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Jere Krischel at 05:12, 12 December 2005

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1052 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
Dr. William Shaw Bowen, of New York, undertook to get the Queen to
sell her rights and abdicate. I took a part in that affair, and I could
tell the story. I did not reduce to writing the observations that I
made while in the islands. I have written a good deal to my own
paper. That (alluding to article in Troy Budget of Nov. 26, '93), is
more of a statistical matter, showing the history of annexation and
leaving out the rest. There are some statistics about the population,
showing that just at that time they were saying that they should have
a plebescite there to justify annexation. I investigated that subject,
and I found that there never had been one in territory annexed to the
United States, and if there had been, the population would have voted
it down in each case. We have never seen a case of that kind. Even
in the annexation of Louisiana there were two riots against annexation.
That annexation would have been beaten had you taken a vote of the
population.
The CHAIRMAN. YOU are the editor of the Northern Budget?
Mr. MACARTHUR. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. In the issue of November 26, 1893, you have presented
some views about affairs in Hawaii. Those are the conclusions
to which you sincerely arrived in your examination of the facts on the
ground?
Mr. MAO ARTHUR. Yes. I did not go into that part of it which
would be more interesting to you. I found that the native population
was somewhat against annexation. I never could get at the bottom
cause of it; I think I did, however, get at what I thought were the
bottom causes. It was the woman question—the color question. Some
of the richest men in the islands had married natives. One, Mr.
Bishop, of the State of New York.
The CHAIRMAN. YOU speak of white men?
Mr. MACARTHUR. Yes, white men—missionaries there. Of course
the native population think it a great thing, an elevated thing, to marry
their daughters to white people, and I found on investigating on the
Island of Hawaii and on those of Manai and Oahu that the report had
been circulated all through the islands that among the people of the
U. S. the men who married negroes were despised, and that they would
lose their caste in Hawaii by marrying natives. It became a woman
question to a great extent in the islands, and the women influence the
men always. They thought their daughters ought to marry reputably,
and they thought they would occupy the position that the negro does
in the IT. S. country in such cases.
Senator FRYE. If the islands were annexed?
Mr. MACARTHUR. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. That there would be a racial degradation?
Mr. MACARTHUR. Degradation. The women got hold of this question
and went into every native household. When I got at the bottom
of this matter, I found that every man, native, that 1 talked with, presented
that phase of the subject to me. I made inquiries, and I found
that this impression had been carefully circulated everywhere among
these native people. I found it in the Island of Hawaii, the Island of
Mauai, and I found it in Honolulu. I naturally felt that they were a
very clannish people. The chief justice told me that in every case in
which a jury of native people was had, they never could convict a
native—that they had to take this thing from the juries and from the
examining boards, and segregrate the lepers in these islands. In the
criminal cases the chief justice told me, and two other judges told me
also
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 1053
The CHAIRMAN. What would you think of the political proposition
of incorporating those people into our body politic?
Mr. MACARTHUR. I think it ought to be done, because you do not
build America for a little time; you build for a century; and the time
is not far distant when the Pacific coast will have six or eight millions
of people, and the native Hawaii population would be entirely rubbed
out, at the present percentage of decrease, somewhere between 1920
and, say, 1930.
The CHAIRMAN. For similar reasons would you also think that it
would be better for our country that the Japanese and Chinese should
be brought in freely and incorporated into our body politic?
Mr. MACARTHUR. Mr. Blount said to me, "What are these people
going to do for laborers?"
The CHAIRMAN. I am not speaking of that; I am speaking of the
social effect in the United States of incorporating the orientals into the
social system, what we call the body politic, of the United States.
Mr. MACARTHUR. The Asiaties can not vote or become citizens
under the Hawaiian constitution.
The CHAIRMAN. I am not speaking of that, but the effect of annexation,
in your judgment, as to Asiatics?
Mr. MACARTHUR.. It is not that, because they are a hardworking
people. They earn their money, and they get what they consider
wealth and return to their own countries. The exports from those islands
are $115 for each man, woman, and child in the islands. There are no
such exports in the world. I think it is a detriment to confine themselves
exclusively to sugar.
The CHAIRMAN. Do you concur in the prevailing opinion that the
Kanaka population of Hawaii is passing away—perishing?
Mr. MACARTHUR. At the rate of decrease that is now going on, or in
the last decade, they will be entirely wiped out in 1930. It has been
carefully calculated. You see there are only 34,000 natives, and there
are 90,000 of population. Of that, perhaps 12,000 are Portuguese. The
Portuguese and white men there in voting would outnumber the native
population, that is, the native voting population—outnumber them in
the property qualification.
The CHAIRMAN. YOU speak now of the constitution of 1887 ?
Mr. MACARTHUR. I am speaking of this present constitution, under
which the house of nobles and house of representatives were elected.
There is a much lower elective power for the house under the present
Provisional Government.
The CHAIRMAN. YOU are speaking of the constitution which Liliuokalani
tried to overthrow?
Mr. MACARTHUR. Yes.
Senator DAVIS. What kind of people are those Portuguese?
Mr. MACARTHUR. They are mostly from the Azores.
Senator DAVIS. We know where they are from, but how do they
size up ?
Mr. MACARTHUR. They are a civil, orderly people.
Senator DAVIS. Industrious?
Mr. MACARTHUR. Yes.
