St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-12
SAW The, PRESIDENT.
Hawaiian Commissioners In
formally Received at the
White House.
Their Credentials Received
and Filed in the State De-
partment.
After Their Reception They
Confer With Secretary
Foster.
Rumored That the Govern
ment Is Committed to
Annexation.

WASHINGTON, Feb. II. - President
Harrison informally received the Ha-
Waiian commissioners and accepted
their credentials as representatives of
the present provisional government
this afternoon. The commissioners pre-
yiously called at the state department
and held a conference with Secretary
Foster as to the form of the presenta-
ton. When they reached the executive
mansion they were ushered into the
blue parlor. They laid aside their coats
and hats as Secretary Foster excused
himself for few minutes and went up
stairs to escort the president to the blue
room. He was evidently expecting
them, for he did not keep them waiting.
Secretary Foster presented each men,
Der of the commission to the president
separately, and when that formality
was over, they presented their ere
dentials to the president, who ac-
cepted them and referred them to
the secretary Of state to be placed on
file in the department. There was
brief but informal reference to Hawiian
affairs, after which the commissioners
were invited to make an inspection of
the state department and the cOnserva-
tory. Commissioner Marsden said after
ward: 1--WE are delighted at receiving
official recognition from the president.
That is what we have been anXiOusly
waiting for since our arrival"
Called Oh Foster.
The commissioners followed ND the
distinct advantage gained by the official
recognition today by the president,
which gives them diplomatic standing,
by calling in their new capacity as rec
ognized ENJOYS on Secretary Foster at
the state department this afternoon.
Their conference with him commenced
about o'clock and lasted an hour and
half. The PRESIDENT in accentuatlng
his cordial reception of the commits
sioners this afternoon. had init
mated to them that negotiations
which formed the subject of their
mission would be conducted by the sec
cordingly repaired to the state depart
ment at the close of the ordinary rou-
tine days business and laid before
Secretary Foster in detail the practical
proposition they were authorized to
submit. Some progress was made as to
arriving at harmonious view of the
eXigenCies Of the situation, but no
definite conclusion was reached, and
the conference was adjourned until
Monday. The commissioners are meet
ing in detail the objections urged
against the annexation of the islands.
Speaking on behalf of his fellow COM
missioners, Mr.. Thurston today said in
regard to the obstacle of the cooie fac
tionr Every legislature of recent years,
except that probably of 1887, has con-
tanned majority of native members.
The natives themselves are responsible
for the introduction of the coolies of
China into the island, and they have
Resisted Every Effort
that has been made by the reform party
to restrict the immigration of that class.
They have no one to blame for the pres
ence of the coolies in Hawaii except
themselves. On the matter of lepro5y
he had also this to say:
eff it were nOtSfOr the constant Strug-
giles maintained by the whites, the pres
ent segregation laws, which compel
those afflicted with that loathsome dis
ease to be transported to the leper set
Element, the natives in the legislature
would speedily repeal even that beneti-
cent measure, thereby throwing down
all bars against its spread over the en-
tire country"
Since the appearance of the first
authenticated case there have been
probably 5000 cases of ieprosy on the
islands; at present there are probably
l. 100 OF the unfOrtunateS in the leper
settlement Of these the percentage of
whites is almost infnitesimal. The
percentage of cases among the whites,
Mr.. ThurstOn says, has not exceeded |
The deaths from dightheria in an aver
age American village.
The Star has this: at is learned on
good authority that the government has
practically committed itself in favor of
the proposition for the annexation of !
Hawaii, and that the president will send
a message to congress on the subject
next week. 1t is known that the com
missioners feel satisfied with the pres
ent status of negotiations. They make
no effort to conceal their confidence of |
the success of their mission and evil |
IDENTIFY expect tangible results in short |
time"