The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-11-17
THE HAWAIIAN CONTROVERSY.

THE HAWAIIAN CONTROVERSY.
1t has been more than half suspect
ted for some time back, in fact from
the time he was seated in the presi
dental chair, that President Cleve-
land was opposed to the annexation
of Hawaii. He Immediately COM
menced proceedings by appointing
'my special commissioner" Blount to
go to Hawaii and look the matter up
so as to give him an excuse to turn
down the action taken by the Harri-
son administration. The letter which
Secretary Gresham addressed to the
president the other day shows that
Mr.. Blount knew well his mission and
has accomplished it. A report un
favorable TO the course pursued by
President Harrison was expected,
and was received.
The great point upon which Dem
ocracy harps is that the Hasrison ad
minigtration committed wrong up
on the monarchial government when
it allowed it to be overturned. On
this point the Minneapolis Times
says:
"The Harrison administration sub
verified the rightful government of the
islands by force of arms. and set up
provisional government"
The Harrison administration did
nothing of the kind, and the course
pursued by our representative there
was not approved b. said admnisUra
ton. In fact the queen was disposed
and new government formed be fore
the authorities at Washington knew
anything about it. But the govern
ment there being overturned and
new one established in it's place as
the sole government it was duly re-
cognized, and when Mr.. Cleveland
was inaugurated he also recognized
the new government as the rightful
authority by sending his special COM
missioner and upon the resignation
of Minister Stevens, making Mr.,
BlounG his successor and accredited,
not to the queen. but to the present
provisional government, and since
Mr.. Blount has resigned has appoint
ed new minister accredited to the
same government.
Secretary Gresham now recon-
mends that this governmental which
no objection has been made since the
United States marines were with
drawn, be overturned and the mon
archy restored, an action without pre-
cedent by our government. No ad-
ministratiOn as ever before attempt
ed to bolster up falling royalty, But
IN doing this the administration is
entering upon matter which needs
to be treated very carefully. If the
monarchy is restored the full rights
of property owners whoare American
citizens, or of American descent
should be carefully considered. About
the only way their rights there can be
properly protected is by the estab-
liShment of a protectorate, for as the
St. Paul Pioneer Press of yesterday
says.
There is no room to doubt the
tenderness which the eX-Queen of
Hawaii has for Great Britain, and it
is not likely to have been lessened by
her treatment at American hands.
Her heir is now being educated in
England, and is guarded by her
British care-takers as zealously as if
she were IN a convent. If she ever
comes to the throne it will be equiva-
lent to annexation to the British en-
pire, unless she comes to the throne
under an American prOtectOrate. A
protectorate is apparently the only
solution of the difficulty. 1t ought
to be possible to right wrong with
out sacrificing our whole future inter-
est in these islands and throwing
them into highlands waiting arms,
THE Minneapolis Times feels badly
and INDUCES in considerable frothing