The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-10-27

l.
Kekaha (Kauai) plantation:
Honorable Governor:
In making investigations for final
decision Tin this case) we respectfully
refer you to anv of the subscribers 10
this rnIssive.
Kekaha Plantation.
Ia the name of God, of Humanity.
OF the Constitution and of the American
People.
Sir:
The signers to this petition, natives
OF Puerto Rico, respectfully have re-
course to you. who represents in these
ISLANDS, that Government, which directs
the destiny of the great American Re-
public, and on whose banner is inscribed
the emblem of e Pluribus Ununi."
/ This IS the flag of the Porto Ricans
also.
s...s country, the subjects of Por-
tugai, sof Japan, and China have their
own official interpreter, paid by the
!. Territory; they also have one to rep
resent them as Consul who sees to
and investigates their complaints, and
fights for their rights.
We Porto Ricans only (although we
call this American country "our home")
form or constitute an exceptionally rare
and very painful exception. We are
denied almost everything. even (if il
were possible) the air we breathe.
iflis is the question, we submit to
you, as sole and legal arbiter Gin this
country of our destiny, which destiny
some naughty adventures back of the
Government, were and still are endeav-
oring to make subservient to their
private conveniences and caprice, as was
done in the late war-epoch, but that
we will let rest in oblivion.
The veal and woe of fortune has
deprived us of our inheritance, far from
our Island home, we confess our ignor-
ance and debility, our want of know
ledge of the immortal language of the
Immortal Washington, but for all this,
we are not ignorant of our duties and
of our rights, complying with the former
and resolved to have the latter respect
ed, for the flag which floats over our
heads is a guaranty for our future.
The great Founder of our Grand Re
public, has long ago expressed the sub
lime sentiment: A people cannot be
either entirely free or entirely enslaved,"
and if this solemn phrase is engraved
in the hearts of all honest Americans,
the endeavors of some false patriots and
strangers who have forgotten our I'M
fnaculate history and who are striving
to establish, right here, a state of things
which defames the wise American
constitution proclaimed in Philadelphia
in I77o, will prove an utter failure.
We, though poor, led very tranquil
lives in our far off island homes Gin
Porto Rico). 1t was then that the
Hawaiian Sugar Planters Assn. came
between us and our homes. That con-
Germ overwhelmed us with thousand
promises, offering us a betterment in
our condition from what it was previous
w. but, alas sir, 10 and behold what is
our lot here in Hawaii? We are suf-
fering numberleSs vicissitudes; we are
orphans and unprotected; all our leglt-
innate expectations and hopes are blasted,
all has quick been transformed into
gloom verging on desperation.
Sir, while it is beyond a doubt true
that not a few of our fellow countrymen,
who have come to this country, have by
their vicious habits and bad conduct
prejudiced others against them and
made themselves useless to the planta-
tons, and that our jails are filled with
Porto Ricans is also true. We honestly
admit all this. with a loyal protest for, |
while we cannot and will not screen |
these OBJECTIONS, neither are we willing |
to screen the gross negligence and broken |
faith of the Commissioners Gin Porto |
Rico) of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters |