Evening Star Newspaper, April 22, 1897, Page 11

— THE EVENING STAR. PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY, AT THS STAR BUILDINGS, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, Cor. llth &., by The Evening Star Newspaper Oompany, HL SAUFYMANN: Pres't. ‘Now York Office, 49 Potter Building. patrons daha ‘The Evening Star ie served to subscribers in the eity by carriers, on their own account, at 10 cents Der week, or 44 certs per month. Copies at the counter 2 cents each. By mail—anywhere fn the United States or Canada—postage prepald—50 cents month. Saturday a foes ‘$1 per year, with foreign postage added, ‘Entered at th Vust Office at Wasbingtoa, D. C., as second-class mail matter.) 7 Ail mail subscriptions must be paid in advance. Rates of advertising made known on application. - Part2. Che Evening ST ah rarestt-r4 WASHINGTON, D. C,, THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1897-FOURTEEN PAGES. ORGANIZED LABOR A Meeting Held in Its Interests at Typographical Temple Hall. oe WGUIRE, LENNON AND GOMPERS SPEAR They Plead for the Unification of Workingmen for Common Welfare. PROGRESS OF THE MOVEMENT The large hall of Typographical Temple was well filled last evening, the occasion being a mass meeting in the interest of organized labcr. It was addressed by Pres- ident Gompers, Vice President P. J. Mc- Guire and Treasurer John B. Lennon of the American Federation of Labor. President William Silver of the Building Trades Council presided and introduced the speakers. Mr. McGuire, in his remarks, said that for the last three years there nad been an unprecedented depression in this country which made them years of want and idleness, and hundreds of thousands had been living in a condition of pauperism. ‘They had been also years of education in bitter experience, and men had become convinced of the folly of individual action in any attempt to change conditions. The result had been that men had combined and the membership of organized labor had largely increased. The history of labor was one of constant trouble. In the period immediately preceding the war there were but 100,000 organized workers in the United States, but after the close of the war there was a gradual incre until the organized labor of the country was in a condition to ferce legislation. They had secured an eight-hour law in many ef the states; the restriction of the employment of child la- ber; the inspection of mines and work- shops, the abolition of the truck system as practiced in the “pluck me” stores, former- ly so frequent in the mining regions, ard other legislation which improved the condi- tion of the workers, ma‘le them: better citi- zens and elevated the standard of their manhood. Some dreamers and philosophers had declared that trade unions were power- less to change conditions, but he who as- serted this had never had any experience in the movement. Trade unionism was, de— clared Mr. McGuire, the highest type of manly selfishness, and he who remained outside represented the lowest type of brutal selfishness and self-imposed degrada- tion. The Attitude of Organized Labor. Organized labor was not arrayed against individuals, he declared, but against sys- tems. It desired to put in the laborer all the manliness that ft is possible for him to possess; the independence of an individual who, selling his labor to another, will force the recognition of his rights by the em- ployer to an equitable share of that which he produces. It elevated a man to the equality of the master until he arrives at the same standard, socially, morally and economically, with the master. Under any other condition the laborer is an industrial slave, said Mr. McGuire. The period of trade unionism had passed, he said, when observing an advance of the market price of a product, the workers would come together secretly in some back room and resolve to demand an advance of wages, and, without considering com- mercial conditions, would order a strike if the demand was not complied with. That was “hurrah” trades unionism. It was now out of date, and men were depending upon arbitration and conciliation. They recognized the fact that it was not only necessary to organize locally, but that they must combine jnto one grand federation, and by that m@&ns nationalize the move- ment, and give character to the very gov- ernment under which they live. This work necessarily must be done by a few, which has been the case in all reform novements. In conclusion Mr. McGuire said the ten- dency for the past decade had been towara the unification of the labor of the coun- try, and this was being accomplished sat- isfactorily. Twenty years ago there were only eleven organizations affiliated with the American Federation of Labor; today there were seventy-eight, and the