The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1893-04-06
Mr. BLOUNT AT HAWAII
People Of Honolulu Turn Out en- MasSG
to Receive Him.
He REFUSED TO BE INTERVIEWED
The Objects of His Mission Still Re-
main a Secret---Annexation
Clubs Formed
He REFUSED TO BE INTERVIEWED

SAN FRANCIsco, April 81 Correspond
ence Associated Press, Honolulu, March
90. 1.-The past two weeks have been
fruitful of political matters. The gen.
eral lethargy of the Hawaiians prior to
March 4th has given away to action.
The Civil Rights League and the Ha-
waiian Patriotic League have held fire.
quent mass meetings, at which either
annexation or disfranchisement were
the respective subjects of denunciation.
On the evening of March 21st, the day
before the arrival of the steamship Aus
tralia with the news that the annexa-
ton treaty had been shelved, a meeting
of white residents, numbering fully
1 800. was held, at which an annexation
club was formed, which now has l 200
members, and speeches were made by
some of the most prominent men in
Honolulu. Robert Wilcox, editor of the
Liberal, was made one of the vice-presi-,
dents of the club, and was the only
Hawaiian who prominently allied him
self with the meeting. The honor was
practically forced upon Wilcox, who had
hitherto considered that his influence
would be greater among the natives if
he held aloof from open demonstrations.
The United States revenue cutter
Rush arrived here this morning, nine
days from San Francisco, having on board
ex-Congressman Blount, of Georgia,
who was appointed commissioner to in
vestigate the existing conditions in
Hawaii, and report as to the e1pediency
of annexation of the islands to the
United States. As soon as the cutter
was sighted off Koko head, at a. M,
the business men went to work, and in
a short time the streets and buildings
were covered with flags and bunting.
The townspeople turned out en- masse,
and by IL o'clock, when the Rush an
chored in Naval Bow, the docks and
streets were crowded. The mail
steamer Australia which was scheduled
to leave at noon, was held back and from
her deck the band of the provisional
government welcomed the new arrivals
with the strains of the "Star Spangled
Banner" A delegation from the An
nexation Club was hastily formed and
welcomed the commissioner at the boat
landing. A party of about 70 Hawaiian
women from the woman's branch of the
Hawaiian Patriotic League, bearing the
American and Hawaiian flags, also pro-
ceeded to the dock. DIR. J. s. McGrew,
chairman, and Professor Scott and Gen.
eral Hartwell, as a committee from the
Annexation Club; United States Minis
ter f. P. Hastings, secretary of the for
eign Office and aid to President Dole
Major Robertson, the queens chamber
lain, and newspaper correspondents put
off to the Rush to pay their respects to
the commissioner. The news that but
one person had been sent in that capac-
ity to the islands soon spread to the
shore and occasioned much surprise.
Commissioner Blount declined to be in
terviewed for publication, but from
casual conversation it would seem that
his labors here may cover a period of
several weeks. The Rush will probably
return to San Francisco in the mean
time. Commissioner Blount did not
leave the steamer for several hours, and
consequently the reception by the
Hawaiian League and Annexation Club
did not take place. The Rush brought
dispatches from Washington to Admiral
Skerrett, and also to the provisional
government, but the nature of them
could not be learned. After the first
feeling of surprise had passed away, an
expression of satisfaction at the person
mel of the commission prevailed among
the annexationists. The Rush brought
no mail from the states, and the arrival
of the Rio Janeiro, which is expected to
put in here tomorrow on her way to
China, is awaited for further particulars
as to the sentiment in America.