Jere Krischel at 08:19, 6 February 2006

2006-02-06T08:19:37Z

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Ken Conklin at 22:31, 31 January 2006

2006-01-31T22:31:23Z

Ken Conklin at 19:54, 31 January 2006

2006-01-31T19:54:08Z

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Jere Krischel at 05:13, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T05:13:42Z

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1068
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
called, or other person, have you heard claim, or where have you seen
in print, as you claim, that Hawaii ought not to be annexed without a
majority vote of the native population ?
Mr. MACAETHUE. The New York Times, The World, and the different
administration papers that express their views, held that a
vote should be taken on it.
Senator GKAY. But separated from all oth etrhse?r e should not be a majority vote of the natives
Mr. MACAETHUE. I mean native whites as well as others. There is
a large proportion of the population natives who art whites.
Senator GEAY. Then you mean that those people contend that there
should not be annexation without a vote of all the real population of
those islands?
Mr. MACAETHUE. Yes.
Senator FEYE. Of all who are to votet
Mr. MACAETHUE. Yes.
Senator GEAY. That is not what I mean. The majority vote of all
the inhabitants of those islands who belong there either as natives or
as naturalized citizens? That is what you mean?
Mr. MACAETHUE. Yes.
Senator GEAY. Then you say, ''But that is against all American
precedent in annexation and generally in all practice throughout the
world?"
Mr. MACAETHUE. Yes.
Senator GEAY. Are you aware that Mr. Seward, when he was Secretary
of State, declared in an official paper that—
"A revolutionary government is not to be recognized until it is
established by the great body of the population of the State it claims
to govern?"
Mr. MACAETHUE. NO; I do not know that. What I meant there
was that there had never been a case of annexation in this country
where the people had voted on it.
Senator FEYE. That is, the annexed population?
Mr. MACAETHUE. The annexed population. If it had been, the
annexation would have been repudiated in every case.
The CHAIEMAN. In the case of a plebescite in Hawaii, where the
population is homogeneous, there is not as much reason for having
a plebescite of our own people for the admission of those strangers as
there would be of submitting to them in case they desired to come in?
Mr. MACAETHUE. Yes; in the case of Louisiana and the case of
Texas, annexation would have been defeated if submitted to a vote of
all the inhabitants there.
wiTthh oe uCr HrAacIEe MhAerNe.. But in those cases the people were homogeneous
Mr. MACAETHUE. AS to whites that may be.
Senator GEAY. There was no doubt in the case of Louisiana of the
full authority of the French Government to make the cession.
• Mr. MACAETHUE. Exactly. That is the ground I take on Hawaii.
There were two riots in New Orleans against annexation to the United
States, and they had to send troops to put them down. The government
that is in power and possession has the right to make its treaty
of annexation, and there never has been in the history of the country any
precedent of its kind of a plebiscitum.
The CHAIEMAN. In the annexation of a country, merging its sovereignty
into another, the question is a governmental question and not
of the people concerned?
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 1069
Mr. MACAETHUE. Exactly; because the Government represents the
people, as in the case of Texas.
The CHAIEMAN. I do not know that you remember, but it appears to
me that at the time the treaty with Mexico was sent in by Mr. Triste,
and submitted to the Senate of the United States, there was a motion
made to submit the question of annexation to a plebiscite. I do not
know that you remember that.
Mr. MACAETHUE. I do not.
Senator GEAY. I will ask you whether you approved the pulling down
of that flag by Admiral Skerrett?
Mr. MACAETHUE. "Yes; because there was no protectorate over it.
I prefer annexation to a protectorate. The latter gives no sovereignty;
it simply protects, and nothing else.
The CHAIEMAN. I will ask you whether there exists in Honolulu a
club in which men of different politics and different races and different
nativity assemble?
Mr. MACAETHUE. Yes. Mr. Cleghorn is the president of it. He is
the father of Kaiulani.
The CHAIEMAN. Do gentlemen belonging to different political parties
and elements meet there on terms of friendship and cordiality ?
Mr. MACAETHUE. Entirely so. It is the most good-natured club
you ever saw.
The CHAIEMAN. And there they discuss questions of annexation?
Mr. MACAETHUE. It is all good-natured.
The CHAIEMAN. They entertain discussions on that question?
Mr. MACAETHUE. Yes.
The CHAIEMAN. Having reference to prosperity, etc. 1
Mr. MACAETHUE. Yes.
The CHAIEMAN. In those club meetings does good feeling prevail?
Mr. MACAETHUE. Certainly.
The CHAIEMAN. Will you say, as compared with like assemblages of
gentlemen in the United States, there is any more feeling of friction
or opinion there?
Mr. MACAUTHUE. Not as much. There is less friction through all
those islands than there is in any other country in the world that I
ever saw.
The CHAIEMAN. You have traveled a good deal?
Mr. MACAETHUE. Yes; all over the world.
The CHAIEMAN. And your attention has been drawn, of course, to
the observation of such questions?
Mr. MACAETHUE. Yes. They do not have any angry political discussions
in the streets in Hawaii. They meet together, and they are the
best-natured people in the world.
The CHAIEMAN. Political divisions do not enter into the social relations
of the people?
Mr. MAC ARTHUR. No. In Hawaii the line of rank and descent was
through the mother.
The CHAIEMAN. It is like it is among the Indian tribes of this country?
Mr. MACAETHUE. Yes. That is the reason they prefer to have a
Queen to a King.
To STENOGRAPHER: Senator MOEOAN directs that the following be
added to my testimony. O. L. MACAETHUE.

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 {{p|1068}}
-called, or other person, have you heard claim, or
+or other person, have you heard claim, or
 where have you seen in
 print, as you claim, that Hawaii ought not to be

Template:1068-1069 - Revision history

Jere Krischel at 08:19, 6 February 2006

Ken Conklin at 22:31, 31 January 2006

Ken Conklin at 19:54, 31 January 2006

Jere Krischel at 05:13, 12 December 2005