The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-10
THE ADMINISTRATION AND HAWAII.

day of the late King Hamehamea and is
holiday in Hawaii. Latest advices
from Honolulu state that there are
rumors of ROyalist uprising on that
day in the hope either of overthrowing
the provisional government. or of max
ing such demonstration as will kill the
annexation movement. 1t is also an
that in accordance with the views con-
tanned in Minister Blount's report. the
administration has decided In favor OF
establishing prOtectOrate of the pres
ent government which shall guard it
from revolution at home. as well as from
interference abroad. That would be
cowardly decision, but it would be in
harmony with tho entire policy of this
administration in the Hawaiian matter.
1T that policy has shown any apprecia-
tion.pf the magnitude of the interests
involved or the slightest approach to
craftsmanship. we have failed TO dis
cover it. Its chief object has seemed to
be to undo what was done by the Harri-
son administration looking to the an
nexation of the islands and to tire out
the provisional government by dilatory
proceedings in the hope that time would
furnish some solution of situation
which the administration was either un-
able to appreciate or afraid to grapple
with.
There is no reason to believe that
proposition by the United States for a
prOtectOrate will be favorably received
by the provisional government of
Hawaii. On the contrary, there Is rea-
son to believe it will be received with
decided disfavor and construed as an
ending of negotiations with this govern
ment. The provisional government, it
must be remembered. is the result of a
popular revolution. 1t is composed of
able, upright, self-respecting men. 1t
has shown ability to maintain itself,
but it believes that the future welfare
and prosperity of the islands demand
their annexation to the United States
and the full protection of the American
flag. Acting on that belief it has made
a free tender of the islands TO the United
States and has waited several months
for definite reply. If the reply comes
In the form of proposition to establish
q protectorate we predict that the pro-
visional government will decline to en-
terrain the proposition and will at
once open negotiations for annexation
with some other power. In fact. there
is reason to believe that informal steps
have already been taken looking to the
opening of such negotiations. The cor
respondent of the New York Sun at
honolulu distinctly asserts as much.
"InfOrmal and unofficial conferences
have been held" says the correspondent.
mot in Washington and not here, in
which preliminaries have been arranged
for negotiations in certain events. The
propositions thus far made by the
Hawaiian representatives have been re-
ceived with warmth of favor which is
most significant and, naturally. most
satisfactory to the government. Details
of these preliminaries are not procura-
BILE, but, if the parties and the power
with which they have been arranged
should be named. there would be sem
sation at Washington"
Before proposing a protectorate the
administration should consider two
things: First, every material objection
that lies against annexation lies equally
against prOtectOrate. The latter would
involve as much responsibility as the
former and fewer advantages. Ii an
nexation is unconstitutional so is a pro-
tectOrate. This government has several
times purchased or annexed new terri
tory, but it has never established pro-
tectorate. Such thing is unknown to
the Constitution. How would the gov
ernment go about it'll
Second, if the provisional government
rejects the proposition of a United
States protectorate. rs there is reason
to believe it will, and opens negOtia-
tions with some other power for annex
alton, what sort of a position would this
government be in? 1t would then have
nothing left but to avow a dog-in-the-
manger policy by declaring that,
although it does not want the islands
itself, no other power shall have them.
1t will be very easy for the provisional
government to place the United States
in that position if the latter rejects the
offer of annexation and offers instead
has never proposed and which there is