Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1900 — HAWAII TO BE A TERRITORY. [ARTICLE]

HAWAII TO BE A TERRITORY.

The Government Will Be Similar to That of Arizona. According ,to the bill introduced in Congress by Representative ICnox of Massachusetts, the Hawaiian Islands are to be organized as a territory on an equal footing with Arizona and the other territories' of the Union. There will be for the ! islands a governor, a secretary, both appointed by the President'; a treasurer, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, commissioner of agriculture and forestry, superintendent of public works, superintendent of public instruction, auditor and deputy auditor, surveyor and high sheriff, appointed by the governor. The Legislature is to consist of a Senate and House of Representatives, elected by the people. The territory is to be represented by a delegate in Cougrss and is made a judicial district of the United States, with a district' court. The judicial power of the territory is vested in a supreme court and in superior courts, to be established by the Legislature. The-constitu-tion and laws of the United States locally applicable are extended over the new territory, and the laws of Hawaii not in'consistent with the constitution and laws of the United States are continued in force, Congressman Knox in his report accompanying the hill discusses the population of the islands and says that of the 109,020 inhabitants in 1896, 31,019 were Hawaiian*, 8,435 part Ilawaiians, 3,096 Americans, 2,250 British, 1.432 Germans, 101 French,. 378 Norwegians, 15,191 Portuguese, 24,407 Japanese, 21,010 Chinese and 1,055. of other nationalities. The present population is placed at 130,000. "With the passage of this bill.” continues the report, “the Chinese will be excluded and the importation of Japanese contract laborers will be prohibited. The free school, free church, free press and manhood suffrage have marked their progress, and all the younger Hawaiians speak, read and write the English language. But perhaps the chief consideration as to the fitness of the Hawaiian people for u territorial government is that the dominant' class in the islands, both in polities and business, is American." All persons who were subjects under tlie monarchy and all who became citizens of the republic shall be citizens of tlie territory. Biennial sessions of the Legislature arc provided. The governor is to be a citizen of the territory.