The Daily Bulletin

ANNEXATION.

Editor Bulletin:-

An anonymous writer in the P. C.

Advertiser has suggested that the

remedy for the present financial de-

pression lies in overturning the mon-

archy and creating a republic, and

almost in the same breath he declares

for annexation to the United States.

How we are to make an independent

republic and yet be annexed to the

United States is a secret, which, per-

haps, he alone could explain, unless

it is to be carried out on the plan of

Ka Leo, which holds out the glories

of republicanism, annexation and

socialism on the English page, while

on the native page the glories of the

monarchy, which a new constitution

would make perfect as in the good

old days, gladden the eye of the un-

suspecting kanaka.

How the present state of affairs is

to be improved by overturning the

monarchy and creating a republic

with its attendant disquiet and in-

creased possibilities of revolutionary

disorders is another secret of state-

craft which your correspondent can-

not understand. It will certainly

not create a larger demand for our

products than at present, nor even

raise the price of sugar.

Annexation would give the "sugar-

baron'' the coveted two cent bounty.

But we are talking of annexation as

though all that is necessary is for us

to make up our minds and say to

Uncle Sam, "Here, old boy, just

give us the two cent bounty on sugar

and you can have our islands."

Put yourself, Mr. Editor. in the

position of our good neighbor with

her billions of money and 65,000,000

of people who are in possession of

every new-fangled thing under the

sun, and you may realize the impu-

dence of such an offer. Probably

our offers or overtures will be

promptly returned endorsed "de-

clined with thanks."

What has the United States to gain

if she consents to annexation? The

costly privilege of digging a harbor

for a naval station which has already

been granted her under the treaty,

90,000 new subjects, but what a

desirable (?) lot-15,000 Chinese

who would certainly make use of

their privilege to cross to the main-

land of the United States; 20,000

Japanese; 34,500 native Hawaiians,

who would want to divide the gover-

norship and presidency between

Bush and Wilcox; 6000 half-castes,

ditto; 5000 Portuguese, and only

about 6500 of the class considered

desirable on a race or a color divi-

sion. Twelve hundred lepers would

be a part of her acquisition, and last

but not the least she will be expected

to pay our national debt of $2,500,

000, and, of course, pay annually

out of the treasury at Washington

from five to six millions in bounties

to our sugar planters.

A hasty glance at the above show-

ing explains why annexation is gain-

ing popularity, but the old saw of

"all that glitters is not gold" is

never more true than in our case.

As a part of the United States the

cheap contract labor system would

have to go, and the sugar kings would

be as bad off with high-priced labor

as at present with low prices for

sugar. However, we will still be the

gainer in the bargain. If Yankee

generosity overcome Yankee patrio-

tism-and party jealousies, two sena-

tors and one congressman may be

allowed to represent in Congress our

mongrel mixture of newly-made

"Yankees."

Whether our minor industries will

be benefited by the change of flags

is entirely a matter of speculation.

When Hawaii with her hundreds

of thousands of cattle has to import

her table butter, your readers will

own the force of the above remark.

If the guava jelly can crowd out

some of the cheap jellies that are

still being imported, then fortune

making in that line may be looked

into.

As to the growing desire for an-

nexation or for a republic among

native Hawaiians it does not exist.

except in the imaginations of disap-

pointed politicians. Note how care-

fully the would-be republicans and

annexationists denied and disowned

what they are chattering about now

during the late elections, and it would

not require a specialist to point out

the trend of native ideas on that line.

NERO.