The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-06
II This Government Insists on Discussing q
Protecterate. the Visitors. 1t Is Said, Will
Return TO Their Island Home.
They Will Agree to Any Terms, Pro-
vided Hawaii Is Taken by Uncle Sam.
Even Willing to FOrego the Bounty on Sugar
The President and Cabinet Reported to
Now Favor Annexing the Country.
TERMS OF THE HAwAIIANs.
The Commissioners Want Annexation,

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-''The first art of
diplomacy is silence" This is the sentence
which Secretary of State Foster is credited
with having uttered to the Hawaiian CON-
missioners when their credentials were
presented and their introductions accom-
plished at the Department of State yester-
day.
These words cannot be interpreted as a
rebuke to the columns of newspaper inter-
views with which the commissioners have
bombarded the country in their
transit from the Golden Gate to
the national capital. In all their
statements the representatives of the
provisional government of Hawaii have
confined themselves to narrative of the
bloodless revolution. Their voluminous
accounts of this event have contained
nothing as to their proposition to be sub.
mitted to this government, beyond the gen.
eral statement that they desire annexation.
1t was natural. in view of these lndifinite
announcements, that President Harri-
son and his Cabinet advisers caused it to
be known that they favored q proteotorate
as preliminary step to annexation rather
than immediate annexation itself. This
hesitancy was in no small part caused by the
belief that o movement for Immediate
annexation would involve. in the first place,
an extension of the bounty for American
sugar to the Hawaiian Islands. and In the
next place q long discussion in Congress as
to the treatment of the franchise in the
new territory and the abrogatiOn of exist
ing contracts for Asiatic labor. not to speak
of the setting mp Of additional barriers
against the influx of Chinese and Japanese
from the Sandwich Islands to the Pacific
coast
WHAT WILL DE DEMANDED.
Secretary Fosters injunction of dip
lomatic silence has had it's effect The
Hawaiian commissioners since their ar
rival in Washington. while talking freely,
have said nothing. Despite their CON-
mauded reserve, certain elementary condi-
tions which will underlie the negotiations
between them and the United States gov
snums snt have become clear. The first de-
mhnd of the commissioners will be for alb
solute annexation as an integral portion of
the United States with status
corresponding to that of Terri
tory, with Governor appointed
by the President, but without q local
COMMISSIONER m3Ibue0, VINO
isonly second in rank to Mr.. Thurston among
the commissioners, said to-day that the
form of administration which the leaders
of the bloodless revolution most desire
would be something similar to the COVER
ment of the District of Columbia. That is
to say, q board of commissioners appointed
by the President having full control of the
levying ami collection OF taxes, the recei pt
of customs, the control of police and the
management of the courts Such form
nf amt As.ho
the exercise of the franchise q vast and
un Iieldy mass of natives, as well as about
$500 Chinese and Japanese laborers. while
at the same time it would insure to each of
them their rights 70 hold property and to
maintain an equality under the law.
One objection which has been urged
against the annexation of Hawaii is that
such q step would extend to the islands the
benefits of the bounty for the production of
act Although the Hawaiian commission
ers are requested to pursue policy of
silence. it is learned authoritatively
that they are prepared to waive
the privilege absolutely rather than
yield all possibility OF annexation They
make this suggestion III order to offset the
criticism that they are prompted by sell
tish motives. Indeed, one of the commits
siOners has stated that they would be will
pressly barred Hawaii from all partioipa-
tiOn-nOw or in the future-in the sugar
bounty. Similar reservations have been
made toward the territories In the acts
governing their admission into the Union;
so there appears to be no precedent In con-
stitutlOnal law or in congressional prac-
tlce TO interfere with annexation under
euch qualifications.
ATTITUDE OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
The attitude of the administration, which
ct first favored protectorate. has. since
the arrival of the Hawaiian commissioners,
changed to one favorIng immediate annex.
alton. President Harrison has always
looked upon a protectorate as merely pre-
lIminary step toward annexation. The cx-
pressions of opinion in Congress have made
it evident that. despite the brief time
naming between now and March 4, il may
be possible to pass the bill provld-
ing for annexation. Not since the
controversy with Chill has there been so
marked an absence of merely partisan feel.
ing upon any subject as that OF the acquisi.
tion OF the Sandwich Islands. This con-
currence of opinion has removed the chief
objection 10 the immediate annexation of
the island in so far as it has seemed to
make 1t possible TO pass the requisite bill
through both branches of Cons gress within
the next four weeks. While this feeling in
Congress has had its effect it is undoubt-
edly true that the determined position
of the commissioners to take an
nexation or nothing has led to an
abandonment of the idea of a proteotorate.
They have said that il this government in
sisted upon talking of protectorate they
would be compelled TO close the negotia-
tions and return to their homes. The ad
minlstratIon. is. naturally. not desirous of
bringing all negotiations aummarily to m
end by thus insisting upon protectorate
as the basis of discussion.
The commissioners stated to-day that
they were we'll pleased with their recep-
tton By Secretary of State Foster. and that
they had every reason to feel
encouraged. There can be only
one Interpretation of this encour-
agement It seems that their overtures
of annexation have been favOrably re-
ceived. and that annexation has already
been made the basis of action by this gov
ernmenL The administration is much
more free to act upon an annexation policy
than 1t was five days ago. when II seemed
apparent that British bluster would inter-
vene to cause diplomatic complication and
inevitable delay. Mr.. Gladstone. with his
well-known cordial feeling toward this
country, has prevented any objection from
being entered openly in Parliament TO the
negotiations with HAWAII. While Presi-
dent Harrison would not be likely to yield
to British threats, 1t Is. OF course. much
more easy to act with England unopposed
to the annexation of Hawaii than lt would
be with such a powerful nation presentin &
q belligerent front.
The coming week will be an active one
In diplomatic circles. II is not likely, how