The Daily bulletin., 1893-05-12
JUSTICE VS.. JINGoIsM.
Strong and Sensible Words from
Minneapolis.

New York Press as probably the
most insensate and ridiculous parti-
san sheet in the country" and hav-
ing been "driven to the verge of
frenzy by the abolition of the Am
erican protectorate over Hawaii,
which was established under the
jingo policy of the Harrison admin
istration." The Times quotes pass
age from the Press and comments on
it as follows:
Fortunately the partisan howlings
of this republican sheet will find but
little sympathy with conservative
and fair-minded people of any party.
Even those advocates of the jingo
policy who were entirely ready at
the beginning of the affair to throw
up their hats and hurrah for annex
alton, without stopping to weigh
any OF the consequences involved,
are now willing to concede that the
action of Minister Stevens was hasty
and unwise, and that whatever is
done in the Hawaiian business
should be done decently and in or
der. The outcry about the "lowering
of the flag" is mere partisan flap
doodle. If the American flag was
where it had no right to be, if it had
been hoisted by Yankee filibuster
above the Hawaiian national colors
in violation of common justice and
international law-the proper thing
to do was to clover" it as promptly
as possible Because Minister Ste
vens had exceeded his authority and
committed grave blunder, it does
not follow that the United States
should ratify the reckless act and
thereby assume the attitude of a
usurper and tyrant toward a weak
and defenceless power.
There was never any excuse for
the hosting of the American colors
above the Hawaiian flag, nor for pre-
cipitate action of any kind. On the
contrary, there has been the best
reason for avoiding the riot and un-
seemly haste with which it was
sought to consummate a transaction
which by large majority of the
people of this country was regarded
as cloaking ulterior and unworthy
designs. If the proposition to an
mex Hawaii can be shown to be in
line with settled national precedents
and maxims to be for the bests in
terests of this country politically, as
well as commercially, and in the
future as well as for the present, and
finally, if it is in accordance with
the principles of justice as viewed
from the standpoint of the Hawai-
ians themselves, it will be time for
us to add these islands to our terri
tory, or take them under our protec-
ton.
The trouble with the Harrison ad-
ministration was that it proceeded
upon the principle of annexing the
islands first and investigating all
these points afterward. Mr.. Cleve-
lands policy is to investigate first,
and after all the facts and principles
at issue have been fairly ascertained
to take such steps as the case may
seem to warrant. If this country
has been subjected to any humili-
alton in this transaction the respon-
sibility rests with the last admins
tration. The Hawaiians, according
to the most trustworthy informa-
ton, do not desire annexation, and
have not asked for a protectorate.
They assert that they have been
misrepresented and now appeal to
Americas sense Of justice and honor.
In the light that has now been
thrown upon the Harrison jingo
scheme, the abolition of the protec-
torate and the lowering of the
United States flag was the only
logical and consistent course. If we
are to hold any international rela-
tions with Hawaii, its people must
have a government of their own with
which we can treat. AS long as our
protectorate continued we would
simply have been treating with our
selves. 1t would have been a case
of the United States in America con-
Quoting negotiations with it's own
representatives in Hawaii, in refer
ence to subject which it had al
ready virtually settled.
The people of the United States
want no such mockery as this. 1t is
not at all certain that they want the
islands. But if they do, they will
get them in regular, clean and
decent way and after it has been
thoroughly demonstrated that it is
to our interest to have them. This
government is not in the protecto.
rate business and is not going about
settling the quarrels of disatfected
peoples and laying violent hands on
countries whose internal dissensions
seem to invite the attention of fiji.
busters and annexationists. If the
lingo policy advocated by the New
York Press were the correct one, the
United States government would be
able to find constant employment
among our testy and turbulent
neighbors in South and Central
America. If the Harrison and New
York Press policy toward Hawaii is
the correct thing, we ought at once
to proceed to establish a protecto
rate over Honduras, now in the
throes of one of its periodical revo
lutions, preparatory to gobbling uI
the country later by the process
known as annexation.
President Cleveland has justified
the country's confidence in his gooC
; Judgment and high sense of honor
by the sensible, just and logical posi-
ton he has taken on this question
VI