The Helena independent., 1893-12-07
ASK FOR INFORMATION.
The Senate Wants TO Know All
That the President Knows
Of Hawaii
A Resolution to That Effect De-
bated by Several OF the
Senators.
Hoar, Lacking Informatioo, Says the
President Msditates an Act OF War
--Prssidentiai Prsrosatives.

WASHINGTON. Dee. ga spirited discus
sion Of the Hawaiian question occupied
She senate. Debate arose over tho resolu-
tion offered yesterday by Hoar. requesting
the president 10 forward to the senate all
corrsspondencs on the Hawsiian question.
Hoar said II the prssideafs message meant
anythinR, 1t meant that ths president was
msditating whether he Oh. Md by his own
sxecutivs authority commit an act Of war
against q friendly power. II that which
was apparently proposed to bs done had
not bsen done yet, Hoar desired that the
swiftand indignant rsmonstrance Of the
American people should mako itself felt
and heard. The president WAS getting into
tho habit Of adopting rather extraordinary
language In his dealings with other
branches Of the government.
Mills opposed The resolution. II called
for information. but meanwhile its author,
bsfors hs got that information. charged she
president with meditatinR an act Of war.
The Presidents action In the matter had
bsen strictly confined within the limits OF
the executive authority. The only question
presented WAS. did the United States gov
ernmens interfere and overturn the existing
government of Hawaii. If II did. It was
the duty Of the people Of the United States,
restitution and Ysinstate the governments
which II had ovetthYown.
Villas thouaht there were reasons why the
tho resolution should not be adopted at
this time. The president. in his message.
had said additional adviees were soon sx-
peetsd. and when received would be
promptly sent to congress, accompanied by
. special message. He referred TO the re-
marks Of Hoar. a. to the reported action Of
the president being an act of war. and
asked whether the landing of troops to
overthrow the government by virtue Of their
force WAS not an aot Of war.
Hoar replied that there was no pretense
that there was any act OF force or war.
Troops weys landed under the allegation
that they ware 10 bs used to protect the
lives and property Of American citizens.
villas said Hoar- was begging the question.
Hoar continued. saying she queen yielded
to an armed insurrsotion. and not TO Amer
lean troops.
"What Information has tho gentleman
from Massachusetts," asked Gray. "that
there was any armed insurrection Jan.
1927
"Ths statements Of Stevens and the pro-
visional government" replied Hoar.
"Thsrs is not bit of evidence Of that"
declared Gray.
II think there IT," asserted Hoar. "After
the president had sent the letter to NV
great and COED brother. President Dole il
would be an act of infamy only excslled by
4 49, - T1h .h hA oka had kva ;uk
Dor under ths nth rib and then asked
Art thou In good health. my brosher?'"
LaughtsH1.
villas pretsstsd that that was not the
question. Hoar replied that the whole ar
eu1nent of the senator from Wisconsin and
require tho United States to Rlve back
Texas to Mexico to-day.
I'VE never got Texas from Hexico." said
Mills. Texas came into the union voun.
tarily."
Without eoisg into the question of the
charaetsr of the Instructions Of the presi-
dent to the minister, Villas declared that
what the president had instructed ths min
lister to do he had ample authority to do.
How do you know" came from half q
dozen senatora at once.
Villas moved that the resolution be re.
fsrrsd to the committee on foreign rela-
tions.
Hill said he did not propose to cross the
Hawaiian bridge till he reached 1t. nor did
he intend to discuss the wisdom of the
original procedure or Of what had been
done recently BY the present administ, a.
tion. He seldom agreed with what the SEN
ator frem Nassaehusotts stated, but he did
agree with him that this was simple re.o-
luton asking for information from de-
partmsnt of the government in reference to
most important matter. inform a tion
which hs thought the American people
wanted to know from the presidents mss.
sage. aud were disappcintsd when II was
not given them.
II has been said, continued Hill, that In
str uctions had been given Che did not SAY
So. however. and he hoped IL vas net true }.
from which IL was inferred that force might
bs used to rsstots the previously existing
status. That brought up the question
whether tho adm ministration had the power,
without the consent Of congress. to use the
Ing condition Of affairs. even oonoodins
| thst the government had been planted by
fraud. or even by force.
There were three departments Of this gov
ernment. and tho executive department.
was bat one OF them. There wsre reasons
Perhaps At this moment. possibly at this
very hour. tho navy OF the United States.
CO. operating with the United States minis
ter. was seeking to destroy the provisional
government by force. aud that was . quas-
tien the pSopriety of which should be de-
termined BY congress.
Sherman favored the passaRs Of tho feso-
luton. He said he did not intend to say a
word in regard to the condition Of affairs
existing. or which existed in Hawaii year
ago, but there was one thing which ap-
peared to him to bs vsrv plain. and that
was tho congress OF tho Unitsd States had
not been treated In The open and fair way
in which tho Administrative part of the
government Of the United States should
. sat conRtssA The president OF tho
United States and the executive ofhcsrs Of
ths government might as we'll understand
that the people Of The Uaited States did
not like this. That was feature OF the
controversy which Impressed itself upon
the minds OF the platasss people OF the
country. Whatever might be the idea or
information OF tho president ought to be
conveyed TO the public at large. not only 10
| congress. but also to the peorle. There IL
NO reason In the world for secrrc
sherman said all he Desired to say on the
present occasion was that il 1t waa the pur-
pose Of tho president. by the use OF military
force. 10 restore the queen In Hawaii II
would be . fatal act Of pubic policy, .
great injustice to ths people Of the United
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