized
into political activity.
l am especially glad to report that the
home rule candidate for delegate to Con-
gress, Motley. seems to have run rather
behind the rest of the home rule ticket,
although personally the most conspicuous
N the campaign. This seems to bear
IN the native mind In respect to financial
integrity. AS have before stated, Motley
was rev years ago removed from the
collectorship OF the port Of Hilo. before
annexation. for heavy deficit in his ac-
counts. His father made good the def
cheney and 80 saved his son from prison,
but then disinherited him. It was an open
public shame that the home rule conven-
ton should have nominated for delegate a
candidate with SO felonious q record 1t
was public testimony that they were
themselves devoid OF moral sense. 1t was
openly saying: We Hawaiians have no
was holding up to public display one Of the
still surviving weaknesses Of the Polyne-
sian mind and pushing It upon the atten-
9n III sea sa Motley hs has been
people have thus discarded the dtsgraceful
testimony of their home rule convention.
and we must gladly credit them with this
result.
The New Election.
One hardly dares to boast greatly Of the
newly elected legislature. So far as full
returns have arrived from the other islands,
It seems probable that the body will be
almost exclusively republican. 1t can
hardly be claimed. however. that these are
They are largely natives and part-whites,
nominated with great latitude of conces-
sion to popular and local wishes The
policy OF the republican leaders was ex-
tremely liberal, and there was little or no
'squeamishness about the past record or
avowed sentiments of the candidates. The
main thing in view was to carry the popu-
lar vote Very likely that policy was the
might hove tended to defeat. The nresent
appearance Is that the party will hang to-
gether, and that the new legislators will
be quite amenable to leadership from the
hoped that business will be pushed through
promptly, and the needless delay of a
special session be avoided. Gov Carter
so far seems to have q strong hold ON the
helm.
Irrigating the Sugar Plantations.
Here. changing my topic from politics to
agriculture. l propose to present some In
teresting facts about great frrigating
bitches which supply sugar plantations in
these Islands. A large proportion of these
costly and profitable creations are located
on somewhat arid although fertile slopes,
where the rain supply averages only from
is distributed mainly during the winter
half Of the year. But sugar cane requires
for successful culture not less than four
inches month throughout the year. For
inches monthly. Hence It has been neces-
sary to more than supplement the natural
rainfall by artificial irrigation. and mainly
to depend upon that. On this Island of
Oahu, which produces about 120, 600 tons OF
sugar annually. the main supply of water
for irrigation Is pumped by steam power
from artesian wells near the sea level,
which yield the enormous amount Of co.,
100000 gallons daily.
Great System Of bitches.
But this source Of irrigating water is not
available to any great extent on the Is
lands Of Maui and Kauai which are nearly
as productive as Oahu. On those islands
great systems OF bitches have been ex-
cavated at heavy expense. These connect
the more arid slopes with the damper
mountain sections. where considerable
streams are permanent. and where the
rainfall Is from 100 to 500 inches per an
mum. Until very lately these life-gfving
streams wasted their riches in the sea.
Now a large proportion of them have been
connected by human skill and labor with
the fertile slopes and plains that had lain for
long ages unfruitful. Your readers perhaps
know that the greater part Of our rains.
are precipitated by the e. N. e. trade
winds. These deposit the greater part OF
their superhuous burden OF moisture upon
that portion OF the mountains which most
project into and face the east-northeast.
That IS probably not more than one-dfth OF
the whole area, and there the streams rush
leapfng down Wild ravines into the sea.
while the rest Of the island IL compare
lively barren.
The Pioneer Constructors
Tho piogisnrs. In this work Of ditch con-