The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-02

Our government will never accept an
offer to annex to it's dorninions any people
except upon a vote of that people. Our
government will, of course. recognize the
de facto government OF Hawaii, but
proposition for annexation must have a
popular vote behind il. There is no more
probability of the annexation of Hawaii
until it is backed by a substantial majority
OF her legal voters than there is of a war
with Chile. The provisional government
stands for coup d etas; when 1t is In
dorsed by a good majority of the legal
voters its proposition for annexation will
be worthy of entertainment. Does any
body suppose the United States would
consent to annex Canada against the will
OF majority of her legal voters.
This annexation talk in its present form
is mere lapdoodle. Our sailors were
landed at Hawaii 20 protect the lives of
foreign residents. just as our sailors were
landed at Alexandria during its lombard
ment. When the great majority Of
Hawaii's voters ask for annexation the
proposition will take definite shape-not
before If the natives should rise tomor-
row and by their superior numbers over
turn the provisional government the title
OF the new government to recognition
would be just as good as that of the So
called provisional government"
The whole annexation scheme will come
70 naught: the majority of the legal voters
don't want TO be annexed. and until they
do 'the provisional government" are offer
ing something that they do not possess. If
a plebiscite of the legal voters should in
dorse the provisional government and its
coup d'etat. then it would be possible to
consider annexation-not before.
Congressman Harter. Dem. of Ohio, is
radically opposed 20 annexation, saying:
The wh lie scleIne is & JOB intended 20 benefit
lew sugar Planters who are anxious TO secure
the cents per pound bounty paid by the United
States on the native product. We Viii knock
that bounty out shortly, and then you viii hear
10 more about annexation.
This is about the size of the whole affair.
There is no probability that our govern
ment will seriously consider proposition
to annex Hawaii until the people of the
islands have by a majority of their legal
voters been heard from. The talk thus
far is about as cheap, ignorant and prema-
ture as the stupid yell for war with
Chile. There is not a well-informed,
candid American who expects the an
nexation of the islands except on
application Of the people OF these islands
speaking by a majority vote of its legal
suffragsts. Two thousand persons iden-
tilted with the sugar planting interests are
not the people OF the Hawaiian islands
whose total legal vote is over IL 900. Until
a respectable majority of the people ask for
annexation no rne ere conspiracy to annex
the islands will be respectfully treated by
our government.
The Elijah Pograms of the press who
are never weary of bleating about 1.-The
manifest destiny" Of our country and are
never so happy as when they see chance
to twist the tail of the British lion, will
not live long enough to see the annexation
of the Hawaiian islands except the appli-
cation Is supported by majority of her
people who are legal voters. The talk
about England seeking to snatch the
islands is lie; England has done nothing
whatever of recent years to justify the
charge that she was seeking to place pro-
tectorate over these islands. 1t is true
that the queen is we'll affected toward
England because some of her family have
married Englishmen. but the people of the
islands are very friendly to the United
States and are hostile by comparison to
England. The people of the islands have
never said that they wanted to be an
nexed TO the United States. aud until they
do say so they are sure not to be annexed,
and they are not altogether sure to be an
nexed TO tho United States even on their
own vote and application.