The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-11-12

of the best lawyers in the House, said
he early opposed the annexation of
Hawaii, and was inclined to agree, gen
orally, with what the secretary of
state had said in connection with the
Hawaiian affair.
Representative Cobb, of Missouri, OPP
posed annexation, but did not think we
ought to interfere to restore the queen.
Representative Boatner, of Louisiana,
said he did not think this government
had any right to Interfere in the former
government of Hawaii, and if it ap-
peared to be the case and the queen
was deposed with the assistance OF
this government, we should do every
thing in our power to correct the wrong.
James Hyde Pratt, of Albany. is in
the city. There is a family relation
ship between President Cleveland and
Pratt, Cleveland's grandfather having
been a brother to Pratt's mother. Pratt
had a previous acquaintance with
Cleveland, having ofen seen him while
he was at Albany as governor OF New
York. Pratt also has a family rela-
tionship in the Hawaiian Islands, and
feels much exercised at the policy to-
wards the islands enunciated in Sec
rotary GreSham'S letter. He drove out
to Woodley this afternoon, and had a
half hours talk with the president on
the subject. AS a result he learned
that Cleveland approves thoroughly
and wholly of Greshams letter, and
all contained in it. Pratt lived much
in the islands and does not agree at all
with Greshams ideas or belief as to
the facts in the case. He
stated to the president that
Gresham's letter read to him like a
special plea of an advocate for his
case. His statement that the deposit
ton of the queen was accomplished by
aliens was sufficient to discredit the
whole letter, to his mind, for he had
knowledge that most of the leaders of
| the revolution were Hawaiian born
and the parents of many of them were
Hawaiian born, though of foreign pa
rents. He urged, also, that the best
natives approved of the present gov
eminent, and only the disorderly ele-
ment among among them desired its
overthrow. He stated to the president
! his belief that, in order to re-establish
Queen -Liliuokalani, it would be nee
essary to disarm every white man in
the islands. He did not believe the
queen could be maintained on the
throne a day without the influence of
armed forces or the authority of the
United States. The present govern
ment, he argued, was in possession of
iall the arms and powers of authority;
had its forces well organized and dis
| clpl1n6Q, ana was able TO MAINTAIN
itself against internal disturbances. He
then questioned the accuracy of the
statement that Minister Stevens and
Captain Wilt were instrumental in
serving the revolutionists, and that the
success of the revolution was depend
ent upon the aid they rendered. They
did no more, he asserted, than was
authorized by the instructions of Sec
rotary Bayard to Minister Merrill in
July, 1887, for guidance in similar
period of disorder.
At this point the president asked
Pratt whether he thought he had as
good opportunities of information on
the subject as the president, after a
careful investigation and study of the
subject for eight months.
Pratt rejoined he thought he had,
since he had been in intimate relations
by correspondence and otherwise, with
the islands for over thirty years.
The president closed the interview
by saying he had absolute faith in the
accuracy OF all the conclusions drawn
by Gresham and that Stevens and Cap
tain Witt committed an act of usurpa-
ton and had done wrong to a HELPLESS
power, which it was the duty of the
United States government to undo.
Pratt consented to relate the sub
Stance Of his interview with President
Cleveland for publica ton by the Asso.
| ciated Press