number was constantly increasing. Treasurer Lennon’s Remarks. Mr. Lennon in his speech said in part that as a result of trades organization the wage- workers of the country have a higher con- ception of proper industrial conditions now than men ever had before. Trades un:on- ism had instilled into men the elements of mantiness, which had given character to government. He said that United States, England and Australia were the most advanced countries in the world, snd men lived there under better condith where in the world. It was a fact » were more organize] workers in these countries than in any other. and this accounted for their improved condition. Trades unionism had made them better citi- zeus; they had vecome more temperate, Tore thrifty and more considerate. Uf ail the so-called trades organizations the trades union ha& proved to be che most practical, most staole, and had accom- plished more for the advancement of the working classes than all other organiza- tions combined. fiis experience as a tailor Was that during the last three years the Wages of t = unorganized tailors of this cowry had beer red 3S per cent, while the union tailors, withou: a single excep- ‘ton. were receiving the same wes that they did before the public. It had been fais ly state¢ that low wages increased trade, but it haa been nis experie in the largest trade Tost business is done, the organized ners received the highest pay. Mr. Lennon ‘concluged by addvi: trades unionisis to so conduc: organi- zations and prectices as to creai: a healthy keneral sentivcent; to be manly and honcr- able in all theiz trade retatiwna and thus Sevure the respect of th» pubiic. Workingmen and Speaker Reed. President Gompers, who made the last address of the evening, spoke at some length in reference to the visit of the exec- ulive council of the American Federation of Labor to sce Speaker Reed at the Capi- tol yesterday, and continuing, remarked: “Today we met Mr. Reed, who received us courteously and heard us attentively. It occurred to me that there had been a change in sentiment somewhere. Bat a short time ago a band of idle, weary, tat- tered men unorganized visited the Capitol and demanded a hearing, which was re- fused them, the leaders were arrested and they were told ‘to keep off the grass.’ But there has been a change; there was no atiempt made to evade us, though the is- sue may be evaded. “Mr. Reed in his remarks to us, referring to the ignorant class, excepted the un- schooled citizens. Perhaps he thought we have more to fear from the ‘educated ig- merent’ than from the so-called unschoole-l citizen. - “There is a class of philosophers who declare there is an inevitable law which WASHINGTON BASE BALL CLUB. Reilly. Cartwright. McJames. Maul. Swaim. Farrell. Ashe. Brown. German, Kimble. McGuire, Schmelz. Mercer. Lash: Nortcn. DeMontreville. _ O'Brien. Selbach. Abbey. Wrigley. lines for the advancement of the wage earners of the country. “No reform has ever been secured with- out a struggle, sometimes through decades. What we are striving for may come slow- ly, but it is coming surely. The American Federation of Labor is endeavoriny to con- centrate the wage-workers of the country upon all essential questions. They want eight hours, and will persist until the hours of toil are so reduced that not a man or woman shall walk the streets in idleness because they have nothing to do. In spite of calumny and opposition, the A. F. of L. has advaaced, and accom- plished more for the interests of the work- ers of the country than all cther organiza- tions combined. The highest duty of the ‘wage worker is due to the trades, union. It is his hope for the future. It is the basis of social order and the hope of the government.” In closing Mr. Gompers referred to the trade movement in the District, and said tt should represent the best element of local labor, and thus make its influence felt throughout the country. Occupying the position of the capital of the country, the labor of the country will look to the central body of this District to represent them, and speak for them, in all matters brought to the attention of Congress for legislation by that body. ——— WAR SHIPS IN ORDINARY. Pi s for Laying Them Up at League Island Navy Yard. Secretary Long has referred to Captain Crowninshield and Commander Dickins of the bureau of navigation the matter of preparing plans for laying up vessels at the League Island navy yard. As has been al- ready stated, the general glan of the naval authorities provides for placing a number of ships not needed for current service in ordinary with just enough men and cfficers on board to take care of them and see that they are always available for immediate service. Civil Engineer Endicott 13 prepar- ing the plans and specifications for « water basin which will be sufficiently deep to ac- commodate battle ships of the draught of twenty-seven feet in case it is decided to place them in ordinary at some future date. The last naval appropriation law carries an appropriation of $130,000 for the improve- ment of the basin, and this will be ex- pended with a view to making {t a rencez- vous for vessels the authorities will retire from active service. ——_——_——-2+—______ DAMAGE TO THE FARMS. Situation in the Southwest Summ: ized by the Bureau of Statintics. The bureau of statistics of the Treasury Department has made a report on the damage caused agricultural interests by the Mississippi river flood, which summar- izes the situation. as follows: “The total area submerged at this date is over 20,000 square miles. It contained at the last census 46,935 farms, with a total area of 4,904,466 acres, nearly one-half of which was improved, and a total popula- tion, agricultural and other, of 462,041. If to the value of its farms, farm buildings and farm machinery, according to the cen- sus of 1890, there be added the value of its live stock on January 1 last ($9,174,636) and of its products of last season still on hand on March 1 last ($4,505,179), the total of $90,176,177 will represent the approximate value of the agricultural property of the submerged region. Among the products of this region last year were 466,056 bales of cotton, worth $16,312,060; 12,525,645 bushels of corn, worth $3,995,278, and 9,083,878 pounds of sugar, worth $271,016, the total producticn, including minor crops, repre- senting a value of $21,752,180 on the planta- tions.” o-______ ARCHBISHOP RYAN’S JUBILEE. Celebration of Ponti Philadelphia The’ ceremonies of th2 second day of the Jubilee celebration in honor of the com- pleticn by Archbishop Ryan of twen- ty-five years’ work in the ministry began in Philadelphia at 10 o'clock yesterday morning by the celebration of pon- tifical mass in the cathedral. The service was attended by a vast congregation, and the mass was even more imposing than usual, because of the number of noted churchmen who assisted in the celebra- tion. Archbishop Ryan was assisted by the Very Rev. John E. Fitzmaurice, rector of the seminary; Cardinal Gibbons, assist- ed by the Rey. J. P. Garvey, D. D., and by the Rev. E. O. Hilterman; Archbishop Mar- Unelli, papal delegate, was assisted by the Very Rev. James McGill, V. C. M., and the Rev. Frederick Z. Rooker, D. D., sec- retary of the papal legatfon at Washing- ton. Archbishop Hennessy of Dubuque, Iowa, Preacked the sermon, and an address on behalf of the clergy was made by the Rev. D. D., chancellor. The prepared by the executive committee of the general committee of the laymen, and was a touching expression of affectionate THE CHARITIES INQUIRY PASSED THE DIVIDEND Surgeon General Sternberg Tells of the | The Baltimore and Ohio Road's Stockholders Workings of Columbia Hospital. Sanitary Officer Frank Explains How the Indigent Poor Are Cared For. After The Star’s report of the charities investigation closed yesterday the Colum- bia Hospital was discussed, being repre- sented by General Sternberg. He said the Rospital was supported by an appropria- tion of $20,000 from the government and by private subscriptions. It was a hospital principally for women, requiring, therefore, a staff of skilled physicians and nurses. He outlined the work of the hospital and told of the scope of its operations. Mies Underhill, who has charge of the trained nurses at Columbia Hospital, tol¢ the committee of the work of the nurses and the training school for nurses. Mr. J. A. Frank, the sanitary officer of the District, was then examined. He ex- plained that his duties were to dispose of the indigent poor who made application to the police department for assistance. Some were sent to hospitals, some were provided with transportation heir homes. Many people were sent to him by congressmen, he said, to have them provided with trans- portation out of Washington. Mr. Frank said that patients were some- times sent to the hospital by him upon cer- tificates furnished by the physicians to the poor, of whom there were twenty in this city. Poor people who came to his office without such certificates were usually sent to the alms house hospital. Insane persons were examined by a jury, summoned by the marshal of the District, and committed to the insane asylum upon the verdict. There were exceptions in the case of mar- ried women and children whose parents were living, who were committed upon a Physician's certificate. He said he had no trouble in placing patients in hospitals when there was room for them, and if one hospital could not recsive them accommo- dations could be found in others. Mr. Frank said a great many people are sent into the District for hospital treat- ment. He had removed patients from the steamboat wharves and depots who were in such bad condition that they would die in the streets unless taken care of. Of the 4,890 patients committed to the hospitals last year 796 were non-1 Donne lon-residents of the ——.