The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-11-16
THE NEEDS OF HAWAII
Rev. Oliver P. Emerson.

they face with you of the mainland,
the world-probIems of today.
The question of safeguarding the
interests of the natives. has been one
to which the coIonists have given
careful. serious attention ] am glad
OF the opportunity TO give my testi-
mony here that 1 believe no people on
earth have been treated with more
consideration than the native Hawai-
ians--I was born and spent my youth
among them and have worked with
them during the last seventeen years.
/ long for their IerpetUity and best
deveIopmen know well their Ian
guage. traditions and character and
feel a deep affection for them-I am
familiar with the story OF the Hawai-
ian mission. Of which my father and
mother were a part, and with the
Iaborers Of its good men and women
and the institutions they built. | know
also the princelv gifts bestowed on
that people, and / doubt II any
aboriginal people ever received from
strangers more paternal care.
The most apparent need OF Hawafl,
as with every state and territory OF
the Union. is that of more upright, in
dependent machine-free voters. The
franchise is granted equally to the
native and the white man. The form
er needs no further political privileges;
he has now more than he can handle;
under the territorial government ne
las more civil rights than he ever
enjoyed in the days of the monarchy.
In a letter to President Mckinley,
written by a full bIooded native, the
speaker of the Hawaiian House OF
Representatives at the time Of the
assassination of President Mckinley,
we md this statement, - As Americans
we have more rights than as Hawai-
ians we ever had, even under the best
government of our chosen soverelgns.
Indeed these rights have handicapped
the development of Hawaii, for they
are not employed by the natives to
their advantage. The natives are un-
duly excited by political strife and
are tempted by the allprements OF
government office to turn from lnde
pendent, productive industry. The pub
lie treasury is too frequently regard
ed as an institution established foI
personal support.
Two years ago the Hawaiians, leo
by demagogues, by their preponderat
ing vote forced county government up
on the land. not because it was need
ed. but in interest OF graft and tC
multiply offices. Wise men opposed
the measure. till, forced by the ig
norant and INSCRIPTIONS majority, they
turned to give the country the best
county government they could formu
late in the short time granted. Thu
false move costs the islands an add
tional $250,000 year.
| There are now three kinds of gov
/ eminent to be supported by thai
sparse population. The national, th'
| territorial and the county governments
with the chance in Honolulu and pos
siblv in Hilo, of fourth, city gov
eminent. This preponderating powe1
| in politics is grave misfortune. MOI
only to the territory at large, but aIst
| to the natives themselves. They fine
| If so easy to settle down on the gov
| eminent for their living, as so many
of them do, to neglect of honest in
dustry.
Honest industry, That is what Ha
I wall needs from her aboriginal PEG
! ple-not enough productive work Il