The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-08
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
And Their Annexation was tho
Subject of a Spirited
DEBATE BY The REPUBLICAN CLUB
Last Evenlng-A Large Audience was
on Hand and Enjoyed tho Orator
zeal CoRtest-Mr, Atkinson aud MFR,
Cowdon Opposed Annexatlon-Mr.
Hart Favored 1.-THE Decision.

some p%arlors in the new Odd Fellows
building was a most successful and in
teresting one.
The most interesting feature of the
occasion was the debate on the question
which had been announced;
ResolUed, That the United Statesshould
annex Hawaii.
The gentlemen named as the debaters
were Messrs. Hart and Campbell and
Atkinson and Cowden.
When President Hall called tho meet
ing to order at s o'clock the large room
was well filled with members and their
triends who had become interested in
the feature OF the evening, the debate,
Mr.. Challes Burdett Hart opened for
the affirmative side of the question, and
made an able aud convincing talk. He
started out with an exposition Of tho
principlesofthe Monroe doctrine, which,
%thespeaker SAID, some people were under
the impression would, II adhered to, pre-
vent tho annexation OF Hawaii. He
showed that hot by any construction
placed on that famous state paper could
annexation be objected to. The Monroe
doctrine, he said, was a doctrine OF
hands off" "lhere is nothing in its
provisions to prevent our obtaining
territory, or against other peoples ask
ing for union with US. Amy antago'
nistic argument must OF necessity be
futile. The spirit Of the Monroe doc
trine favors such an opportunity as the
present one to defend our Pacific coast
possessions, an outpost and sentinel TO
guard tho approach to the coming Mic.
aragua canal. a port of such adVan'
tages should be placed under the pro-
lection OF the American flag, and OF the
millions who inhabit this country, and
the hundreds OF millions who will
come"
He touched on tho constitutionality
OF proposed annexation OF tho islands.
Such an able man US George Wcknor Cur.
tia hOdadvanced Mr., Curtis
main ground Of argument was that the
islands are not contiguous to the United
States. The speaker spoke of the glori-
Gus acquisitions of territory made III
the past by tho Union, including the
purchase OF that immense territory OF
Louisiana in 1903 by President JelFer-
son, Of Florida from Spain, and OF the
treaty OF Guadaloupe-Hidalgo in 1850,
which gave to this country immense
western possessions.
THE ALASKA PURCHASE.
In controverting Mr.. Curtis's stand,
the speaker cited the purchase Of
Alaska, which is not contiguous to this
country. "Evcn young men remember
the opposition that greeted the pur-
chase OF that vast barren waste for
$1,000, 900, but is there an American 10.
day who wishes to see the American
flag hauled down from Alaskan 1t may
be said We only got a few seal islands,
but the day is coming when tho millions
paid will come back a thousand fold.
For strategic value alone Alaska and
the islands commanding the Northern
Pacific are well worth all that was
paid" H
"There is nothing in our history. nc
precedent, however contracted, against
the acquisition OF any territory we
think we'll TO acquire. There is no
written law nor anything in the Consti-
tuition against 1t. We are free and I'M
trameled, and it remains only to con-
slider whether VIC ought to acquire these
islands,"
Mr.. George W. Atkinson followed Mr..
Hart, speaking IRON the negative stand
point, and his was n brilliant and ii not
convincing, at least an interesting argu-
ment.
"There is an old adage," said MI.
Atkinson, "a trite ono, that great minds
differ on small questions rs well as on
great ones,1 1t appears TO be n fact that
the great majority so far as heard from
are in favor Of tho annexation OF these
little islands out in the Pacific. Nearly
all the newspapers as well as tho lead
ing diplomats OF the country favor an.
neXation."
"About the only great and good man
opposed to il, is the forty-tive year old
young man who misrepresents tho First
district in Congress; and it's about the
only question this young man is right
on"
PUBLIC cLAMoR.
There is a craze in favor of tho an-
nexation Of these islands, and Mr.. Lin
coin, the greatest intellect this country
ever produced, once said, "A legislative
body that yields to public clamor makes
a mistake James A. Garfield, that
gifted man, in a speech at tho Republic
can national convention in 1880, in q
speech nominating John Sherman, but
which nominated himself, said words to
the same effect.
80, MIR. Chairman, when this craze
about these islands, about which my
friend has spoken 80 ol%oquently, sub
sides and the people by their fresides
look at the facts cool and calm, they
will say it is Il mistake, and that we
don't need these islands and that their
annexation would bring about difficult
ties and ent0nglements which would
stay. l knew very little about these
islands until l was put on as n debater
against their annexation, but | find
that they stand out alone in tho Pacific
about 1000 miles from San Francisco,
with an area Of nearly 6S,0OO miles, and
apopuiation Of nearly 10000 souls, Of
which 10000 arc Chinese, and OF which
my brother wants to mako American
citizens. / notice that we have Il con.
siderable trade with these Islands, send
Ing them products valued Mt 81, 100, 900
and getting iromthem So, 50O,0 900 worth.
We don't want TO lose this valuable
trade, and II will not DO lostby n refusal
TO annex. The trade will 20 right ON,
whether or not we mako American citi-
zons and voters out Of Cinnamon, Portu.
gucgo, and make q state or province out
Of tho late kingdom"
"Tho people have many good quail.
ties, which / will not dwell upon.
l want to observe here, how.
over, that tho natives arc naturally
weak anu ahortlived. Thoro Ia nlan nm.