___ STONED THE TRAINS. Boys Who Indulged in a Dangerous Practice. Policeman Augustus Thompson of the gen Precinct arrested three boys yester- lay, and although they were twelve years old, the arrest 1s of mare iam ordinary importance, because of the se- rlousness of the offense they committed The names of the boys are Elmer Tupper, Gecrge Flenner and William Anderson) and the charge on the blotter “was throwing stones. The offense of which they wero guilty was throwing stones at moving trains on the Baltimore and Potomac rail. ee near ne Penneylvania avenue . . Flenner had = bridge. 3 een arrested sev. the police, while the others were unfor- tunate enough to be in his company yester- day forenoon. One of the trio of youth. ful offenders attends school in the afters neon, so that during the morning hours he has nothing to do. Another is a mes- serger boy, while the third one hi idle time on his hands than he cae nell manage. Yesterday morning the three boys had nothing to do, and so they determined to go fishing. When they reached the branch near the bridge they cast their lires, but were not successful. When one of the boys heard a fast train come from the tunnel he suggested to his compantons that they throw stones at the cars, or, as the boys call it, “sling the engine.” Sev- eral stones were hurled toward the train and it developed that two panes of glass were broken. Fifteen minutes later an- other train was assailed in the same way, and although one stone went through 4 window it did not strike a passenger. Five minutes after this occurrence a freight train was attacked, and the men on the three trains made prompt complaints to the officials at the depot. These com- plaints were forwarded to the police with- out delay, and when Policeman Thompson reached the bridge the boys were still there. They were placed under arrest, and today they appeared in Judge Kim- o When questioned they ad- mitted tkefr guilt, and the judge heard statements of parents concerning the boys: Mrs. Flenner told of the trouble had given her, and she realized that he dren’s guardians. The other boys were an $5 each, and their parents paid the es, 5 eee Few Treasury Applications. ‘There wes a slight falling off yesterday -under Disappointed. Two Reasons Given—The Building of New Tracks—Road Now in Good Condition. . For the first time im many years, and it is believed the first also since the Balttmore and Ohio railroad was opened for travel between Washington and Baltimore, the di- rectors of the company yesterday, as has heretofore been the ease at the April meet- ing, failed to declare:the usual 5 per cent dividend for the six months emding April 30. ‘The event has caused much talk in finan- cial circles. Two reasons have been ad- vanced for it—one that there was not a quorum at the meeting, and the other that a dividend had not been earned. ‘The directors who assembled at the board room in the Central byiiding in Baltimore were given a statement' which, it was un- derstdod, was prepared by the proper finan- cial offiéers of the road, whieh showed that the Washington branch, as the line between this city and Baltimore is called, and which, as stated, has paid a semi-annual-dividend of 5 per cent for a long term of years, had not earned a sufficient sum to pay the divi- dend, which ordinarily would be paid May 1. No action was taken on the subject, «nd those present adjourned to meet tomorrow at the same place, when it is expected the subject will be discussed. It is understood that the most probable reason for the fail- ure is the fact that very large and extraor- dinary expenditures were made in relaying the line from Washington to the Relay,.a distance of thirty-one miles. The work that has been done has re- sulted in bringing the road up to the high- est physical standard, and it is believed by the receivers that no further expenditures in that direction will be needed for many years, The new rails laid were substituted for those that had been in use for nearly twenty years, and this action of the re- ceivers was an imperative. necessity, in order to properly handle the business of the road. The cost of these improvetnents was about $86,000, about $2,500 more than would be needed to pay the half-yearly dividend. The business of the Washington branch has, it is stated, not only kept up to the figures attained for a long series of years, but the net results during the last six months show an increase of about $10,000. Taking these facts. into consitiera- tion, the