Senator DAVIS. Are they law-abiding?
Mr. MACARTHUR. Yes,
Senator DAVIS. DO their children go to school?
Mr. MACARTHUR. Oh, yes; there is compulsory education there for
all classes.
Senator DAVIS. Do they have their own homes there, to some extent?

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 vote of the population.
-The CHAIRMAN:   You are the editor of the Northern
+The CHAIRMAN.   You are the editor of the Northern
 Budget?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:  Yes.
+Mr. MACARTHUR.  Yes.
-The CHAIRMAN:   In the issue of November 26, 1893, you
+The CHAIRMAN.   In the issue of November 26, 1893, you
 have presented some
 views about affairs in Hawaii.   Those are the
@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 the ground?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:   Yes. I did not go into that part of
+Mr. MACARTHUR.   Yes. I did not go into that part of
 it which would be more
 interesting to you.   I found that the native
@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 of New York.
-The CHAIRMAN:   You speak of white men?
+The CHAIRMAN.   You speak of white men?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:  Yes, white men---- missionaries there. Of
+Mr. MACARTHUR.  Yes, white men---- missionaries there. Of
 course the native
 population think it a great thing, an elevated thing,
@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 such cases.
-Senator FRYE:   If the islands were annexed?
+Senator FRYE.   If the islands were annexed?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:  Yes.
+Mr. MACARTHUR.  Yes.
-The CHAIRMAN:   That there would be a racial
+The CHAIRMAN.   That there would be a racial
 degradation?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:   Degradation. The women got hold of
+Mr. MACARTHUR.   Degradation. The women got hold of
 this question and went
 into every native household.   When I got at the
@@ Line 111: / Line 111: @@
 {{p|1053}}
-The CHAIRMAN:   What would you think of the political
+The CHAIRMAN.   What would you think of the political
 proposition of
 incorporating those people into our body politic?
@@ Line 126: / Line 126: @@
 and, say, 1930.
-The CHAIRMAN:   For similar reasons would you also
+The CHAIRMAN.   For similar reasons would you also
 think that it would be
 better for our country that the Japanese and Chinese
@@ Line 132: / Line 132: @@
 freely and incorporated into our body politic?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:   Mr. Blount said to me, "What are
+Mr. MACARTHUR.   Mr. Blount said to me, "What are
 these people going to do
 for laborers?"
-The CHAIRMAN:  I am not speaking of that; I am
+The CHAIRMAN.  I am not speaking of that; I am
 speaking of the social effect
 in the United States of incorporating the orientals
@@ Line 142: / Line 142: @@
 what we call the body politic, of the United States.
-Mr. MACARTHUR:   The Asiatics can not vote or become
+Mr. MACARTHUR.   The Asiatics can not vote or become
 citizens under the
 Hawaiian constitution.
-The CHAIRMAN:   I am not speaking of that, but the
+The CHAIRMAN.   I am not speaking of that, but the
 effect of annexation, in
 your judgment, as to Asiatics?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:  It is not that, because they are a
+Mr. MACARTHUR.  It is not that, because they are a
 hardworking people.
 They earn their money, and they get what they consider
@@ Line 161: / Line 161: @@
 exclusively to sugar.
-The CHAIRMAN:   Do you concur in the prevailing
+The CHAIRMAN.   Do you concur in the prevailing
 opinion that the Kanaka
 population of Hawaii is passing away---- perishing?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:   At the rate of decrease that is now
+Mr. MACARTHUR.   At the rate of decrease that is now
 going on, or in the
 last decade, they will be entirely wiped out in 1930.
@@ Line 178: / Line 178: @@
 property qualification.
-The CHAIRMAN:   You speak now of the constitution of
+The CHAIRMAN.   You speak now of the constitution of
 ?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:  I am speaking of this present
+Mr. MACARTHUR.  I am speaking of this present
 constitution, under which the
 house of nobles and house of representatives were
@@ Line 188: / Line 188: @@
 Provisional Government.
-The CHAIRMAN:   You are speaking of the constitution
+The CHAIRMAN.   You are speaking of the constitution
 which Liliuokalani
 tried to overthrow?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:   Yes.
+Mr. MACARTHUR.   Yes.
-Senator DAVIS:   What kind of people are those
+Senator DAVIS.   What kind of people are those
 Portuguese?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:  They are mostly from the Azores.
+Mr. MACARTHUR.  They are mostly from the Azores.
-Senator DAVIS:   We know where they are from, but how
+Senator DAVIS.   We know where they are from, but how
 do they size up?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:  They are a civil, orderly people.
+Mr. MACARTHUR.  They are a civil, orderly people.
-Senator DAVIS:   Industrious?
+Senator DAVIS.   Industrious?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:   Yes.
+Mr. MACARTHUR.   Yes.
-Senator DAVIS:   Are they law-abiding?
+Senator DAVIS.   Are they law-abiding?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:   Yes,
+Mr. MACARTHUR.   Yes,
-Senator DAVIS:   Do their children go to school?
+Senator DAVIS.   Do their children go to school?
-Mr. MACARTHUR:   Oh, yes; there is compulsory
+Mr. MACARTHUR.   Oh, yes; there is compulsory
 education there for all
 classes.
-Senator DAVIS:   Do they have their own homes there,
+Senator DAVIS.   Do they have their own homes there,
 to some extent?