Daily Archives: July 19, 2014

The Independent speaks out, 1897.

Posted on by
Reply

Ed. The Independent:—

“The little knot of noisy royalists,” as the Star chooses to call the overwhelming majority of the legal voters of 1892, numbering about 15,000, who in the near future will be called upon to decide by a plebiscite as to the form of government they wish to live under is now by the natural whirl of events fast approaching their object. When the far astray Alabama Senator arose and advocated the passing of the annexation bill at the closing of the last session of Congress, no notice was taken of him, but the bill was laid over until the December term, to be killed in short order, for the following reasons. In the first place the American people excepting a few cranks of the Stevens and Morgan stamp, had far rather have Hawaii as an independent nation than annex it. The silent mutterings of Russia, Germany and France against America annexing the islands, with England quietly watching and enjoying the game, as she well knows, that the moment America reaches out in mid-ocean land grabbing, that moment dies the Monroe doctrine, which America now foresees. Tempest in a teapot, this little fuss and feathers oligarchic trundle bed minority, will end thus: Before next January there will be an understanding between America, England, France and perhaps Germany, for a joint protection of this nation against all other powers. Those nations will then say to Uncle Sam, that we cannot protect a small band of armed traitors against a people who have for the last five years been crying to the world for justice! Therefore, order at once the abrogation of the treaty between Japan and Hawaii, that Hawaii may regulate her plantation labor as the necessity for labor is required, and then in no uncertain tone demand a plebiscite to be taken and see that it is done fairly, which is but simple justice to that doubly wronged nation. That is the play now being prepared to be placed upon the stage of Hawaii, and performed to the admiration and joy of her people.

Au Revoir.

(Independent, 10/16/1897, p. 2)

Ed. The Independent

The Independent, Volume V, Number 716, Page 2. October 16, 1897.

The Evening Bulletin chimes in, 1897.

Posted on by
Reply

Other groups in the Pacific have been taken under the wings of great nations, for their own substantial benefit as has already been proved, within the past ten years. Even Samoa would be no exception if any one of the three Powers ruling her had been given the exclusive control, and the unsettled condition of that group is simply a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. But it is objected that the Hawaiian people, in point of civilization and capacity for affairs, are away above comparison with other Polynesians. To this objection it is fair to reply with the question: “Is there not one particular nation to which the Hawaiians are indebted for the chief elements of their distinction, in addition to and apart from their own personal qualities of mentality and teachableness, docility and hospitality?” This answered in the affirmative, as it cannot otherwise be, there naturally follows the question: “Cannot that one nation then be trusted to bear the Hawaiians more closely in its arms to higher planes of civic competence and moral and material prosperity?” With the past advantages and opportunities of the Hawaiians thrown in their path, moreover, there is no reason to suppose that the Samoans and Tahitians should not be every whit their equals, in all respects of credit, today. Still further it is a fair statement to make, that the interests of their great patron nation, the United States, in the Hawaiians’ country are comparatively greater—making every allowance for vested native rights—than the interests of other nations in the countries of the Pacific that they have respectively appropriated. The United States has fully and fairly paid the Hawaiians for the limited proprietary title she bids fair soon to claim over these islands. “Limited” is a word here used advisedly, for when admitted to the Union this country will have reserved to it the privileges of self-government in all matters not federal. Senator Morgan made a good point in his reply to Mr. Kaulia published in the Independent of Saturday, when he intimated in effect that the United States claimed certain intrinsic rights in these islands, and that there is no more reason why the question of annexation should be submitted to a direct vote of the Hawaiians than for submitting it to a vote of the people of the United States. In other words, the United States sowed the seed of civilization and prosperity here, and now comes to reap the legitimate and natural harvest. Uncle Sam is going to “take in” a new piece of ground on his farm, and all the living denizens of that lot will be the better for it.

(Evening Bulletin, 10/19/1897, p. 4)

Other groups in the Pacific...

Evening Bulletin, Volume IV, Number 739, Page 4. October 19, 1897.