Speech #550144736

I prefer to take the opinion as to national destiny of the Government and the men who carry on the schools and the men who rescued the nation from barbarism and cannibalism. and the tradesmen and the fishermen and the laborers and the farmers and the mechanics. rather than the men who are without any occupation at all. Of the population in 1896another significant fact showing the general character of a large portion of this population who are relied on as agreeing and sympathizing with the opponents of annexationthere were 72.517 males against 36.503 females. the males outnumbering the females in the proportion of two to one. Half the males in those islands are men without family. without any occupation which they can give to a census taker as an occupation in life. and undoubtedly persons who will depart from those islands and go back to their Asiatic homes when they get ready. The native population. which was 200.000 when Captain Cook discovered the islands a century ago. has gone down to 31.000. So the Chinese and Japanese. who will get out when we get proper American labor laws. who are there not for any purpose of permanent citizenship. already exceed the entire native population by onehalf and are increasing as the natives diminish. Now. it is idle to suppose that the will of this simple native population. the will of these transitory Asiatics. will be or can be exerted for any rational choice to determine their destiny. Their only hope is that the power which rescued them from barbarism may hereafter. under the benignant influence of the United States and under the protection of our flag. rescue them from decay and death. It would be as reasonable to take the vote of the children in an orphan asylum or an idiot school as to what should be done if a conflagration were raging in the street or if a flood were about to sweep away their building as to consult these simple and helpless people about how to deliver them from this oriental menace.