The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-10-17
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As CITIZENS


Christianity had no more impracticable
task than perhaps your correspondent
may have in making many believe
that educated American-born children
of Orientals may well take a place in
our body polite with satisfactory re-
suits. Those not too deeply tinged
with prejudice or dreaming of yellow
peril may say with Lowell, "to a
healthy mind, the world is constant
challenge of opportunity. Why should
any for racial reasons be debarred
from taking up the gauntlet, especially
when fitted by birth and education to
take their place as American citizensf
Judge Dole, speaking or writing, al
ways has interested hearers or readers.
In the Advertiser of this date the
learned gentleman touches on the mat
ter of labor for the planters, and its
bearing on the question of the future
political and social condition of the
Territory. Judge Dole says, most
truly, the supply of labor for the i'm
men" is a subject that is vital, not
only to their work, but also to the
prosperity of all other industrial and
commercial operations. Having been
sugar planter on a comparatively
small scale for forty years and having,
both of necessity and from inclination,
studied the question in many of it's
phases, find Judge Dole's letter one
of great interest. The question he
asks, whether the sources of the pres
ent supply of our labor are hostile to
the future political and social condi-
lions of the Territory, is one of mo-
ment. Judge Dole evidently thinks
they are hostile. The Judge is not one
of the class he speaks of as "sugar
men," His sympathies are clearly not
with them, or rather, perhaps, 1 should
say, with their MODES or working. The
esteemed jurist IS opinion is, that "the
system of farming by corporations
should be broken up, and basic estab-
lishment for the making of farms and
homes and the consequent growth and
education of good citizens be estab-
lished." These admirable results APP
pear to Judge Dole to be imperiled,
owing to the fact of the working class,
which in orderly and industrious way
successfully assists us in developing
the resources of the Territory, being
Orientals, and to the further fact that
their children, born here, will be with
out the traditional views and heredi-
tary munitions necessary for the politi-
cal and social management of local
affairs. Is such argument fair or rea-
sonablei Are environment and educa-
tion in the best American methods,
from childhood to manhood, to count
for nothing as against traditional
vim int,
these creditable voters of the future, to
use Judge Dole IS designation of them,
born and living from babyhood under
the American flag, educated in Amer
lean methods and graduating from our
schools, will they be one whit less de-
sirable citizens than the tens Of
| thousands admitted as such every year
| from the continent of Europe, from
whence we are told to look for sup
ply of labor to offset the influence OF
American citizens of Oriental
parentage? 1 trow not, Mr.. Editor.
The fundamental test of fitness for,
and victory in, the battle of life we
may not be cognizant of, its subtleness
may prevent it's detection and perhaps
Judge Dole wrongs the japanese when
he confounds them with other Orien-
tails. "Japan has done what no other
Oriental nation has ever made even an
honest attempt to do. She has effectu
ally and completely reformed herself
from within, and the mere fact that
she has accomplished this trapsforma-
ton, which is absolutely unique in the
history of mankind, is palpable and
conclusive proof that she is not as they
are.' When we remember that the
Japanese were a united nation when
Salamis and Marathon were fought, it
may well appear that the children of a
| people, who of themselves, amidst
their own proper environment have al
| most in little more than a generation
| recreated, as it were, so many of their
| life clinging conditions in spite of
| their traditional views and heredi-
| tary intuitions,' / saw it may well be
that the children of such people, born
under the American flag, educated in
| the best American methods and grad
| uating from American schools, will not
only be "creditable voters; but will
be no whit inferior to what an Ameri-
can citizen voter should be, j. e., i'm
measurably superior to the tens of
thousands of Europeans who yearly
have given them the inestimable privi-
lege of American citizenship. Hence,
Mr.. Editor, it may well appear that
the sources of our present supply of
laborers are no menace to the future
welfare of this country, which so many
| of us delight to call home, and, may
l venture to say, fully believe the
memorable logic of facts will, ere an
other generation passes, disprove
Judge Dole's theoretical speculations.
Let us be practical and endeavor by all
means to improve the environment of
our present orderly and industrious
population. Let us most certainly not
discourage any other class for which
there is an opening, and who seek our
shores for their betterment, and above
all let no exaggerated terms be used
of advantages to accrue to men of
small means, even if having great in
dustry, by coming to this fair but
small Territory to make new home.
CHARLES +. HART.
Honolulu, T. H., Oct. 7, 1905.