Jere Krischel at 00:39, 30 December 2005

2005-12-30T00:39:45Z

Ken Conklin at 04:37, 28 December 2005

2005-12-28T04:37:34Z

Jere Krischel at 18:35, 11 December 2005

2005-12-11T18:35:39Z

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550 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
Senator GRAY. In the chamber?
Mr. EMERSON. I was in the chamber and saw the vote taken and
beard the bill read. I can not state just the nature of the bill; but it
was a bill that granted a franchise to a certain number of persons to
establish a lottery in that country.
Senator GRAY. For what purpose; did it state?
Mr. EMERSON. AS I understood it it was for their own
Senator GRAY. To raise revenue?
Mr. EMERSON. Five hundred thousand dollars was offered the Government
and an annuity. Then there was a rider put on by Mr.
Thurston and Mr. Smith, the last thing before it passed, to the effect
that $125,000—that there must be a certain putting down of thatmoney,
a deposit made to the extent of $125,000, before this body could
operate. The idea was to stave off any attempt to do the thing unless
the Louisiana lottery would take hold. They did not want the
Louisiana lottery, and it would not be there unless the Louisiana
lottery would take hold, and the question was whether the Louisiana
lottery would take hold.
Senator GRAY. And they wanted a deposit of actual money?
Mr. EMERSON. Yes. The feeling was to hamper the bill as much as
possible.
Senator GRAY. That rider was put on by the enemies of the bill?
Mr. EMERSON. Tes.
Senator SHERMAN. Does gambling prevail among the natives of
Hawaii?
Mr. EMERSON. I am sorry to say that it does to a large extent. The
natives are led into it by Chinamen and by—I will say chiefly by
Chinamen.
Senator GRAY. Participated in by whites at all ?
Mr. EMERSON. I think the whites have their own way of gambling.
I do not think they go to these little stalls and buy checks and
gamble. It is the Chinese chefa game.
Senator GRAY. The Chinese have a distinct system of gambling of
of their own ?
Mr. EMERSON. That is the system that appeals to the natives.
Senator GRAY. IS there any gambling among the whites?
Mr. EMERSON. I suppose there is considerable. There is a certain
class of whites which was associated with the Kalakauan throne.
Senator GRAY. I have been very much interested in the account
you gave of the native population, of their disposition and habits and
education. You say it would be very difficult, as I understood you, to
find a person over 12 years of age who could not read and write ?
Mr. EMERSON. I think it would be very difficult among the natives.
Senator GRAY. DO you think those people capable of self-government
as we understand it here?
Mr. EMERSON. I can not answer that categorically; I must qualify
it by saying this: The Hawaiians are in the hands of two parties; one
party makes for righteousness and the other for spoils.
Senator GRAY. DO you think they are themselves capable of originating
or maintaining popular self-government?
Mr. EMERSON. I think with their environment they can not do it.
Senator SHERMAN. I believe we have statistics here among the
papers showing the increase among the Portuguese and the decline of
the Hawaiians.
Senator FRYK. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. The Portuguese go there by importation.
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 551
Mr. EMERSON. I think the agent went to the Azores and negotiated
for certain laborers. They come from the islands.
Senator SHERMAN. Are they not a good deal mixed; is there not a
mixture of Portugese and other Indian blood ?
Mr. EMERSON. In some there is a mixture. I do not just know the
situation in the Madeira or the group of the Azores Islands.
Senator GRAY. Are they not classed as such?
Mr. EMERSON. We class them as European.
The CHAIRMAN. In coming to Hawaii, do they bring their families?
Mr. EMERSON. Many of them do.
The CHAIRMAN. And establish homes?
Mr. EMERSON. Some of them are most industrious and thrifty.
The CHAIRMAN. In establishing homes?
Mr. EMERSON. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. They represent a good industrious element?
Mr. EMERSON. We think it is a great gain.
The CHAIRMAN. Are they difficult to control?
Mr. EMERSON. We do not think so.
The CHAIRMAN. I mean in their general demeanor in the community?
Mr. EMERSON. I do not think so. They are a peaceful people.
Senator GRAY. DO they maintain their language or speak the Hawaiian?
Mr. EMERSON. They speak Portuguese.
The CHAIRMAN. Are they members of any church?
Mr. EMERSON. They are mostly Eoman Catholics; but most of them
are prejudiced' against the Jesuits. And my experience has been in
the mission work that they are not very bigoted or under the control
of the priests. They have no priests of their nationality there. There
was no preaching in Portuguese until we introduced a preacher, and
then they introduced one.
The CHAIRMAN. DO the Portuguese build Catholic churches?
Mr. EMERSON. No. I do not think they have separate churches.
We have two among the Portuguese.
Senator GRAY. Missions among the Portuguese?
Mr. EMERSON. Yes.
Senator GRAY. TO convert them from Romanism?
Mr. EMERSON. NO. There was the nucleus of a protestant element.
We have a school in our mission in Honolulu. We have a gentleman
and three ladies who have worked with him, and they have a day and
night school, a kindergarten, and a good many children of Eoman
Catholic Portuguese go there to attend our schools. Our intention is
to give them a biblical Christianity; it is not proselyting. One family
after another has come over to express their adherence.
Senator GRAY. Does the Catholic mission have churches?
Mr. EMERSON. It has its cathedral and out stations and its priests.
The CHAIRMAN. When these Portuguese arrive do they go on the
sugar plantations in the country or stop in the town?
Mr. EMERSON. Those who come as contract laborers have to go on
the sugar plantation. I do not think many are brought now as contract
laborers.
The CHAIRMAN. SO that you regard them as a peaceful element of
society ?
Mr. EMERSON. I will answer in this way: My two brothers are conducting
a Sabbath school in connection with this mission, and they
have more interest in the Portuguese work than in the Hawaiian work

Template:550-551 - Revision history

Jere Krischel at 00:39, 30 December 2005

Ken Conklin at 04:37, 28 December 2005

Jere Krischel at 18:35, 11 December 2005