The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1893-11-17
POLITICAL NATTER,
That Is What the Hawaiian Question
Is Rapidly Developing
Into.
Party Lines Are Being Closely Drawn
on the Subject at Wash
ington.
Democrats Claim the Facts In the
Matter Will Sustain the Admins
tration.

WASHINGTON, Nov. IS. The Ha-
waiian incident is attracting much at
tention in political circles and such sen
ators and representatives as are in the
city are evincing the liveliest interest
in the latest developments. Even at
this early date it is accepted as inevita-
BILE that the matter will receive congress
sional attention Immediately after the
opening of the session and all the indi-
cations point to division of the strict
party lines. The Republicans accept
the Gresham letter as criticism of the
late administration and the promptitude
with which ex-President Harrison and
ex-Minister Stevens have responded has
had the immediate effect of lining the
Republicans up in opposition to the pol
icy of President Cleveland's adlninistra-
ton. Congressman Hit, ex-secretary of
state and diplomat of the Blaine stripe,
has come out in condemnation of the
movement to restore the deposed queen
and his statements on the subject have
stirred up considerable partisan feeling.
| Will BE Treated in the Message.
1t is the belief of Democratic leaders
that whatever may occur at Hawaii in
the interval, President Cleveland will
submit message at the opening of the
regular session which will recite in detail
many facts not hitherto known to this
country and present the case in probably
an entirely new light. In this connec-
ton great interest is felt in the report Of
Special Commissioner Blount which has
never been made public, and as it will
accompany the prospective message
Democrats feel confident that his re-
searches will show that the facts were
such as to warrant the radical action of
the administration.
The Democrats expect to be put on
the defensive at the beginning, because
they believe that the policy of the Re
publicans will be to attack the president
on constitutional grounds, it being con-
tended by them that the provisional gov
ernment Of Hawaii having once been
recognized, to remove it now by force
will be equivalent to declaring an aggres-
sive war against an independent nation,
a thing only possible for the president to
do after receiving the assent and con-
currence of congress. The Democrats
who day or two ago were expressing
themselves so freely on this diplomatic
subject have
Shut Up Quite Suddenly
since the indications have pointed to
division ON party lines when the matter
comes before congress. Congressman
Geary of California, a member of the
committee on foreign affairs, and whose
constituents have lively interest in the
Hawaiian question, said:
.'All the facts are not before the pub
lie yet, and would prefer to say moth
ing until later. AS member of the
committee it would be indiscreet in me
to express an opinion on a matter that
may come before us for consideration. y
Hon. w. M. Springer of Illinois, fol
many years member of the committee
on foreign affairs, notably during the
japanese controversy of 1876, believes
that President Cleveland will be sus
tanned by his party and the country.