The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-09
BLOUNT OBEYBD ORDERS.
Cleveland Had Shaped Ills Course
Before He Was lnaugurated.
HE HAD SAID HE WOULD REVERSE
THE HARRISON POLICY

And He Promptly Set About 1.-THE
spreckles-Cleve1and Combine First
Killed the Treaty-Then the PLANT
BIount Was Taught His Lesson and
Sent to Hawaii-B1ount's Verbal In
stfuctions, However, Can Not Now Be
Obtained
Washington, December s-The Cabinet
meeting today was devoted almost entire
ly to discussion of the Hawaiian situa-
tion. Briefs showing what letters, re-
ports and instructions had been drafted,
of dates within the period mentioned in
the Senate resolution, from 1881 to the
present time, were placed before the
Cabinet by Secretaries Gresham and
Herbert. 1t was stated that the corres-
pondence could be ready for transmission
in short order. 1t was understood it
would go to the Senate when prepared,
the belief being that before a copy for
transmission could be completed, definite
information would have been received
from Minister Willis at Honolulu.
oOSUOu3 O0C0uIUCI "a
despatch to the Traveller tells the follow
ing story. The facts, it says, were told
by Secretary .Gresham to friend and
repeated by the latter.
The facts in (the Hawaiian case date
back to the time when President Cleve-
land was at Lakewood, during the early
months of 1S93 preparing for his depart
ure to Washington and his inauguration.
1t was during the period when General
II 9rrIlOn thr0J1oh fhn of
State, John W. Foster, was negotiating
with the Hawaiian commission for an
nexation, that Mr.. Cleveland made up
his policy
1t was during a conference between the
President-elect and his future secretary
of State that the former announced that
he intended to "Reverse the Harrison
already set to work to defeat the plans
of the annexationists. Soon after the
treaty of annexation went to the Senate
the personal representative of Claus
Spreckles the sugar king, arrived at the
Capitol and Immediately began to work
to kill the treaty. Day after day he
stationed himself in the marble room of
most brazen manner and demanded their
attendance upon him.
1t was then the Cleveland Spreckles
royalist party got in their work. They
made the com mbination in the Senate
which prevented the consummation of
the Harrison treaty, and held it dang
ling in the air until Congress expired by
limitation. Cleveland was hardly seated
in the Presidential chair before he began
to put in operation his spolicy of in
fanny"
He Withdrew the treaty of annexation
from the Senate, began holding CON
ferences with Blount and verbally gave
the dull and prejudiced ex-member from
Georgia his views in the matter
Future developments showed what a
pliable tool Blount had been in the hands
of the Executive. 1t was the verbal in
structions given Blount that told the
tale-instructions that will never be
known except to the two conspirators.
When the President had finished with
the paramount commissioner, he handed
him oyer to the State Department, and
there the formal but meaningless official
instructions were written out and
handed to him.
When "my commissioner" from Georgia
resigned and Willis was selected to
succeed him, the President pursued the
Same coul Sc as he had done with Blount.