The morning call., 1893-02-07
FOR ANNEXATION.
The Board of Trade FavOrs
1t Strongly.
THE PRESIDENT SURPRISED.
He Attacks the Traffic Association and
His Remarks Ordered to Be
Stricken Out.
THE PRESIDENT SURPRISED.

The annexation of Hawaii by the United
States was discussed at the sixteenth annual
meeting of the Board of Trade yesterday
afternoon, and a resolution favorng that
step was adopted unanimously. but not be-
fore one of the members. c. j. Dempster,
recorded his strong protest against 1t.
There was a large attendance of men,
bers. and the president.J. T. LIE Count, was
in the chair.
The secretary read Mayor Eller's letter
of the 2Sih ult., asking the board to give an
expression of opinion on the subject of an
nexation, and the president explained that
he had not thought 1t desirable to call
special meeting in view of the fact that the
annual meeting was so Gloss at hand.
II. II. Sherwood then moved as follows:
THAT ii Is the sense of this Board of
Trade that any question of treaty between
the United States and Hawaii should take
the form of annexation.
c. j. Dempster said he had an amendment
to propose, as follows:
Resolued, That the San Francisco Board OF
Trade Though deeply interested in the welfare
OF that region aud believing that its commerce
with our own country VIII Increase TO our
mutual prOfD considers the proposed
neXation OF The Hawaiian Islands an unwse
innovation In the policy OF The United States.
which might not prove advantageous 10 the in
DADtdOiS OF lit lSldNus, anu uOtS NOT pEOiHlSb
sufficient benefits to our own country 10 justify
ventuTng such prec dent. 1t Is believed that
by reciprocal treaties with tie Hawaiian king
dom. II arranged with that lberality which Is
becoming in wealthy and powerful nation when
negotiating with a younger or less extensive
conmuni " We can confer benefits equally valu-
able 10 its enerprlsing citizens and avoid sub
1ectiDg ourselves TO the temptations and de-
mOTaliZatlOn so apt 10 accompany policy OF
ACKNOWLEDGMENT aud territorial expansion.
Mr.. Dempster read a long statement in
- i H., I'D, l.n&
kind of material they wished to convert into
q State of the Union. The natives num-
bered 81 436, the Chinese 1871. the Japa-
nese u. 800, the Portuguese S602. these con-
stituting more than seven-nintbs Of the
total population.
II seemed % him clear that the request
for annexation was more of commercial
than political proposition. He presumed
that every member of the board would be
willing To advocate any Just action in extend
ing appropriate aid to the slXtyfour sugar
plantations on the islands But they could
not be unanimous In approving a political
union with distant country peopled by
races of Polynesians, Portuguese. Chinese
and others who have had no experience
with republican institutions.
He advocated a reciprocity treaty, ana
believed the planters would prefer IT, Such
a treaty would not only entitle the United
States to insist that she should be favored
above other nations, but would receive
cheerful sincerity In the observance OF all
its provisions s;u... n, n
ster, such an enormous sea coast TO pro-
tect that after providing a navy large
enough for that. ii seems folly to construct
another small navy to defend these islands,
One or two vessels might suffice 10 protect
a coal station, but an army alS0 might be
needed 10 maintain possession Of eight ISL
ands scattered through leagues of ocean.
hn
effective bulwark or an aid in time of con-
iict."
Ex-senator A. P Williams rose and
spoke vigorously. 81 would have regarded
it," he said, beyond the comprehension of
any one present that any member of this
board and respected citizen of San Fran
cisco should have read paper OF this sort.
lApplausel
IF it had appeared in the Londen Times
| would not have been disappointed, as /
would have known the source from which
Il emanated. | believe at the same time
that Mr.. Dempster has read it in all honesty
and truthfulGess.
This is not reversing the policy OF our
Government. What did we do when Texas
asked us TO receive 1t as part of our terri
tories? Be it said TO our honor we an
swered, Yes, come The territory of Can
ada and all others are trendiEg to the
United States, and We will say to them
also, Come
Fifty years ago an English admiral rep
resented that the nation that dominates
these islands would also dominate the com
merce of the Pacific Ocean.
Between fifty and a hundred years ago,
at the time of the missionaries, there were
100000 natives. but now they are passing
quickly from the face OF the earth. For
twenty-five years We have had protector
ate over that country, and Ii now, when In
the madness of Queen IlliuOkaiani il was
n q
stItutoD. and in a peaceful revolution a
Provisional Government is appointed and
comes TO Us for protection, we should say
nay, 1t would be the crime of the nine
teenth century Tor us to do so.
Let this opportunity pass and the ISL
aDds get into the hands of England, who
would control the commerce of the Pacific
Ocean?
81 have the greatest pleasure in second
ing Mr. Sherwood's motion. and hope it Will
pass unanimously"
There being no seconder TO Mr.. Demp-
ster's amendment, the resolution was
adopted unanimously amid applause.
I5dOr Jacobs moved that the resolution
be telegraphed TO the President Of the
United States as the sense of the Board of
Trade on the subject, which was carried.
Jules Cert then moved that a cOmmuni-
cation be sent 10 Mayor Ebert informing
him what had beed done by the board con-
corning the annexation Of Hawaii, which
was also adopted.
The president read his annual address. In
which he congratulated the board on the
fact that the year just closed had been as
prosperous as its predecessors. He paid a
compliment to the retiring directors aud
the secretary.
He found in the fact that the savings
banks In the city held over 100000, 900 de-
posted by the wage-workers generally and
almost exclusively by people outside the
commercial circles, a specific reason for the
confidence In the continued prosperity OF
the METROPOLIS of the Pacific Coast, and for
the hopeful feeling that correctly peryaded
all mercantile lines
He also alluded to the progress in agri-
culture and Embarrassing, and hydraulic
mining. the Notifications Of San Francisco,
the State waterways. harbor improvements
and the coast lighthouse system were also
touched upon.
On the question of transportation the re-
port said
AS representative business men, we certainly
must appreciate what the commercial commu-
nifty needs, and We do mol deceive ourselves with
the fancy that permanent benefits can be Sc
cured by any but business methods. However
s0licitous we may be for additional traDspOrta-
lion facilities We should have no sympathy with
demas0gnes 10 politics or journalism. who ell
deayor 10 stir up strife between San Francisco
and her carriers whose welfare Is interdepend-
ent and reciprocal. / cannot see why In order
TO improve transportation facilities we should
resort TO extraordinary or Indirect means;
means that would not approve In the COM
mercial relations sustain 10 one another.
We certainly cannot accomplish our desires by
hostility 10 men who, like ourselves. have their
CAPITAL invested In our midst and whose talent
and Industry are devoted 10 enterprises. The
benefits OF which are shared by the community
at large.
The laws OF commerce are superior 10 any arti-
fetal or arbitrary restraints, and they prevail
even as against statutory enactments not framed
In accordance with natural business principles.
Let US by all means give every announcement
10 the construction OF competing railr0 IDS.
Let US encourage every enterprise that tends TO
an increase OF transportation facilities but let
us bOid ibis TACT always clearly In mind, that
whether or not new railroads are constructed,
OF new means OF transportation created Is alto
gether business proposition.
lbe nfst steps we should take toward stmuat-
ing their construction is TO assume Just atti-
luue toWald The transportation companies that
are now serving u.s. Their interests and ours
are interviewer and 10 MANY respects Identical