Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 82, 9 April 1894 Edition 02 — Why They Don't Register. [ARTICLE]

Why They Don't Register.

Tbe government organs have complained very mueh because the people don t registerand tbey i have claimed that there was a systematic move on foot to pre- ' vent registration of Hawaiian» and Portugnese. Tbe qnestion of citizensbip has a great deal to do with tbe besitation amoj,g the foreigners to take tbe oatb cf tbe P. G. Tbe Portuguese government as well as otber European governments, we presame, does not relinquisb its supremacy over its citizen.-: evcn if tbese sbould take tbe oath now prescribed by tbe Provisional government. But tbere is no guarantee tbat a future Hawaiian government will not elaim all tbose wbo took that as subjects and insist in tbem performingtbe duties aud obligations of Hawaiian citizens, aud iu case of un emergency r deny tbe rigbt of tbe man s borao government to interfere on bis bebalf. % Mr. W O. Smith—tbe most learned Attorney-tieneral—bas giveu au opinion on tbe matter andbesays tbat tbe oatb will not interfere with tbe citizensbip of the taker. Now tbis is very niee and as far ! as Mr. Smitb is coneerned, very pleasant, but as Mr. C. W. Asbford bas pointed out fand be is nearl>j as good a lawver as Mr. j Smitb) it isn’t for tbe learned Attorney-General to decide sucb a question—it is for the Supremo Court solely and only. Nobody ean know today what tbe opinion of tbe Supreme Court, in tbis mattor will be and tbere isn’t tbe raind-reader born, wbo ever eoukl guess, how tbat imraaculate body inigbt jump on any question. Sbould uew tbe Snpremo Court decide tbat a taking of tbe oath owos allegiance to Hawaii-nei, and at the same time tbe repre- : i sentativeof tbe man’s governiuent bolds tbat be doesu’t. tbere will be a conllict whieh might lead to tho most disagreeable eomplij cations. As far as tho Portuguese ( { nre concerned. we most say, that we consider it perfectly natural that thev should refuse toregister . ! even leaving out of the question, 1 the matter of citizenship. If they oounlenanee and support the I constitutional couvention, tbey i will be working dead against themselves. Thero ean be no doubt, that. whatever goverumeut is fraraed hero, eipial rights will and raust be gr.mted to the Japanese. The seuii-otlicial orgnn of tho Adverti*er has already admitted, that, aud has already prescribed a remedy, whieh wou'd practically deprive the Japanese of the right to vote. The romedv | is to rostrict tho franchise to 1 Hawaiian citiz9ns only, and to plaeean educational qualification on tho priviloge. 8uch method would beyond doubt, disfranchise the Japanese but it woukl most decidedly also disfraucbise tbe Portugae.se. and t be leaders among wbora wbo meau honest to their countrvmen. have realized tbat fact some timo ago. Tbegovernraent organs have also realized tbe consequences of tbeir own proposition, and tbey bave tkere- 1 fore mado anotber to tbe eftect tbat tboso wbo join now sball be exempt from the coming rules of qualifications aud become voters. , i Don’t believe in tbe feasability of the proposition for a momeut. Tbe Japanese will not allow it. I Tboy elaim tbat tboy are preventedfrom re;isteriugand voting now —bowever wīlling they may be—and thev do not believe in allowing otbor foreiguers to get an advantage over them that would be jast as mucb of an injastice and an infringemeut on ! their treatv rigbts as has been tbe present state of ada : rs. Tbey will insist in eqnality among &ll foreigners. and tbey will enforce their elaim, if neoessary. by force. Tbe measnres then to be adopted i by tbe Hawaiian Government are , sach that aliens will be disfrancbised. and we are anable to see tbe Portuguese shoald work for , why tbeir own poliiieal suicide. Tiiey have bardships euongh here witbout belpiug iu depriving tbem■elves of their civil rights. It is

well here to remiiid the foreigners th&t auyoce tiking njilit4n*~sereea cnder a foreign gOTenjment accordingto all international !atrs loaeā bis nationality at onee. Tbe reason simp!y is tbat a man taking military senice s»ithoat permi55;on of his home eovernment) with a foreign power might at any time eoaie into confl ct with his own nation and be ob!ige to bear arms against his own conntry. ShoaId the Saprerae Conrt decide that a foreiguer taking the P. G. oaLh is alieged to perform the duties of a Hawaiian snbvct and thereby carry arras in case of necessity that foreignei- not alone loses his ci:izensbip, his right to protection, but he becomes in the eyes of his home-gorernraent, a traitor and a criminal amenahle to the laws of his conntrv. For these reasons it is well for all to go slow and ponJer well before being iuduced by tbe smooth talkers of the P. G. to take a step whieh might be sorely regretted some day. And it is t iese refleotious whieh keep the men away from the registrars—not any systematic etfort to injure or quarrel witb tbe supernaturaly virtuons P. G.