The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-10-10
MINISTER OR a GOV
ERNOR.

The Presidents nomination Of
ex-Congreman Willis to be Min.
lister to Hawaii should serve al
once to bring before the senate the
whole question of our policy toward
the future of that country. The
government of Hawaii-and there
is no longer any doubt that the
men who conducted the revolution
there to a successful conclusion
and have since administered the
affairs of the islands are the gov
ernment-have asked admission
for their country into the Amer
lean Union. A prompt reply to
their petition was made by Presi-
dent Harrison in the negotiation
of an annexation treaty, but for no
reason publicly expressed, though
upon numerous pretences put for
ward by those who claimed the
right of speaking for the present
administration, this treaty was
withdrawn from the consideration
of the senate, and from that time
to this no indication of his policy
toward Hawaii has been made by
President Cleveland. Hawaii is
entitled to have her answer, and
she is entitled to have it right
away. The question of the acquisi-
ton of territory is not one to be
determined by the executive ex-
clusively, though we daresay that
difficulty will be encountered in
impressing this fact upon Mr..
Cleveland. 1t is his evident con-
ception of his relation to the affairs
of this country that he is some
thing little short of heaven-in-
spired dictator, to whose mandates
senates, congresses and courts
must give humble obedience.
Thus far since the convention of
the present congress many events
have seemed to justify him in his
exalted notion of himself. With
the aid of some judicious bribery
in the way of patronage he has
succeeded in inducing grave and
profound statesmen, who were ma
tional leaders of his party when he
was country sheriff, to take posi-
tons upon public questions precise
ly the reverse of that which they
had previously held throughout the
whole of their public careers. There
was more than jest in the remark
of Mr.. Allen, the congressional hu-
morist from Mississippi, that after
the parity between the money met
ais had been successfully restored,
it might be well to bring in a bill
to restore the parity between the
executive and legislative branches
of the government. If the senate
has not abdicated its functions al
it will not vote on the
of a diplomatic repre-
to Hawaii until it has de-
termined of its own Judgment
that is the kind of repre-
sentative we need and desire there.
1t is not just on the part of the
president to withhold longer from
congress and the public a frank ex-
preston of his views concerning
application for admission.
1t can no longer be pretended that
the government from which that
has come is incompe-
tent or unrepresentative. 1t can
not be pretended that the revo-
luton, out of which the application
proceeded, was brought about by
other than natural and inevitable
causes. There is no statement of
The original commission that came
here Immediately after the revolu-
lion the literal truth of which has
not been fully vindicated, nor has
any fact material to their petition
been brought forward since they
came which they did not them
selves reveal. 1t can no longer be
said that we require information |
Mr.. Cleveland's special commits
;ioner has made his visit, has re-
,urned to America and has sub |
nitted his report to the govern
nent. The case in its entirety is |
before Mr.. Cleveland, and has
been for months. If he has po-
icy, or is capable of defining one, |
is high time he made it known.
The senate is entitled to inquire
What answer he has made or in
ends to make to the Ha-
vaiian petition. 1t is entitled
o ask for Mr.. Blount's report, for
he amended and recent PROPOSE
ion of the Hawaii government, and
or all other documents or informal
ion in possession of the depart
|