Middletown transcript., 1893-04-22
POLICY
WHY DEMOCRATS sMoTHERED
THE ROACH AND HAWAIIAN
RESOLUTIONS.
WHO AUTHORIZED BLOUNT?
The President Has No Power Under
the Constitution to Give Him
such wide Prerogatives

the hauling down Of the American flag
at Honolulu grows. The closer the
thing is examined the ugiler it appears.
Senator Lodge struck the keynote OF
the chorus of indignant protest which
is ringing all over the United States in
the resolution which he introduced in
the Senate.
The question is being asked in Wash
ington with constantly increasing in
sistence (" By whose authority was
the American flag hauled down from
the Government building at Homo
lulu P'' Very much more is contained
in this resolution than appears at the
first reading.
1t is so framed that it covers the
entire policy of the Cleveland Admin
istration with reference to the Hawaiian
Islands. 1t covers the real character of
.he mysterious secret mission of Mr..
Blount, and before it is fully answered
it may reveal to the American people a
condition of affairs which is full of
peril as well as of humiliation.
Mr.. Lodges resolution, t the request
of Mr.. German, went over. The
Democratic majority in the Senate re-
Tired panic-stricken from the field after
this resolution had been introduced and
before the Roach resolution could be
disposed Of, and SO escaped facing the
Hawaiian question directly until the
Senate meets again.
But the resolutions are still alive.
Senator Roach will find his seat no
easier six months hence than now, and
the Republican minority will he pre-
pared at the beginning of the next
session to take up the Lodge resolution
and insist upon full and fearless dis
cussion of the Hawaiian question.
1t would not be strange if in this
issue the Cleveland Administration had
found the stumbling block over hich
it will fall into discredit and dis
grace.
EITHER THEORY, UNSATISFACTORY.
There are two theories in regard to
the policy of the Administration. One
is that Mr. Cleveland is friendly to the
project of annexation, but that he is
determined to rem6Te every trace eff
the steps taken by the Harrison Ad-
ministration to effect it, and intends
that the business shall be done over in
accordance with bis own ideas.
The other is that be proposes to de-
feat annexation and restore the islands
to the condition in which they were
before the January revolution threw
them into the hands of the United
States.
On either supposiion the action of
Commissioners Blount in ordering down
the American flag is equally discredit-
able. In the former event, ii order to
crafty his own selfish ambition, Mr..
Cleveland has run the risk of discredit-
ing tile American nationality in a for
eign land and showing contempt FIR
the American Minister and for the
Administration under which the Min
lister acted. lii the latter event he has
consented to withdraw ignominiously
from POSITION secured by the patriotic
tirmness and prompt decision Of Mn
lister Stevens and President Harrison.
( Secretary Gresham has undertaken to
soften the shock of the announcement
that the Stars and S ripes had come
down by The insnuation that Secretary
Foster had already disavowed the act
Of raising it, and that Commissioner
BIount is simply ollosing the policy
laid down by the Harrison Admins
tralion.
The sufficient answer to this asser-
tiun is the fact that President uarri-
son did NOT order the dag to be hauled
down.
But the most curious ASPECT of the
affair, in the opinion of Republican
leaders, lies in the nature Of the mis-
sion of Commissioner Blouut. The
letter of President Cleveland introduc-
ing Mr.. Biunnt To Tile President Of the
Provisional Government is one of the
most extraordinary documents in our
diplomatic history. The official repre-
sentative Of the United States to
Hawaii is Minister Stevens, who is
clothed with plenipotentiary powers
by the President and the Senate.
President Cleveland in his letter to
President Dole, speaks of Mr.. Blount
as my Special Commissioner" and
lie adds that 6 in all matters affecting
relations with the Government of the
Hawaiian Islands his authority is para.
mount"
NO PRECEDENT.