receivers believe, it is stated, that if the dividend is passed tomorrow the pay- ment will be resumed ‘at the expiration of the six months ending :October 30 next. Of the capital stock of the Washington branch the state of Maryland owns $550,- 000, which for a number of years has been among the productive assets of the treas- ury, yielding annually the sum of $55,000. The Baltimore and Ohio company owns $1,028,000 of the remainder, which it has pledged as a part of the security of the con- solidated mortgage of 1887. Individuals | own the: balance of: $72,009. - 4, Since, the receivership: but few meetings have-teen held, as the property tein the hand@ of receivers; who practically look.af- ter alt duties usually handled by thé’ direc- tors “when the.company was in a solvent condition. While yesterday was the day on before and was well known by* qhicke ‘the regular month!y meeting would ave heen held, owing to the present state of the’property the directors. are only callea together when something of special import ance js to be constiered. Cr Pe: Receivers Cowén and Murray filed ty ths United States circult court yesterday their reports of receipts and disbursements ‘dur- ing..the month of February last. The re- ports eed pwns: sive Ros ts—Balance in genre! hee count, “February 1, $223,01.87; traffia re- celpte, $2,227,813.55; ellanedbs:.receipts, $303,435.51. ‘Total, $2,804,840.43.. ‘ ments—Traffic . payments, 626.19; miseellaneous £2,002,009.97. . IY; mi en! nf ,f 97. Tots: aeons Balance ‘of hand Feb: riaeeoivers’ Certidates-Series No, 1; bal- fee wot Bi: ex pended during month, $12 2.36; balan ce sales during month, .$101,000; 266.43; expended durin; balance’ Fel E month, $41,580,03; 660,11. Judge Morris of the United* it Baltimore rday auth af Recel al yester aut! . v= ers Cowen and“M e renew: Large amounts: also stated, have negotiated € and will go to protest unless renewed or extended. tary; H. P. Anderson, field secretary, and Geo. P. Hodge, educational secretary. Others well known in the association are F. L. Willis, formerly state secretary ot Alabama and Mississippi; R. B. McBurnie, general secretary of the New York city association (the oldest secretary in point of service now in the work); Prof. Graham of the training school for secretaries, at Springfield, Mass.; W. . Lewis, state secretary of Georgia and South Caro- lina; W. A. Magte, state secretary of Iowa; E. E. Stair, state secretary of Indiana; W. A. Kiing, state secretary of Ohio; A. W. Brummer, assistant state secretary of Iili- nois; G. N. Boyce, chairman Ohio state convention‘ and ex-chairman of the interna- tional convention; Wm. K. Cooper and H. E. Cantell, general secretaries of two branches at Brooklyn, N. Y. The essociation was called to order by , Dr. Warner of New York, and after pre- liminary exercises the biennial report of the international committee was presented. ; Amcng other things, it said that the num- ber of asscciations reporting has in- creased but three, yet the membership has increased 4,687. The number of buildings owred by the association has increased from 305 to 330, and the net value of prop- erty less all debts on the same has in- creased from $16,284,378 to $17,464,427, an increase of $1,180,000, with nearly $1,000,000 in addition to pledges for buildings and miscellaneous funds. The amount expen ed by local associations, state and interna- tioral committees during 1896 amounted to $2,808,485. Paid secretaries and other em- ployed officers have increased from ~1,159 to 1,251, with over 50 vacancies unpre- vided for. There are 711 Mbraries, contain- ing 506,659 volumes, and 2,420 educational clases with 25,269 different students in them. There is a slight increase in the number of Bible classes and an increase in attendance of 60,000, and a slight de- crease in the numbtr of young men’s meetings, but an increase of 12,009 in at- terdarce The railroad department shows a large gain in branches. The college as- sociations show a slight increase in num- ber. The report of the treasurer shows that the committee received during 1896 for home work $73,004 and expended $72,976, leaving a small balance in the treasury, and for its foreign work it recelved $19,747 and expended $19,415, leaving a balance in the treasury. The report makes a number of recommendations, all of which will be } considered later by the convention. After being read, the report was referred to a special committee to be hereafter appoint- ed. At the conclusion of the report, the open- ing address was delivered by Rev. Dr. Sco- field of Northfield, Mass., after whicn the following officers were elected: President, Maj. Joseph Hardie of Bir- mingham, Ala.; vice presidents, Robert Stewart of Ottawa, A. C. Rosecranz of Ev- ansville, Ind., W. P. Jewick of