The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-11-28

Il ldmG anu ANCNAAOtAOAS
of the United States regarding
Chinese and other labor Qaugh-
ter. If 1 owned the whole
country, and belonged to the sugar
trust, think it very likely 1 would
not want to be annexed (laughterl.
But, here again, as am only unit,
and as / believe the future welfare of
| the country would be better assured
by annexation, / am willing to take
my chances under the stars and
stripes-especially as 1 believe such
union would prove q benefit to the
country from which we on these ISL
ands have drawn all our support
| great applause). We are here this
evening to consider the publication
of the views of the secretary of state,
at Washington, and perhaps decide
| the question as to whether or not we
shall give up the idea of annexation
(cries of "nO, no, never"). If the
opinion expressed by the honorable
secretary of state could be considered
as the voice of the people Of the Uni
ted States 1 should advise that we
"save our breath to cool our por-
ridge!" But from the somewhat forci-
BILE opposition expressed by the press
and public / am led to believe that
the secretary found the snow coming
down the side of the mountain very
rapidly after his letter was made
public daughter and applause).
Therefore | am forced to give my
opinion that it would be unwise and
unadvisable to give up the fight be-
fore the back counties are heard FROM
Here a voice in the crowd shouted:
''let us give up our guns hot, and
cartridge belts empty" Cheers and
applause). Here / must beg your in
diligence for personal explanation.
Secretary Gresham says in his letter
"Mr. Blount states that while in
Honolulu he did not meet single an
neXatiOnist who expressed his will
ingness to submit the question to a
vote of the people, he did not talk
with one on that subject who did not
insist that if the islands were annex
ed suffrage should be so restricted as
to give complete control to the for
eigners or whites, while representa-
tive annexationists have repeatedly
made similar statements to the under
signed" had the honor, while in
Washington, of an interview with
the honorable secretary and was
asked by him to give my views upon
the matter quoted My reply was
that while / did not consider it proper
to submit the terms of treaty to the
people, before the treaty was made, in
Hawaii any more than in the United
States, | was and am perfectly will
ing to say that under the constitution
and laws of the United States (and
especially under such restrictions as
the representatives of the U. S. gov
eminent might themselves see fit to
make | would allow every native
voter, with the ordinary quallfica-
tons, to vote at any and every cleo
ton to be held (applause). may not
have been classed with the "represen-
tative annexationists,n by the honor
able secretary, but as / had been call
ed upon and had given him my opin-
ion l object to his wholesale denun-
citation of "annexationists" under the
the charge that they would rob the
natives of any rights natural to them
under the circumstances (cries of
"hear, hear" and "good boyp). When
the time comes for establishment
of the right of suffrage in this coun-
try the native poplation may depend
upon the anneXationists to demand
for them the privileges of republican
citizenship as fully, certainly, as
granted through the great political
party to which the honorable secre-
tary belongs by the grand old state of
Mississippi to its citizens daughter
and applause y further object to the
position taken by the honorable secre-
tary in the assumption of the right on
the part of the president of the United
States to arbitrate between the pres
ent government of these islands and
any party whomsoever, without being
specially invited to such arbitration
by this government (cries of "hear,
hear'D. And | heartily concur with
the resolution you have passed
denouncing the assumption by
the secretary of state at Washing
ton, if we are right in our interpre-
tation of the language ascribed to
him, that the Provisional government
of Hawaii, or its powers, terminated
with his advice to the President that
the treaty for annexation be not re-
turned to the senate. (Applause). The
Provisional government was created
Ito use the secretary's own Words
"to exist until the terms of union
with the United States have been ne
gotiated and agreed upOn.n So far,
the two governments have fully "ne-
gotiated" the terms of union, but no
official agreement has been reached.
When either party gives notice to the
other of failure to agree it will be,
think, time enough for the Provisional
government to decide whether such
failure is positive and complete, or
only temporary, and to act as may
seem best for the interests of the peO-
pie it serves. (Cries of hear, hear"
and applause). At present cannot ac-
cept the opinion expressed by the hon.
orable secretary Of state as the de-
cision or will of the people of that
great republic which, for nearly |
century, has fostered the growth upon |
these islands of an American sentl- |
ment that today, in its devotion to |
the stars and stripes, may challenge
the loyalty of even the honorable |
secretary himself. CHEERS, and ap- |
plause). Hawaii is the one spot in all |
the world outside the strict boundaries |
of the United States where "Ameri- |
canismn has grown and hourished |