The herald., 1893-11-23
Ex-Minister Stevens Delivers
a Lecture.
He Makes a Strong Plea for
Annexation
No Direct AllusiOn to Any Recent
Developments.
The State Department Confident That
the Queen Has Already Been Res
tored = Minister Thurs
toms Passports.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
WEST SoMERvnLE, Mass, Nov. 22.-
Hon. j. L. Stevens, ex minister
to Hawaii, lectured On Hawaii
and Hawaiian Affairs in this city
tonight. The lecturer refrained from
making any direct allusion to the re-
cent developments in regard TO the
Hawaiian question. Before beginning
his address, he remarked that during 13
years. service as United States minis
ter under five presidents, he refused to
recognize political parties in his own
country; that on all questions invoking
his action he has known the United
States as unit, believing that in our
foreign relations our policy shonld be
national and continuous always. with
united front to foreign rivals. He firmly
refused to consider the Hawaiian ques-
tion as a partisan question in any sense.
Continuing he said
''Our interest in Hawaii appertains to
the question of Americas future COM
merclal power in the Pacific, and in
wolves the issue Of responsible govern
ment under the American flag, in har-
mony with the pledged American faith
of the best American antecedents and
the plain logic of American history and
American opportunities. At the date of
her downfall the misguided and un-
worthy Liliuokalini was without SYM
pathy and the aid OF the best native
Hawaiians and all the respectable and
responsible white residents of the is
lands. Not @ hand was lifted in de-
Tense of the semi-berbarian throne
when it fell, conclusively dieproving
the assertion of the agent of the fallen
queen sent to Washington to secure as
large sum OF money as possible for
conveying to our government all her
right and title to the Hawaiian throne
and to the crown lands, to which she
never had any other claim than to the
\ income from them 30 long ae she
reigned. The agent thought he might
help his case bv the utterly base state
mant that the United States minister
and naval commander deprived Liliuo-
kalani of her throne, and Claus
Spreckels, who wants the weak Hawai-
ian monarchy for his tool, sees 6t to re-
peat the absurd story.
sin presenting themselves for admis-
sion into the American union, the
islands come under more American
aspects than our previously annexed
states or territories. Why should they
not be permitted to come under the
flag deeply loved in the islands? l
hear a whisper in the air: Let the
islands vote on the question: Imme-
diately after the organization of the
revolutionary party in January lasf,
the British minister at Honolulu urged
the plan of q provisional govern ment.
The scheme was subsequently, brought
/ ho n OF
lottery and opium rings favored the
plan. While the ultra Tory English
and Canadian Pacific railroad had pur-
poses in view, other than those OF the
fallen queen and the lottery and opium
rings, they agreed as to the method to
defeat annexation.
"Claus Spreckes makes part of an
alliance to kill annexation by plebis-
citum. This ia an alliance as powerful.
as it ie disreputable; it ia not admissible
bv an honest American for the following
reason: Ibwould surely result in rais-
ing an enormous corruption fund by
the allied parties The Canadian Pa
cific railroad in the past has used bribes
to accomplish its designs and wants to
have its foot and hand firmly in
Hawaii. Claus SpreckelH holds money
to be the chief power in politics, and
would pay enormously to keep the
sugar planters of the islands under his
grinding monopoly. To restore his pres
tige lost by the fall of the monarchy.
and carry out his scheme to make the
ielands an outside field, mainly for
cheap Asiatic labor and raw sugar pro-
ducton, he would carry out his threat
and load his steamers and outvote the
provisional government by extensive
colonization. The powerful Pacific
opium ring wish to make sure de-
not in Hawaii. which they could not do
with United States authority estab-
lished in the islands. By this COM
hined power operations would be surely
carried on in the name of popular
suffrage in spite of over seven-eighths
of the property holders and permanent
residents and all Of the really responsi-
ble men in the islands. Therefore it is
obvious that the plebiscitum scheme
would be sure to result in striking down
American civilization and American in
terests in the islands, flooding them
with Asiatic population.
America cannot get rid OF her futuYe
RESPONSIBILITIES, if she would, and all
attempts to do so will be at the cost OF
future generations. | cherlsh faith that
the American people, statesmen and
government, thoughtful OF Americas
great future and great responsibilities,
will settle the Hawaiian question wisely
an well will take care the flag of the
United States floats unmoiested over
the Hawaiian islands and thenceforth
il ehall be moral and political treason
to remove it or strike it down"