Chicago, E. R. Payson of Portland, Me., E. H. Clark of Owensboro, Ky., C. A. Killen of San An- tonio, Texas, T. G. Frist of Minneapolis, Minn., and F. E. Tucker of Washington, D. C.; secretary, E. L. Willis, Omaha, Neb.; assistant secretaries, F. G. Marshall of New Glesgow, E. L. Mathews of Atlanta, Ga., and J. B. Griggs of Pittsburg, Pa. Bee Se TO ‘VISIT MOUNT VERNON. Sons of the American Revolution Will Have an Outing. The April meeting of the Sons of the American Revolution was held at Confed- erate Veterans’ Hall last evening, when the annual outing of the association was discussed. Marshall Hall and Mount Ver- non were selected as the places for the outing, the date of which will be fixed later. It was decided to present the Wash- ington Light Infantry with a stand of col- ors. : ‘The Washington headquarters at Rocky Ferd, near Princeton, N. J., have recently been purchased by a patriotic society known as the Washington Headquarters Society. This society has set aside two rooms of the building for the custodian- ship of the Washington Council ef the 8. A. R.-The communication to that effect was read, and a committee will be ap- pointed to solicit donations of relics and furniture for the rooms. The annual convention of the society will take place at Cleveland, Ohio, on April 30. ‘Washington Council will send a large del- egation. . A committee of three was appointed to confer with Superintendent of Public Schools Powell with regard to the celebra- tion of May 14 as Flag day. See Convention of Fire Chiefs. The twenty-sixth annual convention of the Fire Chiefs’ Association will be held in New Haven, Conn., during the third week of August next. The legislative committee THEIR ENVIABLE LOT Hawaiians Have Really Little to Complain About. LIVING IS CHEAP AND WAGES GOOD Improvement in Their Condition in the Last Fifty Years. DEMAND FOR ANNEXATION Spectal Correspondence of The Evening Star. HONOLULU, April 7, 1807. There has been much said of late in |, Washingten in the royalist interest, about the native Hawaiians (Hah-wye-yuns) be- ing so oppressed. It is said that they are down-trodden and crushed under the heel of the cruel American missionaries’ sons and sugar planters. They have been robbed of their nationality and deprived of their franchises; their lands have been stolen from them; they have been thrust down tn- to ge.eral poverty and destitution. Once a happy. light-hearted people, now in want and sorrow, they bewail their country, assed from them into the plundering hands of those who came in deceitful Gospel guise. Last Sunday I entered a tram car, in which were four young native females of unmixed blood, who were more stylishly garbed than three white women of good position in the same car. One of the latter was with her husband, who was manager of a line of steam coasters. I asked him what proportion of his cabin passengers were ratives. “Nearly one-half,” he re- plied. Now, the regular cabin fare to the nearer islands is $7, or 8 cents a mile, while deck or steerage fare is only $2. The for- mer includes good table fare, with com- fortable state room. Few Asiatics, or Por- tuguese, think they can afford such luxury. Twenty years ago no natives, except a few of wealth and rank, thought of such a thing, even when most of the vessels were schooners, and deck passengers were com- monly wet by seas dashing over them. Now only the poorer class of natives are content to occupy the sheltered decks cf the steamers, which are vastly more com- fertable than cabin passages were twenty years ago on the tumbling little schooners. 1 am certain that there is no other coun- try on the globe where the peasantry and laboring class are nearly as well housed, clothed or fed as are our native Hawaiians of the same class. To read the recently reported utterances of Liliuokalani, or Ju- lius Palmer, one would suppose that there was widespread destitution and suffering among native Hawaiians. The contrary is the fact. Poverty and misery are found in all lands, but raore seldom among our na- tives than elsewhere. There are few of those disabled by age or-illness who are not made reasonably comfortable by rela- tives, Drunkenness and debauchery, gam- bling and opium, produce destitution and suffering here as elsewhere. Hawaiians are a habitually kind and generous race, cheer- fully sharing everything with needy kindred and even neighbors. By old custom, this liberality is excessive, encouraging the idle, so that it is difficult for any native to ac- cumulate property. If he is seen to be flush of means his kindred come and live on him. He must get his employer to keep back part of his wages to pay for a house or jand. Any money in hand goes to iis friends. Labor in Demand. Any native man or woman having Strength easily finds employment amply