St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-31
WORSE THAN WAR.
Such Is the Humiliation of This
Country by Arrogant Germany.

Special TO the GLOBE
WASHINGTON. Jan. 30.-The consid-
Grafton of the diplomatic and consular
appropriation bill was resumed in the
senate to-day, the discussion of the
Samoan question being the principal
feature. A major part of the afternoon
was devoted to the consideration in
treaty. The credentials of Mr.. Plumb
for new term were presented and
filed. Mr.. Mitchell offered a resolution
which was agreed to, calling on the sec
retary of the treasury for statement
of the amounts in the sinking fund to
the credit Of the Union and Central Pa
cific railroad companies respectively,
on the 1st of February, 1889, under the
Thurman act, with the amount Of each
invested in bonds, the market value of
such bonds and the amount which
would have been in the sinking fund if
no investment in bonds had been made.
At the conclusion of the morning busi-'
ness the senate took up the consular
and diplomatic appropriation bill. and
MIR. D0lph took the floor. He said the
views he would express would be his
Individual views. and should neither
compromise the government nor receive
undue attention elsewhere. MI. DOlph
then went into long history of the
Samoan islands and the political rela-
tiOns of the United States and Germany.
He said that if the treaty of November,
1884, between Samoa and Germany had
been executed it would have SubStan-
TALLY secured to the German govern
ment entire
CONTROL OF THE ISLANDS.
Mr.. Morgan said that the convention
contained evidence absolutely cOnvinc-
ing of the determination Of Germany to
acquire jurisdiction and power in
Samoa. MIR. Dolph, coming to the point
where United States Consul Greenbaum
had raised the American flag over the
Samoan flag in the harb0r of Apia, said
that this act had been repudiated by Mr..
Bayard, who had suggested protector
ate. Mr.. Morgan said that Mr.. Bayard
had never committed the United States
to a separate or joint prOtectOrate
policy. Later Mr.. Morgan asked Mr..
Dolph for his authority for the state
ment that the German government had
agreed to observe the status quo pend
ing the conference of 1887. He said that
this agreement was implied only, and
that its violation was discourteSy, not
a breach of faith. Mr.. Dolph said that
he did not desire to criticise the
action of the German government,
which was in accordance with the
European policy of acquisition. He
though that congress, in the present
circumstances, should direct the presi-
dent to insist upon a restoration by the
German government OF the status QUO
at the time of the Washington confer
ence, and to notify the German govern
ment that the Independent autonomy Of
the Samoan islands must be main
tanned. He saw no good reason why, if
necessary, if requested by the Samoan
people. an American prOtectOrate should
not be established over them, and that
would be entirely different from in
tervention as practiced by European
powers on the continent of Europe. Mr..
Gray asked Mr.. Dolph whether he
seriously cOntended that the setting up
of
A HALF CIVILIZED MONARCHY
in Samoa and the amounting of half
assertion of the Monroe doctrine. Mr..
Dolph replied that he was not asking
the United States to do that. That was
what had been done by Germany. Mr..
Blair asked if the Samoan ''savages"
were Presbyterians. Mr.. Dolph replied
that the people of the Samoan islands
were all nominally Christians. In reply
to question of Mr.. Eustis. Mr.. Dolph
said that there was no distinction be-
tween the cases of the Samoan and the
Sandwich islands. Mr.. Reagan re-
viewed the entire situation. He said
that the president understood that he
had exhausted his authority under the
constitution, and in reply to his appeal
congress proposed TO appropriate $780,
600 for the execution of the obligations
and the protection of the interests of
the United States. Mr.. Reagan de-
clared that no American citizen could
read the correspondence without
feeling humiliation to see the
rights of the United States brutally
OVerridden and trOdden down by Ger
man subalternS, while the German prime
minister was protesting friendship and
a desire to maintain proper relations
with the government OF the United
States. If congress was possessed of
Bismarek's force of will the trouble
would be quickly settled and without
war; but if we hesitate, if we vacillate,
if we show we have rights but will not
vindicate them, we will certainly lose
what rights we have in Samoa. The
humiliation of great nation in the
face of an arrogant power, he said, was
worse than war. He suggested to add
to the pending amendment the words,
land for the protection of the rights of
American citizens residing on said ISL
and. and to preserve the neutrality and
independence of their people" At 2
O'Clock, on motion of Mr.. Riddleberger,
the senate went into secret session.
When the doors were re-opened at 6:15
the senate adjourned until IL o'clock to-
morrow.