The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-27
WHERE WAS HARRISON?
lie Should Have Heard The Elites
Discuss Hawaiian Annexation.

The Elite Literary Society Of Green
vile, held a most interesting meeting on
Saturday evening, at the residence of Mr..
j. Francis Byrne, No. 90 Pearsall avenue.
The subject for debate was the Hawaii
treaty. Messrs. John Sullivan and j. f..
Peters argued in favor of annexation.
and Adolph A. LANCER and J.. r. Byrne
gave good reasons why the annexation
should not be effected. Mr.. Richie Petit
was judge. Each competitor spoke for
fifteen minutes aud had a carefully pre-
pared address. This was followed by u
short exsemporaneous address of five
minutes duration in which the remarks
Of opposing debaters were arrayed and
answered. Messrs. Sullivan and Peters
brought forward the advantages to be de-
rived from the use of these islands in the
event of war.
REASONS WHY!
"These islands," said Mir. Peters, "can
be of more service to the United States
than any other islands in the Pacific
Ocean. In the hands of a foreign nation
warning with Uncle Sam they would be-
come q safe haven from which the enemy
would dash ouG upon our ships and
western shore. .wreaking great damage
and escaning return fire. 1t Is certain
that the United States must In some way
take more or less supervisor Of Hawaii's
future.
81 believe that the time is not far dis
tant when we can say of America that
the sun never sets on her domain. We
are a progressive people aud the Pro-
v~lsionaI Government recognizing this,
wisely chooses to place itself under Un Gle
Sans protection. Let the United Sta les
annex all the foreign countries that
wish to be annexed and we are sure to
be benefited thereby"
REASONS WHY o
The negative deDaters held as insuper-
able objection the employment of con-
tract labor, the larger portion of thes g
being of that forbidden race. the Chinese.
'"rhe annexation" said Mr.. Byrne,
would be unconstitutional because of the
Chinese Exclusion Act aud Contract
Labor Act. Certain persons ave come
from Hawaii to offer annexation in
the name of a provisional government
hastily formed just before their departure
bv foreign residents OF the islands, unde
the projection of United States marines.
That Government is avowedly revolution
ary, having by force overthrown the es-
tablisned order 1t would not permit re-
representatives. of the deposed Queen TO
come at The same time with It's own
commissioners to tell us their side of the
story"
GO SLOW. $
Mr.. Byrne also referred to the haste
with which the subject is being dealt,
and said thai the Government
should act in this matter of complex ma
tional import with at least as much de-
liberation as is given to the purchase OF a
town lot.
s"The annexation of a foreign country"
said Mr.. LANCER, sis not a thing that
can be reconsidered. Ouce done
it is done permanently, and
we must abide the consequences. 1t is a
grave matter In any case to annex a dis
tant and hitherto independent country.
1t is an especially grave matter in the
case of Hawaii, whose motley population ,
consisting of kanakas. japanese.
Chinese, Polynesians and European adj
venturers, is unsuited to absorption into
our body polite under our system of
popular government by universal suf-
frage.
LAS a war station Hawaii may have
some advantages, but would it not be far
better to properly fortify the Pacific coast
than to annex the islands and take in the
u~nclean and undesirable occupants?"
The Judge, Mr.. Richie Petit will give
his decision this evening.
After the debate, q business meeting,
followed by a social session. was held. 1t
was decided TO hold a basket sociable and
reception at Bamber Hall on Wednesday
evening, March Is. The following COM
mittee WAS appointed to make the ar
Observation-Disclosures. r. Petit. W. Liy-
inostone. Paul Sobotker aud j. II. Peters,