The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-09-21

Following IL lettcr IN tnc boht"i
Herald from one OF it's editorial stan
HONOLULU. July 26, iso6.-The Ha-
waiian Islands form for our people the
dividing point between the far east aud
the far west. divisional place much
more obvious than the conventional $50
deg meridian east or west from Green
wich. and emphasized by the mixed
Asiatic and American character OF the
people. In earlier days this archipelago
was looked upon as the first. though
outlying, part OF that great area OF land
and water vaguely denominated the
South Sea: but of late years Hawaii
has been separated in popular estima-
tion from this old association and has
been considered rather as a halfway
stopping place between North America
and Asia. This has been markedly the
case since the islands have been made
n port of call by the steamers running
between San Francisco and Yokohama
and Shanghai.
Probably no people in the United
States, with the possible exception of
those living In California, have had
more intimate relations with the Ha-
waiian Islands than have the people Of
AAhSSttCHustllSs IL W tts Nllt
who either came. or were directed, from
Boston who were responsible for the
Characterization and the civilization Of
the Hawaiian people; it was the whal-
ers from New Bedford and Nantucket
who for many years gave TO the Islands
their commercial prominence and con-
tributed materially to the moral and
physical decay of the Hawaiian people.
Il. Il.
Massachusetts capital, controlled by the
descendants of the missionaries and
Others, that built up the more lately de-
veloped island industries of sugar ahd
the like. We are, or those coming from
our state are. therefore In marked
degree responsible for present condi-
tions in Hawaii. even to the extent OF
the political connection now subsisting
between the islands and the United
States. II we were called upon to give
an account OF our stewardship what
answer could we make?
NATIVES FAST DECREASING.
When Capt. Cook made his historic
visit to the Hawaiian Islands in 177S.
the estimated population Of the group
was 100000. Figures such as these have
to be taken with great caution. for the
reason that they are quite as likely to
be wrong as right, but what is certain
is that in about four generations there
has been a great decline in the number
OF the native inhabitants, who are now
only tenth in numbers OF the early
estimate. The forecast often made Is
that the Hawaiians are destined In a
few generations more to entirely dlsap-
pear, but this gloomy prediction is un-
likely of fulfilment for the reason that
In their efforts to adjust themselves to
new conditions of life the Hawaiians
have been passing through the hard
process Of a survival of the fittest and
II Is hence quite probable that in this
ordeal the remnant that has remained
has shown itself possessed of sufficient
vitality to maintain the race in the
struggle for existence. 1t
would not be surprising IL at the end OF
the goth century It was found that the I
native Hawaiians were in numbers two
or three times more numerous than
they were found to be by the census
taken In 1900. At present their numer-
ical size gives them. except at election
time, no special Importance. the Japa-
nese living there far outnumbering
them.
AMERICANS ARE TO BLAME.
7 For this wholesale destruction OF hu-
man life we Americans are responsible;
but although the immediate causes for
this may be found in the penalties at >
tendant upon the practice OF some OF
the vices of civilization, it can. In ex-
fenuation, be said 1t is possible that no !
essentially different result would have
followed II for more than a century past !
no foreigner other than missionaries
had been permitted'to to land on these is
lands. for these latter would have
brought with them tubercular con-
sumption and the other germ diseases
TO which civilized man is gradually be-
coming Immune; but which would have
found here new and unguarded field
In which to develop themselves, and
would doubtless have struck down a