The morning call., 1894-01-26
A FAIR DEBATE.
What Shall We Do With
Hawaii =?
QUESTION OF ANNEXATION.
The Affirmative Maintained by
General Barnes.
NEGATIVE SIDE is VICTORIOUS
The Arguments of John p. Irish and
Rev. Horatio Stebbins Against
Taking the Tropic Islands.

The Midwinter Fair congresses were
opened last night in the Grand Opera
house by debate on the annexation Of
Hawaii.
The debaters on the affirmative side
were General Barnes. on the other John
p. Irish and Rev. H. StebbiDs. The judges
of the debate were Chief Justice Beatty
Of the Supreme Court of California, W.
W. Morrow, Judge of the United States
District Court, and c. w. Slack, Judge of
the Superior Court. On The stage also
were seated President J. d. Phelan, W. q.
Harrison. W. 3. Harrington, Professor 3.
Moses, c. A. Murdoch, L. c. Judkins, eX-
Mayor E. 3. Pond aud w. S. Gage.
President Phelan opened the debate by
stating that The object OF this meeting
was to raise funds TO bear the expenses of
the literary. economic and scientific gath
ering, during the coming fair, after which
be introduced the first speaker.
General Barnes began by a humorous
comparison between President Phelan
and himself and the cayuse that was sent
before the big trotter at a race in Nevada.
He hoped the opposition were prepared to
discuss the question, though heaven alone
could know how they would manage Ii. He
said that James G. Blaines last declaration
was that the acquisition of the Hawaiian
Islands was OF such importance 10 the United
States that he could not conceive of the re-
fusal of such gift. he took this as the text of
his speech. He pictured Mr. Blaine as stand
Ing behind Honolulu and noIing the improve
ments brought about by the Americans
Christianity instead OF heathenism, schools for
the children, warehouses and commerce in-
stead Of savagerv. He stated that modern in
yentonS had annihllated distance aud Hawaii
was as near 10 us as New York, and that with
cable 1t would be as close as Tn Catalina
| Islands are now to The coast Of Santa Barbara.
| lie said that II was useless 10 speak of not go
! ing outside the barriers of the country.
| Alaska was outside, and no one blamed W. IL.
! Seward for acquiring it.
He pictured j. u. Blaine as seeing 10 the
| north and south, the east and west, the banner
OF Engand flying over forTresses aud harbOrs Of
refuge, and noting that all IL wanted for perfect
! control of the Pacific was Hawaii.
He declared that 1t was not party question,
and that before this agitation was finished
Hawaii would be under the American flag, and
! that the movement OF the whole nation tended
| TO thai conclusion. he lnstaDced the various
| treaties with Hawaii as proving this trend or
| popular opinion and the opinion of American
| statesmen. as also the fact that Great Britain
| and France had both been estopped by the
! United States from acquiring Hawaii. He said
tnaI the Hawaiians had sent troops 10 fight in
the Civil War and had given generous assist
ancr 10 the sanitary commission; that The
admirais and generals OF the United States had
| written on the importance OF its possession to
| the United States; that the Americans had de-
| VelOped a commerce there which REQUIRED
| twenty steamships for the service and paid
! $1,000, 600 In customs; that its debt might be
| S3,OOo,OoO. but that 1t had assets of over
| $40, 100000, and that these were the people 10
/ be considered in The matter and not the native
/ Hawaians.
He hoped to live to see the day when a
cable would connect Hawaii with the American
/ nation; when her haTbOTs would be fortified in
| the defense of American ideas, and TO turn
! IL over 10 the Queen would be to reduce the
n In nph nf han and fftI IF
| poi, bargaining Oh the shore with a casual
schooner for enough cotton 10 make gown.
IL i impossible TO convey the charm of Gen
eTal Barnes speech in a brief analysis, as a so
to give an Idea OF j. Z. Ifisn's sarcastic reply.
Mr.. irish said that public opinion lay along
lines of argument that sometimes stood alone
| and sometimes united. The first was the argI-
ment from fellowship, that blood is thicker
than water; that the Americans and their
descendants only were 10 be considered people
of our own f1e>h and blood, when The cold fact
was that since 1926 the AmeIicaniZatIoD of the
Islands had resulted IN 92S native-b0rn Am RI
! cans out Of population of over $4,000, and
637 voters as against 5000 registered pure
! native voters on whom had been i'm
posed q property qualification of $4,000.
that there were 1000 POTtugese voters as also
! Germans and others races, and If the
! AM rlcans have chosen to eXpalriate them
selves and become citizens GOmiciled IN
Hawaii tie duly they owe to their country is 10
be good and obedient citizens OF the one they
have adopted. The United States owed
more TO foreigners naturaliZed here than 10
such expatrlated Americans, and he hoped
the day might never come when this Govern
ment would support their disloyalGy to a coun.
try they had freely sought.
These 1928 Americans had erected neither
| republic nor monarchy but an anon
alous Government without any expression OF
| the peoples voice; the United States
could not afford o take HAWAII from them. nc
matter how beautiful or rich, otherwise stain
would be on its flag that 1000 years OF ylrtu.
Gus history could not erase.
The guilt of the Queen had nothing tC
Do VS. nnf FaYnuf
attack all people who failed TO keen the com
mandments, ana other naliOnalities, Irish
Scotch and Russian, had aided us insthe civil
war. He recalled the Scotch HlPhlanders, with
their colonel. who marched three Times 10 the
teeth OF storm OF shot and shell, and asked
whether that would give the United State;
right TO help rebellion in Scotland.
The second line OF argument, he said, was
the practical ana business line. He affirmed
that II was The business Of generals and ad
mirals TO bring on battles, but not OF tile
Unit d STATES, which bad stood Stoutiy against
General Grants desire To annex San Domingo
that The frontier argument Is futile. anu only
leads TO a movement to seize on he who'll
world; that our greatness lies in a cOntine nta
policy and on moral power, aud that TO TAXI
Hawaii would make us partners with the rob
Der nations; that Hawaii should have its owl
Government and become the Switzerland O
the sea. and that there was as great a possibility
of him aud General Barnes returning 10 thu
savage state Of their ancestors as OF the Ha
waiians relapsing into baTbarIsm; that thu
country owes a Christian duty TO Hawaii ant
that the natives have rights which must be re
spected, and that a physical reason STOOD II
the way OF taking Hawaii which was that TIT
Anglo SaXon children grew sturdy and Anglo
Saxon institutions flOurished only In the countr.
where grew the oak.
Instead of Irving NJ. Scott. who was pre-
vented from speaking by sickness. Genera
Barnes again addressed the audience. He sait
that Colonel lrisb's Scotch story reminded hin
of a client VINO told his lawyer, III L ever wan
a man who can misrepreseni will take you
He denied saying that the natives had n
rights, and declared that the Hawaiian treat,
made in Ceveland's first administration bor
out bis position. He said that he had wis
fear expressed in Washingtcn's words. al
time OF peace prepare for war;" hat Hawai-
was necessary 10 the United States, especial.
IN the event Of the building OF the Nicaragua
Canal. That he admired the 1928 American
for their marvellous work IN Hawaii, and tia
oaks-tbe human oak-did grow there Ina
the Queen had struck at the liberties o
Hawaii, not the 1928 Americans, that she ha'
plotted for The opium law and the LOuisian
Lottery and that II we did not take Hawaii W
had no right TO prevent other nations fron
holding IL for the protection OF life and prop
eriy
The Rev. ii. Stebbins held that this was
simple question of annexation. and that inter
national law and the past historic experienc
OF the United States both were potent reason