Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-12-22
lty OF the protest had not tno,
gated. ' "1c" ihFesCl-


NUlcl.
Withdrew the Treaty.
conceived it to be INV dutv +ho.of,,o
70 Withdraw the treaty from thr .nn"t,
ior examination, to cause nm ncrur,tn eli
and impartial investigation to hc ,n,d."e
the fiHts attending the xlbycrsion NJ ,La
constitutional government of Hawaii; .,S
the lnstallmcnt in it's place of the nrov;s;n,,-
algovcrnment. l selected for the work NJ In
vestlgation the Hon. James II. Rlo,nt ne
eGeorgia, whose service of IS years in tho
mouse OIL representatives, and whose ex-
p%ericnce as chairman of the committea M
foreign affairs in that body, and his con.
sequent familiarity with intcrnat;ons,
topics, Joined with his high charocte,
asd honorable reputation. seemed to ran.
der him peculiarly fitted for the duties
entrusted to him. His report detailing
his action under the instructions given to
him, and the conclusions derived from his
investigation, accompany this message.
These conclusions do not rest for their
acceptance entirely upon Mr.. Blount's
honesty and ability as a man, nor upon
his acumen and impartiality rs an invest
gator. They are accompanied by the
evidence upon which they are based which
evidence is also herewith transmitted, and
from which, it seems to me, no other de-
auctions could possibly be reached than
those arrived at by the commissioner.
Former Administration Misled.
The report with it's accompanying proofs
snd such other evidence as is now before
the congress or is herewith submitted,
J%ustifies in my opinion the statement that
when the president was led to submit the
treaty to the senate with the declaration
that 1.-THE overthrow of the monarchy was
not i'll any way promoted by this govern
nlent,' and when the senate was induced
to receive and discuss it on that basis,
both president and senate were misled.
The attempt will not be made in this
communication to touch upon all the facts
which throw light upon the progress and
contamination of this scheme of annexa.
ton. A very brief and imperfect reference
to the facts and evidence at hand will ex-
hiblt its character, and the incidents in
which it had it's birth.
MIR. Stevens Scored.
1t Is unnecessary to set forth the reason
which in January, 1893, led a considerable
portion Of American and other foreign
merchants and traders residing at Homo
lulu, to favor the annexation of Hawaii to
the United States. 1t is sufficient to note
the fact and to observe that the project
was one which was zealously promoted by
the minister representing the United
States in that country. He evidently had
an ardent desire that it should become a
fact accomplished by his agency and dur
ing his ministry, and was in~conveniently
scrupulous as to the means employed to
that end.
On the 10Th day of November, 1897,
nearly two months before the first overt
act tending toward the subversion
OF the Hawaiian government, and the at
tempted transfer of Hawaiian territory to
the United States, he addressed a long let
ter to the secretary Of state, in which the
aus for annexation was deliberately ar
gued, OH moral, political and economical
grounds. He refers to the loss to the
Hawaiian sugar interests from the opera
ton of the Mckinley bill, and the tend
ency to still further depreciation of sugar
property unless some positive measure of
relief is granted. He strongly invcighs
against the existing Hawaiian govern
ment, and emphatically declares for an
%neXation. He says:
Monarchy an Absurd Anachronism.
"ln truth the monarchy here is an alb
surd anachronism. 1t has nothing on
which it legally or legitimately stands.
The feudal basis on which it once stood is
no longer existing, the monarchy is now
only an impeachment to good government
an obstruction to the prosperity and pro.
gress of the islands,"
He further says: "As 4 crown colony of
Great Britain or a territory Of the United
States, the government notifications
could be made readily and good admins
tratiOn OF the laws secured. Destiny and
the vast future interests of the United
States in the Pacific clearly indicate who
at a distant day may be responsible for
the government of these islands. Under a
territorial government they could be as
easily governed as any of the existing ter
ritories Of the United States.
Parting of the Ways.
Hawaii has reached the parting of the
ways. She must now take the road which
leads to Asia or the other which outlets
her III America, gives her an American
civilization and binds her to the care of
American destiny"
He also declared: Zone of two courses
seems to be absolutely necessary to be fol-
lowed, either bold and vigorous measures
IOf or d customs unlOn,' an
ocean cable from the coast to Honolulu,
Pearl harbor perpetually coded to the
United States, with an applied, but not ex-
pressly stipulated American protectorate
over the islands. l believe the for
mer to be the better, that which
| will prove much the more advantageous
| to the island and the cheapest and least
embarrassing in the end to the United
| States. If it was wise for the United
States through Secretary Marcy, IS years
ago, to offer to expend 100000 to secure a
treaty Of annexation, it certainly cannot
! be chimerical or unwise to expend SlOO.O M
to secure annexation in the neal future.
Today the United States has five times the
wealth she possessed in 1854, and reasons
now existing for annexation are much
stronger than they were then. l canno
refrain from expressing the opinion with
emphasis, that the golden hour is near at
hand"
These Declarations
certainly show a disposition and condition
of mind which may be usefully recalled
when interpreting the Significance of the
| minister's conceded acts. or when con-
sl1erlng the prODabllltles or sucn u
on his part, as MAJ not be admitted.
In this view, it seems also proper to