Nuhou, Volume I, Number 14, 3 February 1874 — Political Apathy [ARTICLE]

Political Apathy

Prevails among the foreign portion of our popu"| latiolii. AecoL'ding to the oeneue of 1872 \ve liave| 1?,620 forcip;iicrs of all rncos in tiii? toAvn,and! •.i. . ' j I 12,223 nativee; thus the foreign portion is nearly » | one-fifth of t ie whole populalion, and jct the ] | proportion o' voters, as eho.wn bj the list ofj oualiliea elcctors is ahjut thirteen tiines iiK»re ! native votes than foreign, whio'n faet ought to be ali s fche more Bur||rising, inasiiHieh as tl»ere ie a pi'operty willun the eompa&e of the| means of cvery adult male foreigner ; V»ut euffi-' eient in amount to disqualify a great mauy poor i natives. ! Tliie dispr<jportion of votee ehowe the apathy | of the foreign element in reepeet to the | condition of xhe Kingdom, and eliowe that there [ ie a disinclin(jtion to regard these ielanie as a j home and a ,eountry. Now thie ie unwiee» for a j man to give his best yeare and liopee to a land j towards wliic|i hc entcrtaine always the eentimeiite | of an alie& ! Wliy eliouKi he _not elieiieh eome ; ieeling ol' puhlie epirit for a laiui that afforde him | all his prosperity and theiuore | eepecially eo in the eaee of theec ielande einee ite j polifcieal Coijj>titution doce not require that h c should 80 far|cxpatriate himeclf ae to abjvire lue allegianee to|hie native land? The etranger who would beconJe a citizcn, oi* eubject of other great Staies muet forewear fbrever hie fatlierland» ' this littlc nation in the exereUe of ite hospUalitj | only aekB tha|t you eliall eupport4ts rulcr atftl ite i lawe whilst you rcmaiu hcre, and aeke notliing of ■ you that in thc least, to diequalify you in ! returning to vour natal eitizenslrip. i Do you de|pieo ite littlcncse wliiīet eeeking ite , 6heltor and fecding on iU subetanee ? Tlus ie : ba«e, and is a esuree that will not be pureued by ! true hearted men ; and if puit?ued, ean sueh nieu e\)uv t t) r.t theiv in reepoet to the gov- | ernment of country ehall bc for ono uiouient | boedcd? No ; nevcr, You may poinl out your I meane, your lin'eelmenle, and thc etake you lune, uneu aitituae your lvie& ot mter" esl in the polUioal ordei: or indepeiukuce of the country, aiul! provcs tliat youx arenuther fixed on a return to thq fathcrland 4 or in tUe belieTtbat the polHieal for|luneiS of this little eountry will bo abeorbcd by thujt of a greakr oue. How shortrs?ghted and ungcneroue le the ilew | thus takcti. | Be eitiieijs whilei you are iu tbe : eouutry, and|take a liveJy intereet in ite prosper-

ity, īioi <«nly by work!rjg f<jr yourbe!f } U an exceller*t way to promote tl»e generlu pi*>ē[*eilU of «i cuuntry, bnt n!so i'n n'sfeptin^ tion whieh may you a voicc in f: ehape it« public poliey, Could fbreigiier> entertain Boraethin<; like a sentiment of mtno!ti*Tu f.-i iheee then tliey woul<l 1»e enpaMe of uniting togeth'-r on que6tione tHut e-jneern t!.e ; general weHuie, Then the inūuenee of intellijgeneeand wealth wouid be felt. An iiuproYed proeperity miglit then ]jaspire eonie little ftcliDg lof pride in our new hoine in ttre PaeiHe. We inight he de*«red rmd e-'Uiited» -,: A u-A p.t now» pitiful in ready to glve up tbe s!iip t au l looking to a foreign p.»uree f:»r gmdnnce aiul nouriet*Hneut. We have no such feeiing. * We, havc cast oui lot with Ilawaii. We bave plaiited our >take*here forever. And at? we loved our old home- ' !and, po elo we love Ihie one that n-.-w i »urT-Ij e— ue. We will bear.wi.th its native people-, witb all their at]d try to !?(ippleiuent vlr\[ they iaek with some addition fruui our experknee We will labor for the prosperity and i enee of tlus Areliipelago, aud even If webeliev* u |.that our politieal etate inuet !>e njierged Into that |of otber laiuU, we wou.KI never nitrigue, l-eg • Por t?ueh tutelage ; but \ye \vould try to luake tiw-e I who want iif? 5 proud lo eome and tr."ke n-,