The Independent

The Mass Meeting.
The Wilcox farewell mass meeting
at the Drill Shed last evening fell
flat: The trio composed of Wilcox,
Kaulia, and Kalauokalani were the
representative politicians in the
hall. Representative Beckley did
not appear on the platform, nor any
other members of the House.
Bishop Kane was there shaking his
cane at the back of Bob, and there
were a few newspaper men and the
Princess with her ladies-in-waiting.
Wilcox's address was a rehearsal of
the usual I Am song, and he told
all about what he is going to do
and will not do in Washington. The
meeting was attended by about
sixty people, many of whom said
"Farewell" by leaving, before the
show was over. Wilcox said, he
would feel sorry if the voters should
send a fool to Washington as Dele-
gate, and the echo from the voters
answered "We Am!" The following
resolutions were read and of course
passed without a dissenting voice:
Whereas, Henry E. Cooper, as
acting governor of the Territory of
Hawaii, has submitted his annual
report for 1901 to the Secretary of
the Interior, and
Whereas, the said report under
the subhead "Labor," the acting
governor has made statements ab-
solutely at variance with the actual
conditions existing in these Islands,
conditions which no man holding
the high office of governor and in-
terested in the advancement of
civilization and the Americanizing
of this Territory could either ignore
or dare to deny, and.
Whereas, the entire report under
this subhead is couched in form in-
viting special legislation in the in-
terests of the classes; now, there-
fore, be it
Resolved, that the members of
the Home Rule Republican party in
mass meeting assembled do urge
the Territorial Delegate to Con-
gress to use every effort to defeat
the object of legislation invited, and
to devote his entire energy to secur-
ing the re-enactment of the Asiatic
exclusion laws, because:
First-Ninety per cent of the
present Asiatic population original-
ly came to these Islands as contract
laborers.
Second-Of the total
Asiatic
population there are but thirty-five
per cent employed on sugar planta-
tions.
Third-Not to exceed twenty-five
per cent of the remainder work in
rice fields, the other three-fourths
being active competitors in every
mechanical and industrial occupa-
tion as well as in mercantile pur-
suits, with Americans in this Terri-
tory today, and this circumstance,
together with our
Hawaiian
land
laws, are the potent factors prevent-
ing the influx of desirable American
farmers and mechanics.
Fourth-There are in
these
Isl-
ands today more
than
12,000 Asia-
tics who had
the government acted
in good faith
would now be in their
native land,
and
we
affirm without
fear of contradiction
that any con-
dition looking
to the
return
of any
laborers to
the
place
of their
nativi-
ty
would
be
violated
as was the law
in the case
of
these
coolies.
Fifth-The
immigration
of
un-
skilled labor
has
not
ceased.
There
is a constant
stream
of
Porto
Rican
laborers
coming
to
these
Islands,
assisted
to
these
shores
by
the
Planters
Labor
and
Supply
Com-
pany.
These
assisted
immigrants
are
a
most
undesirable
addition to
our
Island
community
illiterate,
impoverious,
of
low
vitality
and
lower morals.
Many
of
them
occupy
prison
cells,
either
for
crimes
com-
mitted
or
for
vagrancy,
thus
through
special
privilege
another
dangerous and
burdensome
element
is injected
into
our
excessively
cos-
mopolitan community, to be assimi-
lated at untold
sacrifice to the com-
munity at large-while creating
conditions favorable to the success-
ful and economical production of
sugar.
Sixth-The white man can speak
for himself, but we are satisfied that
he, like ourselves, would work any-
where and at anything that will
yield him the value of his labor.
That the white man will not stoop
to the economies and associations of
the "camp" or "barracks" is a mat-
ter to his credit.
When "American" land laws pave
the way to "American" occupation
of this Territory, the Hawaiian
American will give cordial greeting
to those coming across the water to
live in our midst and "raise cane."
Seventh-The relief, if any is
required, is at hand. We already
have a large surplus of Asiatics in
our midst. A slight increase of
wages will bring all that are re-
quired on the plantations.
It was passed as read. Then the
following resolution was read and
passed as read:
Whereas, the governor of this
Territory is personally soliciting
loans on government account, from
private sources, pledging therefor
the public credit and guaranteeing
that, as heretofore, illegal acts of
this kind will be ratified and pro-
vision made for their payment by
the next legislature; and
Whereas, the superintendent of
public works has been and now is
making agreements, in advance of
legislative action, whereby the
credit of this Territory is pledged
to private corporations for materials
to be furnished and labor to be
performed (said agreements being
themselves violations of law in that
there has been no call for tenders as
required for work or materials to
the value of five hundred dollars
($500) or over; and
Whereas, these and kindred acts
of the executive are in plain viola-
tion of law and subversive of those
principles of democracy contemplat-
ed by the constitution of the United
States and the Organic Act creating
the Territory of Hawaii; and
Whereas, there is ample opportu-
nity for promptly creating the legal
conditions necessary for meeting
present requirements without re-
sort to the questionable practices
herein complained of; now, there-
fore, be it
Resolved, that the Territorial
Delegate to Congress be respectful-
ly requested to inform the President
and Congress of the United States
of the actions of the executive of
this Territory, and to request the
removal of Sanford B. Dole for lack
of ability to understandingly inter-
pret the constitution and laws given
him for guidance.
Resolved, that the Home Rule
Republicans in mass meeting as-
sembled give notice to those advan-
cing moneys or creating other obli-
gations to be settled by the next
legislature, that they had better
secure the payment of any obliga-
tion by seeking a personal bond
from those contracting for anything
for which specific appropriation has
not been made, in the name of the
government.
Resolved, that the Representatives
and Senators of this party will go
into the next legislature pledged to
repudiate any unlawful acts of the
executive, and make him and the
heads of departments personally
responsible for obligations created
by them.
Both were then adopted together,
and three cheers were given.