Evening journal., 1893-02-18
PARTISAN HASTE.

PARTISAN HASTE.
The ease and facility, together with
the lack of grace and sense. with which
many papers and few statesmen Of the
two great parties separate on the
Hawaiian matter prove that politics has
come into it. The New York Tribune
states It's position, which, read between
the lines, shows its cloven foot Of par
tisanship, thus:
We think IL may be assumed that the
Senate viii ratify this treaty, and ratify
IL promptly. 1t has certainly been made
clear during the last two weeks that
popular sentiment favors annexation
heartily and with great unanimity. At
the same time it has appeared that
certain faction Of Democrats is seeking to
delay action in the matter for no other
conceivable reason than to prevent the
completion of so notable an achievement
in the closing days of Republican
administration. This is a dangerous as
well as a dscreditable exhibition
Of partisanship, and we trust it
will not make itself manifest in such a
body as the United States Senate. There
are obvious reasons of policy for the
prompt consummation of the union so
providentially offered TO us. The duty
of rendering the Provisional Govern
ment of Hawaii secure against the agi-
tation of the lottery and opium ring, not
TO speak of a possible agitation promoted
by foreign influences hostile to our
sovereignty, should be enough, in the
presence of such favoring public senti-
ment as exists here and in Hawaii, TO
inn, H.. r.rtaI g
immediate ratification.
AS a iicticious lady, famous in English
romance, says, that is fudge and flap.
doodle" 1t is as rank partisanship for
the Republicans to urge the annexation
Of Hawaii for the purpose Of completing
$50 notable an achievement in the closing
days of a Republican administration, as
for the Democrats to oppose it on that
ground It is better to do nothing
than to run the risk Of committing a
grave error.
Neither position is correct Both are
partisan; both are discreditable Senator
Gray holds the only conservative and
commendable position of delaying
action till we shall have had time to con-
slider and determine the questions in
volved deliberately and completely on
their merits.
If those who have determined the
question either way, have done so from
knowledge, they have resources not ac-
cessible to the people But the statements
of the Tribune indicate that It, at least,
has a flush of partisanship which
would eclipse knowledge providin g
it actually possessed any greater
degree of it than others, and de.
eide the question on considerations af-
fecting the glory of the present admins
tration as the same party decided the
negro suffrage question without refer
ence to the welfare Of the Southern
people or the negroes
If, as the Tribune states, "the lottery
and the opium ring" is capable of Great
ing such an agitation as to promote or
require a change Of government in
Hawaii, then that, together with the
suspicious behavior of the Claus
Spreckels sugar ring, should be sufficient
to prevent any action. Those phenomena
certainly do not furnish any reason for
action, but grave and well-nigh conclu-
slve reasons for non-action. We have
Kansas; we do not need any half-savage
turbulents on the islands of the Pacific
ocean. II would be as reasonable to urge
the prevalence of leprosy there as a
justification for the seizure of the Sand
wich Islands by the United States.
We have a treaty, which will not ex-
pire for two years, granting all the priv
ileges we could demand or wish, and
afIording all the protection the Sand
wich Islanders can need. They can not
demand any action from us. We need
not do anything till extreme necessity OF
the threatened interference of some for
eign power compels us.
Till that time comes, the policy this
country has pursued for one hun
dred years., and the dictates OF
calm, COOL patriotism demand that we
shall not do anything, but be prepared
for emergencies.