sufficing their rather simple wants. In the country natives are in great demand as drovers, teamsters, etc., at from $20 to $30 @ month. They are employed on planta- tions at $30 or $40 a month as overseers of gangs of Chinese or Japanese. In the towns, common laborers get at least one dollar a day, and as roustabouts on the wharves from $1.50 to $2.00. Large num- bers are sailors and boatmen at high pay, being excellent watermen. There are now great numbers of skilled artisans among the natives, carpenters, plumbers, ma- chinists, painters, printers, etc., who earn from $2 to $4a day. Some of these men ere thrifty, and own good houses and vehicles. Many of them go to their daily labor on their wheels, like the whites. As compared with the laboring classes in other lands, the Hawaiians live in great plenty. Their condition is one of opulence, as compared with twenty-five years ago, before reciprocity had doubled day wages, and before many natives had acquired me- chanical skill. As compared with the near- ly universal abject poverty of sixty years ago, which I vividly remember, the natives are all now rolling in wealth. Then they were serfs to their chiefs, never handled any coin, and little cloth. The possessor of a shirt was a gentleman, and the owner of pants a lordling. About that time a little sugar mill was started, that made about fifty tons a year, and paid 75 cents a week for labor in cotton cloth at 25 cents a yard. Those wage-earning natives were the envy of the whole country. Ten years after that, in 1847, began the Pprecess by which each householder was made the owner in fee simple of the smail allotment upon which he had been living, as tenant-at-will of the landlord chief, to whom he owed one day’s labor in a week, besides extra service to higher chiefs as called for, These “kuleanas,” or peasant’s allotments, consisted of an average of per- haps half an acre of taro swamp, and of dry garden patch of an acre. This was ample for the food of a family, taro patches easily feeding ten adults to the acre—not forty, as Capt. Dutton erroneous- ly reported. This made all the people free men, no longer serfs. It was due to the active personal influence of leading mis- sicnaries, acting upon the very kindly and reasonable disposition of the king, Kame- hameha III, and his chiefs. Between 1847 and cin all the kuleanas—some 20,000 sepa- rate bits of land, I believe—were surveyed and described with great care and zeal, half of them by the missionaries and some of their olde: tous to secure to each peasant his due quantity of ground in opposition to the grasping resistance of the landlord. All those surveys were recorded in the old books of the land office, together with sur- veys of the larger tracts, and constitute the original basis the existing male white population, excluding Portu- guese. They probably own less than five per cent of the real estate, and so can hardly have had a very large share in “rob- birg” the natives of their lands. As a rule the sons of the missionaries have been zealous and enthusiastic in promot- ing the well-being of the Hawatians, true to the work their fathers left to them. Next week a church for natives, costing $14,000, will be dedicated at Lahaina, built by the son of the oid missionary there. He expends more than that sum every year for native churches and schools. If the surviving tives are now to a considerable extent without land, it ts at the same time the fact that they are not now as dependent as formerly upon own- ership of the soil, remunerative employ- ment being abundant. To illustrate this, take the fact that comparatively few na- tives living within ten miles of Honolulu now cultivate the taro patches which they own. They lease them to Chinese at an average rate of $0 per acre. The China- man patiently cultivates the taro, pounds it to the luscious poi. and then peddies it to the native consumers at a good price. The supply of poi was never before so abundant and steady as it has been since Chinamen got the monopoly of the busi- ness. Meantime the native no longer delves in mud over his knees. He leaves that to the celestial, while he pulls in the dollars as a mechanic or dock laborer, keeping his pants on like a gentleman. Not one-third of the natives in these is- lands would care to live on the lands of their fathers if they still owned them. A Great Land Grabbe: Probably the most inveterate and un- scrupulous lend grabber ever known here was the late King Kalakaua; I once ex- amined « fravdulent alteration awkwardly made in his handwritirg in the copy of a land award in a volume in the land office while he was a ycung clerk there. Many years after, when king, he made persistent efforts to avail Limself of that fraud in dispossessing a young female heir of the valuable