The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-03-14
SENATOR DEPEW
ON OGANIC ACTI
AMENDMENT BILL
Continued From Page one.)

well TO recall briefly the story OF
Hawaii and our relations to the ISL
ands. The islands have enjoyed a
government of laws for over a hun
bred years. They were ruled by
king, who was an absolute autocrat
for about fifty years, and then by
king and congress of two houses I'M
til the revolution, which established
a republic in 1894 and then as a
republic with a president and two
houses of congress, modelled on the
American system, until the annexa-
ton in 1900.
The political history of the islands
is not different in the development or
government from the experience OF
European nations. Among the petty
kings there appeared in 1890 one OF
those geniuses who arise among all
primitive peoples called Kameha-
meha. He conquered the islands,
overthrow all the petty kings, and
concentrated supreme authority IN
himself Though he had no rules
for guidance and knew no history,
nevertheless he established feudal
government like that which existed
in France during the midle ages. In
1920 the American Board of Commits
sioners of Foreign Missions sent sew
en- married men with their wives TO
Honolulu. The coming of these men
and their families was the turning
point in the political and religious
history of Hawaii and its social con-
ditions. In ten years they and other
brethren who came afterwards con-
verified the entire population to Chris
tianity. Hawaii today with its high
civilization, it's very small percentage
of illiteracy, smaller than in any
States or Territory, its free govern
ment, it's peaceful and orderly sub
lection to law, it's intelligent exercise
VI all IuS pOWSlS VI 6O'SAh
through an elective Legislature, it's
common school system and it's COM
mercial and industrial progress is a
monument to the work, devotion, and
genius of the missionary spirit. If
the missions needed any defense, the
Hawaiian archipelago, separated from
the world by thousands of miles If
ocean, and owing it's changed condi
lions from savagery to civilization en-
tirely to the efforts of the mission
aries, is a permanent and magnificent
exhibit of their spiritual and temporal
blessings. The sovereign and the
mobiles, after ten years of Christian
teaching devolved upon the people
self-government and divided their au
thority with legislature consisting
of two houses. These early converts
in a rude effort to conform to the
teachings of their spiritual instructors
/, adopted as their first constitution an.
bill of rights the Ten Commandments
Except for the efforts of succeeding
sovereigns to regain autocratic pow
err, which ultimately led to the over
throw of a monarchy and the estab
lishment of a republic, the islands
| were wisely, intelligently and conser
/ ooua,spnd tho urnat ma
lions of the world saw the value 0
the Hawaiian Islands and endeavorct
to secure exclusive privileges through
the favor of it's sovereign. The Bri
fish carried the King and Queen, al
far back as about 1920 to Great Bri
tain as the guests of the nation. KIM
Kalakaua was received by all the gov
ernments of the world, including ou
own. From San Francisco to New
York his journey was sort of trium
phal march in the reception which ~
received from commercial bodies, VIII,
saw great advantages in securing TO
the United States the commerce o
Hawaii. An incident in this trn
was one of those rare contributions t,
the sedate movement of history
which promotes good fellowship b,
adding to the gayety of nations. Chi
cago received the King with impress
sive ceremonies on his arriva
After weary day of parades and he
views the then mayor of the metro
polls of the West found king on hi
hands. He wished, of course, to pre-
mote the comercial interests of tn
z city over which he presided. At tn
same time kings were not in his line
nor was he familiar with their attri
butes or customs of court or the
methods of addressing them. 1C