St. Paul daily globe., 1893-11-17

Blaine eulogy committee. In an inter
view he expressed himself freely re-
garding the Hawaiian situation, saving
the situation was antagonistic to the
feelings of most Americans.
Here is group of islands," he said,
(which has been gravitating toward us
for seventy five years. 1t is like plum
that has been long ripening and at last
has fallen into our lap. Are we now
going to refuse to take it? 1t must be
seen that if we now refuse to take 1t in
England will at once bid for it. and that,
in this event, having rejected the an
neXation of ourselves, we can no longer
intervene between the islands and their
absorption by England, for we shall
have lost the right to intercede. Twen-
ty years ago we had a reciprocity
treaty with the Sandwich islands. |
was then in the senate and concerned i'll
the making of it. They, of course, re-
ceived more benefit from that treaty
than the United States. Years after
ward the question of revising it came
before the senate. Senator Edmunds
drew our attention to the fact that the
United States was deriving little benefit
from the treaty, and proposed accord
ingly the insertion of an article in 1t
ceding the harbor OF Pearl island to the
United States. This seemed to some of
US like taking an unfair advantage of
the Islands, and it was opposed. Sen
atOr Edmunds' idea prevailed, however.
and the article was inserted, and, of
course. accepted by the government of
the Sandwich islands. Then came
along the sugar bonnties in the United
States, which were highly detrimental to
that industry in the Islands. The Unit
ed States, in short, by this policy has
practically broken the treaty and de-
prived the Sandwich islands of the ben
efits which accrued to them through
lhat treaty. Had we been dealing with
any nation of recognized worth and
standing. it would have abrogated the
reciprocity treaty existing between US,
and with good reason. The Hawaiians,
however, did not do so. 1t was under
stood that the ceSsion of Pearl Island
harbOr. one of the most valuable in the
world, was for all time. But suppose
we are now blind enough to throw away
the chance of anneXing the islands, and
at the same time. or some future time,
set up the claim to that harbor. There
is not an assembly of nations III the
world, in the face of our having first
broken the reciprocity treaty, aud then
thrown over the islands, that would
allow US any claim to il. we plainly
lose both the islands and the har5or. It
surprises me that the newspapers have
not taken up this point. The Nicaragua
canal is in time certain to tie carried
through by the United States, but ot
what value is the canal TO US if the
Sandwich islands and Pearl Island har-.
Dor in the Pacific ocean are in the hauds
of England?
The situation would be unendurabie.
Another thing Is the cable which would
run from San Francisco to the islands.
We have been trying for five or six
years to secure an appropriation from
Democratic committee for this purpose.
but without success. England would
gladly run one down there from Van
couYer if she got the opportunity"
Senator Frye said that he had long
known eX-MiniSter Stevens, and knew
him to be worthy and honorable man.
He deemed President Cleveland's
course mistake, but said it was plainly
based on Commissioner BlOunt'S report.
BE thought Commissioner BlOunt bad
not fallen into the best hands while in
the Sandwich islands. His report was
scarcely trustworthy or unbiased itself.
He disliked to think that President
Cleveland was capable of his action
from the mere desire to turn Mr.. Harri-
sons administration down. 1t was we'll
known, however, that Secretary Gresh-
am was bitter toward him he said