The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-02-17
THE COLONIAL PROJECT.

his message TO the Legislature, very
attractive sketch of the insular type
of government as exemplifed In Porto
Rico and contrasts it with the Terri
toriaI organization here. Porto RICO
keeps its own income, regulates ITS
own immigration. levies it's own
revenue taxes, is exempt from the
American coastwise shipping laws, IS
not restricted as to special legislation
and enjoys absolute free trade with the
United States In other words it has
the privileges and immunitIes Of an
nexatfon and none of the burdens and
drawbacks by which Hawaii. as the
price of it's Territorial dignity, has
been visited
But for one or two things the eN-
change of Hawaii's present organiza-
ton for that of Porto Rico would be
ideal; but these things are so important
to the welI-being of Hawaii that We
wonder they should have been over
looked in the Governors message.
What guarantee have we, for exam
pie that. if Hawaii became an insular
possession, it would continue to enjoy
free trade with the United States? No
treaty can be made on the subject, as
Hawaii is no longer a treaty-making !
power. and even if it were, treaties !
may be abrogated. A special or gen
eraI law may be passed but the element
of finality is still lacking. AS Hawaii
stands, its free trade rights are estab-
Iished by the Constitution of the Unit
ed States and there is no danger that
the Territory Will ever be deprived OF
them. But as an fnsular dependency
Hawaii would be the mere creature OF
Congress; and if an interest with much
money and many votes should go be-
fore that body protesting against the
free admission of competing products,
created by "pauper labor how could
we, with our slight influence at Wash I
ington, protect ourselves? But for the {
Spanish war we should have lost our r
reciprocity treaty. Might not a dozen I
possible contingencies compel us to give
I'D the privilege of free trade?
1t must be remembered, too, that if =
Hawaii became colony and used its :
power to flood the islands with Asia +
tics, that very fact would arouse the
American labor men against US and ;
they. with the mainland sugar prod
ucers. would naturally undertake to
punish us through a tariff on our
staple.
Then there is the land question and
the question of Americanizing this
country, which ought not to be over
looked. One of the confessed objects
the insular scheme is to get back the !
power to make indefinite land-Ieases.
By that system the whole country
could be so tied up for from fifty to
ninety-nine years that an American !
settler could not get in edgewise. The
life of any land is not in large in
dividuaI or corporate land-holdings and
small population but in small individu-
al land-holdings and large population
Once California was land of vast I'M
fenced cattIe-ranches and nobody
thrfved but the cattlemen. Then the
baroniaI estates were broken up and
the greatest good came to the greatest
number Hawaii will not do well to
develop backward into anything like t
the California system of 1855, even for t
the sake of sugar It owes to itself the c
adoption of what is best in the Cali a
fornia system of 19O5-one in which the t
people have had their chance and IN '
which, at the same time. the old staple c
industry has expanded. We can have /
a Hawaii, if we Will of sugar, cattle,
tobacco. sisal, pines. bananas, dairy '
products and all the rest or d Hawaii I
of sugar alone and that dependent, for
its very life, on the fuctuating viii of t
Congress Or we may stay as we are
and develop along American lines to
the immense advantage of all concern l
ed. the sugar men included. The latter
may not get all the land and all the
privileges but they will be secure in
what they have and Will be we'll
recompensed.
AS Territory we know precisely
where we are and can discount the /
future. We are moored to the rock of
the constitution and as long as the
rock lasts we shall be safe. Everyone
of our products viii have free access
to the American market. But if we :
slip the cable and go ga1livanting off @
into unknown and practically nm I
charted seas, nobody can tell, until the i
event itself arrives, where we shall
bring up and in what shape we shall ?
then be. Is it not the wiser and the a
wisest plan to adopt Shakespeare's ad- t
vice to endure the ills We have rather I