St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-14
VEST DEFENDS CLEVELAND.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE OP-
POSED TO ANNEXATION.
ISSUE PRESENTED is PLAIN.

Shall We Break Down the Ira
ditional Policy of Washington,
Jefferson, jackson and Bu-
chanan ?-Do We Want Colo
nies All Over the Earth to
Protect and Defend?
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13. - The Ha-
waiian question was again the subject
of animated and interesting discussion
in the senate today. Mr.. Blount's re-
port was characterized as containing
mot one line OF unvarnished truth" by
Mr.. Frye. of Maine. while Mr.. Vest. of
Missouri, declared that, while he was
opposed to the annexation of the
islands, the restoration Of the queen by
force would be IAN act of war"
The resolution offered on Monday by
Mr.. Hoar. calling upon the president
for further information on the Hawaiian
matter. was finally referred to the COM
mittee on foreign affairs.
The senate also listened, with the at
tention always accorded the venerable
senator, to tariff speech from Mr..
Morrill,. of Vermont.
The president pro tenn. laid before the
senate the resolution offered OH Monday
by MIR. Hoar, calling on the president
for further information on the Hawaiian
matter. and Mr.. Frye (Rep. Me.,) ad-
messed the senate thereon.
Mr.. Frye said he did not rise for the
purpose of discussing the Hawaiian
question. as it seemed to him the senate
was not in condition for discussion.
For an intelligent discussion it was
absolutely necessary that there should
be a further and complete official in
vestigation of the facts and report
made to the senate. He expressed the
hope that the committee on foreign re-
lations would make such investigation.
Mr.. Frye then turned to the Blount
report. He did not know how far that
report was
BEFORE THE SENATE.
but it was before the country in its en-
tirety, and also before the house of rep
resentatives in its entirety. There was
no lack of delicacy in referring to it,
as it was public property. "Now, wish
to say" said Mr.. Frye. with great gray-
ity and much emphasis, 'in relation to
that report, that in my judgment it is
a most dangerous report on which any
United State senator can afford to make
any serious attack upon the character
of any private citi zen of the United
States" - SIS
81 AFFIRM" continued Mr.. Frye, >"that
Mr.. Blount in that report has not
written one single unvarnished line of
truth, or given one unprejudiced opin-
ion, nor reported one impartial judg-
ment."
Mr.. Frye said he assumed that this
was an attack on Mr.. Stevens; that he
had committed an act of piracy Mr..
Frye then entered into long eulogy of
eX-Minister Stevenson which he pointed
out his ability and fidelity, and said that
"Mr. Stevens is paramount to Mr..
Blount, and no president, not even Mr..
Cleveland, with all his power, can
change that condition. l thank heaven
that no citizen of Maine ordered the
flag hauled down; and compliment the
admiral who did haul it down that in
his dispatch he says, in obedience to
the orders of Commissioner Blount.'
81 have no doubt" said Mr.. Frye,
"that it became necessary to break Min
lister Stevens down. l have had reliable
information since / came
INTO THE SENATE
this morning which says: The purpose
of the administration is to charge
that Stevens was party to corruption
employed to break down the queens
government and establish the revolu-
tionary government
Mr.. Gray requested Mr.. Frye's au-
thority for such statement, but the
latter said he was not at liberty to give it.
MIR. Vest (Dem., No. then addressed
the senate. But for the fact that he was
on the eve of leaving the city and that
he desired to avoid any appearance of
evading any responsibility in regard to
the question. Mr.. Vest said he would
not detain the senate moment. 1t was
unnecessary for him to say that he did
mot speak as the advocate or special de-
fender of the administration. 1t would
be degradation of the issue involved
in the question before the senate for
him to take such a position. He spoke
as an American senator and American
citizen in regard to q uestions involving
the honor and welfare of the country.
Mr.. Vest regretted that partisan malev-
olence had so distinctly shown itself
In a debate upon these great questions
with protestatIons that they desired no
personal aspect to be given to the argu-
ment the senator from Massach usetts
(Mr. Hoar) and the senator from Maine
QCCQliQ6 yub
differed from them on the hawaiian
question aud had undertaken to place
before the
AMERICAN PEOPLE
their side of the issue in order to take
possession of the public opinion Of the
people of the United States.
Mr.. Stevens, he said, was one OF those
who believed ''the earth belongs to the
saints and we are the saints" Laugh
ter. Mr.. Stevens and the Americans
in Hawaii had ChriStiaDiZed the natives
so they had taken possession of the
country under the name of God. and
had then divided the land among them
selves under law made by themselves.
Mr.. Stevens might be all that his friend,
Mr.. Frye, claimed for him-a Cody,
sanity, unobjectionable Christian gem
tleman. He (VesD proposed to treat
him as any other witness who entered
court ana demanded MS (NeStS) vote
upon his evidence. He knew Mr..
Blount, and, while he was not in the
senate to defend him. he had almost
twenty years intimate knowledge of
him. He desired to state, in the most
public and emphatic manner, that
purer man, publicly and privately, had
never. appeared in the arena of Amer
lean politics.
Mr.. Vest took up the defense of Mr..
Blount, and instrong terms pointed out
his sterling qualities. He called atten-
ton to the fact that Mr.. Frye had omit
ted portions of Mr.. Stevens speech
from which he quoted:
81 suppose the senator from Missouri
does not Think" said Mr.. Frye, ''that l
omitted that part of the address for any
special purpose"
"Oh, no." replied Mr.. Vest. "The