property described. Her guardian, A. J. Cartwright, showed me all the papers. I do not believe that Mrs, Dominis at all resembles her royal brother in that re- spect. But she should not accuse the mis- sionaries’ sons, who have always been most faithful and efficient friends of the native Hawaiians. The ex-aueen’s real grievance with these gentlemen is that after repeatedly rescuing the decadent menarchy from its justly- disgusted white assailants, they finally be- came hopeless of it, and helped the party of liberal government to dethrone her. Her persistent treachery and willfulness left them no alternative. It is not any wrong they have done to her “poor people,” except in her imagination. The native Ha- walians were never before so free, so pros- percus, so educated, so progressive, as they are today. The greatest blessing that has lately befallen them was the removal of that dark and corrupting incubus of the monarchy which bad so long been drag- ging them down through the vices and superstitions busily cultivated by Kalakapa end his ccurt—evils that still clung to that court under his more decent but misguided sister. The mistaken though quite natural theory of Liliuokalani and the native royalists is that they and nobody else are the people of Hawaii. Up to forty years ago the Polynesian natives were practically the people of these islands. Since then their race has dwindled to one-half, their chiefs are dead and other races have come in and exceed them nearly three-fold. They no longer corstitute the people of Hawaii. During ttis period of their becoming a small mincrity of the inhabitants the white rave here has increased and become enormously wealthy and powerful. That white race now claims to be the representa- tive “people of Hawali,” because through its superior charecter and capacity it necessarily directs ali the complex affairs of government, commerce and manufac- tures. In dealing with all such affairs the natives are but as ignorant children. The whites are by necessity their guardians and governors, and the natural ruling people of the country. The voice of this capable people as to the destiny ef Hawaii is the voice to be regarded, and not that of the comparatively ignorant and incapable na- tives. This may not sound democratic, but the strictest democrat would go by the vote of the school children, Shall It Be Japant It is the clear, sober and settled judg- ment of the great majority of our white population, who are upholding this repub- lic of Hawaii, that the best interests of the native Hawaiians, as well as of them- selves, require annexation to the United States, and not to Japan, which latter is now the impending alternative, and is the cherished hope of royalists. In a recent Brooklyn lecture Capt. Julius Palmer, who represents the ex-queen, commended us to the tender mercies of Japan, just as near- ly four years ago he wrote from here to the Boston Transcript that the best thing for all parties would be for Hawaii to be- come a British colony, and have scions of British nobility establish themselves here to lend us tone! He is now evidently voic- ing the sentiments of his royal mistress, who is plainly anxious to resume her throne under the mikado as her suzerain. Looking solely at the interests of the pure and mixed Hawaiian population, such a subordination to unscrupulous Japanese officials would be fatal to them, crowded by swarming hordes of Japanese peas- antry. All our white traditions are thor- oughly considerate of the well being of these natives, and every possible help and favor is shown to them by preference to other races. Especially do they hold the voting franchise in fullest equality with the whites. The vice president of the sen- ate and the speaker of the lower house are pure native Hawalians. It is grue that a majority of the natives are now debarred from exercising the voting franchise which they possess, simply by their refusing to conform to the condition of taking the oath to renounce monarchy and support the republic. Not to require such oath would be to surrender to monarchy—politi- cal suicide. Under American administra- tion the political equality of the natives would be confirmed. William A. Kinney goes to Washington today, commissioned by President Dole to render assistance in promoting annexation. Mr. Kinney is a highly successful lawyer of thirty-nine years, some fourteen years in practice. We have, perhaps, no ground for any sanguine hope of securing early action in upon the question. We are on hand, however, to do our part, as opportunity offers. KAMEHAMEHA. —_—- — An Immigration Decision. The Attorney General has rendered an opinion to the Secretary of the Treasury, in which he holds that, under the joint reso- lution of Congress suspending the opera- sone rely