No. 7.
Interview with H. P. Baldwin,
Maui, April 26, 1893.
Mr. Blount. Please give me your name and residence.
Answer. H. P. Baldwin. I live really on Maui, where I am interested in two plantations, and also one in Makaweli.
Q. Suppose you were cut off from the power to make contracts to bring labor into this country; what would be the effect on your plantations?
A. Some of the planters consider it absolutely essential for us to have contracts, but I think that in order to bring about annexation most of them would be ready to yield that point.
Q. How would they get labor?
A. That is one of the most difficult questions to the planters here. The people have the same prejudice against the Chinese that you have in the United States. We imported a large number of Portuguese and a great many have left. I think if we were allowed Japanese and Portugese we might get along. We got Norwegians here. They stood it fairly well for awhile, but they got ill working in our hot cane fields. The Portuguese have been very good labor for us.
Q. With the property qualification, such as now obtains, and add thereto a qualification requiring that the voter shall read and write, what sort of a local government would you have here? Could you have a satisfactory government?
A. I do not think we would, have a satisfactory government—as I said in my letter to you. I am convinced that it would be a very difficult thing to form a local government to stand.
Q. Suppose you were admitted as a State into the Union, what sort of Government would you expect?
A. I think a State government would be undesirable for us.
Q. Well, what would you think, in the event of annexation, the form of government should be?
A. My choice would be for a Territorial government. I mean the governor and secretary of state to be appointed by the Federal Government, the legislature elected by electors with a limited franchise.
Q. Giving the controlling vote to the intelligent classes?
A. As far as possible.
I have read the foregoing and pronounce it a correct report of my interview with Mr. Blount.